How Did the Civil War Start in the A24 Movie? Explained

May 24, 2024

A24’s Civil War is one of the most talked about films of the year, and viewers want to know how the Civil War started in the movie. The Alex Garland-directorial takes place in a dystopian America that has been split into several warring factions. The plot follows a group of journalists and photojournalists as they make their way across the American landscape. Two of them hope to interview the US President before the soldiers from seceding states kill him.

Here are all the details of how the central conflict in Civil War and why the soldiers are after the US President.

What caused the US civil war in 2024’s new movie?

It is heavily implied in Civil War that the third-term presidency of Nick Offerman’s character is the main cause of the conflict.

The President’s actions over the years have directly contradicted the US Constitution. As a result, the government under him has effectively become a dictatorship and even launched an airstrike on its citizens.

By pairing up California and Texas in an unlikely seceding coalition, Alex Garland indicates that the Civil War didn’t start because of the political divide in the US. Instead, he underscores that the situation was so dire that the largely Democratic California and predominantly Republican Texas joined forces against a tyrannical federal government.

Why were the soldiers after the US President?

In Civil War, the soldiers are after the US President because he has proven himself to be a dictator who needs to be taken down to prevent further loss of life.

In Civil War, photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) and journalist Joel (Wagner Moura) want to interview the President before the soldiers get to him. They know that his downfall is inevitable, despite what the man says on television.