Don't miss the powerful trailer for Alex Garland's new film, Civil War

You can trust Alex Garland when it comes to action-packed dystopia. As a director, the Briton is behind both Annihilation and Ex Machina, but he has also written scripts for Danny Boyle-directed top films such as 28 Days Later and Sunshine, and now Garland is back with another dystopian film.

The United States is on the brink of destruction in a near future where a new civil war has broken out and troops are now heading for the White House, where Garland's favourite Nick Offerman has taken up residence as President and it is now his duty to try and stop the threat from within. Nineteen states have broken away from the American community and are now pursuing their own agenda. To divide and conquer.

"God bless America" echoes between shots and "justice for all" chants the head of state while the banner slowly waves in the wind, now with far fewer stars than we are used to. If Garland's name hadn't been announced early on, it would have been easy for the unwary to mistake Civil War for a Michael Bay film, but the longer the trailer goes on, the clearer it becomes that this is a film with terrifying timing, not least with an upcoming presidential election around the corner, but we can also note that it boasts an impressive cast, which in addition to the aforementioned Offerman also includes Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura and Jesse Plemons. To name a few.

On 26 April 2024, we'll find out how it all plays out when Civil War hits cinemas around the world.