The much - discussed scene featuring Jesse Plemons is a great microcosm of the major issues which plague 'Civil War'. Our characters are held at gunpoint in a nail - biting confrontation. The motives of the two soldiers are murky at first, but it's gradually revealed that they're both massive bigots, and shoot dead two characters of colour in cold blood. The quiet, slow - burn tension of the scene instantly dissipates, escalating into a literally incomprehensible shouting match, before a van (which they should've heard coming) barges in, hitting and incapacitating the two foes, giving our characters a way out. Almost literally as subtle as a truck driving through the script. Nothing more is revealed about the two soldiers.

A harrowing scene with no answers and no sense of closure, just like the entire movie. 'Civil War' is a film with nothing to say. Its only interest is in beating your over the head with a series of atrocities, which escalate in the final act, like the scene's ending. The film was on the radar of cinephiles for a while before release, and many speculated that it might be controversial, portraying a war - torn America during a divisive election year. Alex Garland stated in an interview that the film wasn't political, which I think should've been seen as a massive red flag. It's not remotely interested in exploring the underlying causes of division and conflict, or the policy positions which forced America to turn against itself in this universe.

Why do I need to see so many horrors? You've already showed me 5 war crimes / cold - blooded executions. I don't need to see 20 more. This is the only card which the film has to play. There's no optimism. No hope or lessons for the future. No answers. It's a downwards spiral all the way to the end.

You know what would've made for a more interesting resolution to the Jesse Plemons scene? How do you talk your way out of this situation? How do you reason with someone like that? This is the question that could actually have a helpful application to our real - world divisions; you can't resolve disagreements by hitting people with vans.

I would've preferred to see a prequel, which explores the beginning of the war, and the specific issues and ideologies which split the nation. A more ideas - driven film, which has something to say about how we can de - escalate and avoid division.