War Machine (15)

Director: Patrick Hughes 
Screenplay: Patrick Hughes, James Beaufort

Starring: Alan Ritchson, Stephan James, Blake Richardson
Running time: 106 minutes

Netflix

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Review: RJ Bland

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The last week or so has really highlighted one of the reasons the horror genre remains so popular, interesting and enduring: its sheer range of subject, tone and style. Take the last few reviews we’ve published - including this one. Scream 7, a blockbuster slasher about masked serial killers with increasingly ridiculous motives. Crazy Old Lady, a low-budget Argentinian chamber piece blending body horror with the psychological. And now War Machine: a glossy Netflix production starring Alan Ritchson, about a group of Army Rangers facing off against a giant mechanised alien. What other genre can pivot quite so wildly?

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While psychological and body horror have always been reliable staples, both the slasher and extra-terrestrial subgenres feel as though they’re enjoying a resurgence after a few years on the sidelines. Back in the ’90s, sci-fi horror was big ting (do the kids still say that?). Films like Mars Attacks!, Stargate, Independence Day, Species, Predator 2, Starship Troopers, Alien Resurrection and The Faculty meant we could hardly move for stories about alien invasions.

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While a few have appeared in the years since, it does feel as though we’re seeing more again lately. We’ve had new a new Alien movie (and TV series), a couple of Predator and Quiet Place film, as well as Amazon’s big budget The Tomorrow War. Project Hail Mary is on the way soon and there is already hype building for Spielberg’s Disclosure Day.

Perhaps this renewed interest reflects a growing sense of global insecurity or a rise in nativism and fear of “the other”. And what better way to explore those anxieties than with the beefcake from Reacher pulling on some fatigues and taking on an enemy that looks like a giant spaceship on legs?

 

Alan Ritchson plays a soldier attempting to earn his place in the Army’s elite Rangers Squad through the brutal U.S. Army Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (known as RASP). The course lasts eight gruelling weeks and only a select few recruits make it to the end and earn the coveted Ranger scroll. Known only by his designation number (81), the mission means far more to him than just career ambition. While serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan, he watched his younger brother die during a Taliban attack. Haunted by guilt over being unable to save him, 81 is determined to honour the promise they once made together: to become Army Rangers.

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Despite concerns from his superior officers (played by Dennis Quaid and Esai Morales), 81 pushes through to the final test; a simulated recon and rescue mission. He and a small team of candidates are shoved onto a Helicopter and dropped deep into the Rocky Mountains and given just 24 hours to complete the operation. Cross the finish line in time and they earn their place among the Rangers. Reluctantly stepping into the role of team leader, 81 attempts to guide the squad towards their objective, with mixed results. He ain’t a people person and struggles to command the respect of his team.

Attempting to retain his authority is the last of his worries though the training exercise quickly turns into something far more dangerous. While moving through the mountains, the team stumbles across the wreckage of a strange metallic structure. Assuming it’s part of the simulation, they move in to investigate only to accidentally awaken a towering mechanised creature the size of a building, bristling with otherworldly weaponry.

Suddenly the mission becomes a desperate fight for survival. With their weapons proving useless, communications jammed and compasses spinning wildly, the soldiers find themselves hunted through the Colorado wilderness by a relentless alien war machine.

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It's fair to say that Netflix have a bit of a reputation for producing a lot of very mediocre content. The phrase; it’s very Netflix usually means that something is relatively big in budget, glossy, has broad appeal but is rather generic and rarely critically acclaimed. Think of stuff like Extraction (2020) and The Electric State (2025). There are exceptions though - del Toro’s Frankenstein is actually pretty good and is up for some Golden Globes. War Machine isn’t going to win any awards and it can’t claim to be particularly original either. This is as polished and formulaic as most Netflix features - but vitally, it IS very engaging and provides some genuine thrills. And for a film like this, that’s pretty much all you’re after.

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There’s a welcome earnestness that beats at the heart of War Machine too. We live in a time where a lot of action, sci-fi and horror can feel cynical and referential, with an emphasis on glib slickness. This film, however, feels very much like a reflection of its lead character, 81 – a role Alan Ritchson seems perfectly suited to. Huge, powerful, brooding, stern, and always ready for action. There’s the occasional moment of humour, but for the most part War Machine takes itself very seriously, which is actually quite refreshing. Yes, it could be interpreted as pro-military and pro-guns; it’s quite old-school in that respect. But largely the film operates in survival mode. This isn’t a Rambo sequel. In many ways it feels closer to a traditional war movie. The action is relentless and immersive, and it certainly doesn’t shy away from the gore either.

It’s not entirely smooth sailing, however. Ritchson is something of a blank canvas, but that works well enough, as the role arguably requires it from someone as emotionally closed off as 81. His fellow rangers, however, are barely developed at all, and although the actors all give solid performances, the script treats them as little more than potential cannon fodder. You only have to look at a film like Predator (1987) or Dog Soldiers (2002) to see how stronger personalities can elevate material like this. The ending is somewhat unremarkable too, which is a shame. It almost feels like watching the final level of a computer game play out. Still, for the most part this is a pulsating sci-fi actioner that makes for ideal Friday night viewing. A sequel is clearly set up at the end, and we’d certainly be up for more.