‘Civil War,’ an election-year provocation, premieres at SXSW film festival

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — “Civil War,” Alex Garland’s election-year provocation, debuted at the SXSW Film and TV Festival, unveiling a violent vision of a near-future America at war with itself. “Civil War,” reportedly A24’s biggest budget release yet, is a bold gamble to capitalize on some of the anxieties that have grown in highly partisan times and ahead of a potentially momentous November presidential election. The film first shown at the festival on Thursday imagines a U.S. in all-out warfare, with California and Texas teaming up to form the “Western Forces.” That insurrection, along with the “Florida Alliance,” is seeking to topple a government led by a three-term president played by Nick Offerman.