Movies

America is a fallen empire in chilling trailer for Alex Garland's Civil War

"What kind of American are you?"

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Published on December 13, 2023 09:00AM EST

God bless America... or what's left of it.

The chilling first trailer for writer-director Alex Garland's upcoming film Civil War debuted Wednesday, and it offers a scary vision of America's future.

The film's plot is being kept under wraps, with a new logline only describing it as a "a race to the White House in a near-future America balanced on the razor’s edge" — but the trailer offers some answers about the bleak state of things.

Kirsten Dunst in Civil War — Kirsten Dunst in 'Civil War'.
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News clips in the trailer tell us 19 states have seceded, the U.S. army has ramped up activity, and there are mentions of something referred to as the "Western Forces" of California and Texas, as well as the "Florida Alliance." We’re told the president — played by Nick Offerman — has said an ongoing uprising will be dealt with swiftly. And Kirsten Dunst appears to be leading a team of journalists attempting to get into the U.S. Capitol.

The intense clip is full of harrowing images, but perhaps none more so than a standoff between Wagner Moura's character and an armed man played by Jesse Plemons. Moura can be heard saying during a standoff, "There’s been a misunderstanding, we are American." To which Plemons' character chillingly replies, "Ok, what kind of American are you?"

Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Sonoya Mizuno also star in the thriller.