You would think that being a director of successful films would have to be one of the top jobs to have, and yet a number of big names have announced intentions to walk away. One of the highest profiled directors is Quentin Tarantino, who is adamant that his tenth film will be his last.

And then you had Steven Soderbergh declare he had had enough and walked away from the industry, only to walk straight back into it again not long after.

The latest name to add to that list is writer and director Alex Garland, who, in a recent interview said that this film may well be his last, as he’s falling out of love with filmmaking. So if that were to be the case, does he go out on a high note or a bum one?

The United States is at war with itself, with factions spreading across the nation, and with them violence.

Photojournalist Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) and writer Joel (Wagner Moura) are in NYC, covering the disruption there. During a bout of violence on the streets, Lee helps out young photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), who’s a huge fan of Lee’s work. She ends up hitching a ride with them both, and fellow journo Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), who begin a dangerous road trip, 857 miles to the White House, in an attempt to speak to the President (Nick Offerman), who hasn’t spoken to the press in 14 months. And they better be quick, as there’s every chance this interview may well be his last.

There are signs here of a tired director. Firstly there’s the concept; as someone known for his original work, such as 2014’s Ex Machina and 2022’s Men, Civil War is disappointingly generic. It is essentially The Last of Us without the zombies. There are factions fighting, with no clear idea of who is right and who is wrong, on a road trip through a broken America. There’s a young woman, who is Ellie-esque, who is even travelling with a character named Joel. And if that wasn’t enough, the President Offerman even starred in one of the show’s most memorable episodes.

And even his narrative, which he’s normally so strong with, is a little on the slack side. It’s just little details that soon add up. For instance, Lee and Jessie have only barely been introduced and are already on first name terms.

Jessie is also a budding war photographer, who seemingly only shoots on film rather than digital, which is totally absurd; with each roll only capable of 36 shots, you would be changing rolls every few minutes or so. Of course you don’t see that, with Jessie shooting off shots like a gunman in the old west, somehow capable shooting more bullets than his gun can handle.

And then you have the journey itself. It’s a time sensitive story, knowing that the President is at risk, so they need to get to D.C as quickly as possible. And yet despite this looming deadline, they not only manage to take on side quests, but also indulge in a spot of retail therapy too. It’s difficult to imagine real photojournalists being so distracted.

The final issue is their position in the whole conflict. Garland is keen to show that the usual rules of engagement are out the window, with all sides choosing to ignore them. And yet the fact Lee and her group have lanyards with ‘press’ printed on them, they’re treated like they have VIP Access All Areas passes backstage at Glastonbury, following groups of troops into battle without anyone questioning it.

So yes, maybe Garland does need a break.

If you want to see a film about war journalists, you’re far better off watching Rosamund Pike playing real life war journalist Marie Colvin in the excellent 2018 A Private War.

With Garland seemingly going through the motions with Civil War, it only proves there are no winners in war, especially this predictable one.