Alex Garland’s 2024 thriller Civil War has gone viral following Democratic victories in Texas, a traditionally Republican state. James Talarico won a seat in the U.S. Senate, while Gina Hinojosa was elected governor. The Senate win marks the first time in decades that Texas has chosen a Democrat for the chamber, according to the original report.
In the film’s near-future setting, California and Texas join forces as the “Western Forces,” resisting a tyrannical president during a civil war that has divided the country. The film does not spell out why the politically different states form an Alliance, a choice that has prompted questions and criticism from some viewers.
The Texas election results have led audiences to reconsider that premise. An editor at The Bulwark joked that the film had been criticized for ideological vagueness, only for Garland to have depicted California and Texas rebelling against what the editor called a populist fraud in the White House.
Garland addressed the alliance when the film was released, saying at the South by Southwest festival that he believed the story provided enough clues. He pointed to a fascist president who had violated the Constitution and attacked American citizens, arguing that the threat itself implied why Texas and California might set aside their political differences. Viewers, he said, had to draw that conclusion rather than have every answer spelled out.
Sources: Folha Ilustrada.