“Warfare”: A24’s Latest Venture into Western Propaganda

When A24 announced their upcoming film Warfare, directed by Iraq War veteran Ray Mendoza and Civil War director Alex Garland, the tagline, “Everything is based on memory,” was meant to sound evocative. Instead, it telegraphed exactly what the film is poised to become: another chapter in the long history of Western propaganda disguised as nuanced storytelling. A glossy veneer for the war machine, cloaked in the artistic credibility A24 has built over the years.

For those paying attention, the timing couldn’t be more suspect. With the resurgence of ultranationalist movements, particularly under figures like Trump and his fascist base, this kind of film fits neatly into the broader Western strategy of erasing imperialist crimes while bolstering the myth of moral superiority.

Let’s break this down.

The Hallmarks of Propaganda

Western propaganda doesn’t always take the form of overt, jingoistic calls to arms. In fact, it works more insidiously through narratives that humanize the perpetrators of violence while erasing or demonizing its victims.

Warfare will likely join a long list of films like The Hurt Locker or American Sniper, which present themselves as raw, emotional dissections of war but ultimately serve to center the emotional experience of the U.S. military. By focusing on the “trauma” of the occupiers, these films conveniently sidestep the systemic violence, destruction, and genocide inflicted upon the people of Iraq.

This is how imperialism launders its crimes—by reframing the narrative to focus on the individual humanity of its enforcers, while the humanity of its victims is rendered invisible.

Erasing the Iraqi Genocide

Let’s not mince words: the U.S. invasion of Iraq was an act of genocide. The illegal war, based on falsified intelligence and outright lies, led to the deaths of over a million Iraqis. It decimated the country’s infrastructure, displaced millions, and left behind a legacy of environmental destruction through depleted uranium and chemical warfare.

But in Western media, these realities are rarely acknowledged. Instead, the focus remains on the cost of war for U.S. soldiers—emotionally, psychologically, and sometimes physically. The framing implicitly suggests that the “tragedy” of Iraq lies not in the wholesale slaughter and displacement of its people but in the struggles of those sent to occupy it.

This narrative sanitization does more than just distort history; it erases the lived experiences of Iraqis, many of whom continue to endure the consequences of this genocide. Films like Warfare are complicit in this erasure, offering audiences an aestheticized, emotional spectacle that conveniently absolves the West of its crimes.

Hollywood’s Relationship with the Military-Industrial Complex

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has long had its hands in Hollywood productions. From offering technical support to directly influencing scripts, the military sees films as a key tool in shaping public perception. Movies like Top Gun, Zero Dark Thirty, and even Transformers owe much of their success to Pentagon backing.

While it’s unclear if Warfare has an official DoD contract, the fact that it is helmed by a veteran and focuses on the Iraq War makes it highly likely that its production aligns with the interests of the military-industrial complex. The DoD doesn’t need a film to wave flags and play God Bless America to achieve its goals. It just needs the film to avoid asking the hard questions: Why was the U.S. in Iraq in the first place? Who benefits from this war? Who paid the price?

Convenient Timing for Nationalistic Agendas

The announcement of Warfare arrives at a critical juncture. As Trump and his ultranationalist following gear up for another attempt at political dominance, media narratives like this play a crucial role in softening public opinion toward imperialist violence. By framing the Iraq War as a site of personal struggle rather than systemic atrocity, Warfare helps pave the way for future justifications of U.S. military aggression.

It’s not just about Iraq, either. Films like this reinforce the broader narrative that Western violence is inherently moral—that even when it goes wrong, it’s driven by good intentions. This myth is essential for maintaining public support for ongoing imperialist projects, from sanctions on Iran to backing Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.

Why This Matters

The stakes of this kind of propaganda are enormous. As the U.S. continues to project its power globally, the narratives we consume shape how we understand these actions. If the story of Iraq is reduced to the emotional wounds of its invaders, we lose sight of the larger truth: that imperialism is a machine fueled by the destruction of entire nations and peoples.

Warfare isn’t just a film—it’s a tool. It exists to reinforce the lies that underpin Western dominance, to ensure that the genocide of Iraqis fades into history as a footnote rather than a cautionary tale. By consuming these narratives uncritically, audiences become complicit in the erasure of those who suffered and continue to suffer under the weight of imperialist violence.

Rip Their Mask Off

There’s no reason to give Warfare the benefit of the doubt. A24 may pride itself on being an “indie” studio, but even indie aesthetics can mask propaganda. In fact, the veneer of artistry may make the propaganda even more insidious, lulling audiences into thinking they’re consuming something profound rather than something deeply harmful.

We don’t need another Iraq War movie that centers the occupiers. We need stories that amplify the voices of the occupied, that lay bare the machinery of imperialism, and that refuse to whitewash genocide in the name of artistic expression. Until then, Warfare deserves nothing but our scorn.