Alex Garland, the British director of the upcoming A24 movie Civil War, has a few choice words for anyone who believes in the concept of American exceptionalism.
“Nobody is exceptional,” he said.
Civil War, which is set to open in cinemas in April, imagines a United States torn apart by conflict in which 19 states have seceded — including something called the “Florida Alliance.” Meanwhile, a “three-term president” is trying to hold together what remains of the U.S.
Speaking at a recent SXSW panel following the movie’s world premiere, Alex Garland took major issue with “American exceptionalism” — the notion that the U.S. is unique in world history and stands above other countries as an overall positive force.
“America has an internal concept in its exceptionalism that means it feels it’s immune to some kinds of problems. One of the things history shows us is that nobody is immune. Nobody is exceptional,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Garland appeared to confirm multiple reports that have noted the movie’s fictional president — who is in his third term and seeks like dismantle the FBI — seems like a statement on former President Donald Trump
“There is a fascist president who smashed the Constitution and attacked [American] citizens. And that is a very clear, answered statement,” the director reportedly said.
Civil War is already generating a massive amount of controversy ahead of its release.
Many have noted that the movie’s depiction of complete societal and political breakdown feels like “predictive programming” — a concept positing that establishment elites use the culture, including movies, to make the population more accepting of future events they are planning for us.
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