The first thing I did when the credits started rolling on Warfare was wipe my palms against my pants. Rarely has a movie shaken me literally to my core, but A24’s latest film did just that. It was incredibly stressful and difficult to watch at times, but it was gripping in a way that few other war films have come close to. Just don’t go into it expecting a traditional cinematic experience.

The film, set during the Iraq War, is based on a true story, with the details of the narrative coming from the memories of those who were present during this conflict. With the exception of two, all the other characters are aliases to help protect their identities. Helping Civil War’s Alex Garland direct and write the script is Ray Mendoza, who is a former SEAL who was present during this particular encounter (and is played by D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Taiin the film). Apart from a brief setup, this film is otherwise presented in real-time, and the film makes a point to avoid clichés and tropes found in other war movies. Apart from aerial footage, we never leave the point of view of the soldiers, nor do we ever cut to the lives of the adversaries. The Iraqi family sequestered in the apartment are almost an afterthought, relegated to being powerless in their own home. Hell, there isn’t even a score in this movie to manipulate our emotions at key points. As such, the film has no real opinion on war, other than how intense and horrifying it is, with only the closing moments coming close to anything resembling a message.

Likewise, we don’t learn anything about our cast of characters. Not where they’re from, their hopes and dreams, what they did back home. None of it. They speak in military lingo, and the topic is the job at hand. Despite that, I knew just about everyone’s name by the time credits rolled. That’s because we, the audience, are the unseen member of the squad, thrown into the chaos. Warfare is less a traditional cinematic experience and more of a high-budget recreation of what went down.

The cast is all great. There isn’t really a main character, but the film does focus on a select few, including Will Poulter (The Bear) as Erik, Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things) as Sam, Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun) as Elliot, and Micheal Gandolfini (Daredevil: Born Again) as McDonald, with Charles Melton, Kit Connor, Finn Bennett, and Taylor John Smith (among others), rounding out the cast.

The real star of Warfare though is the sound mix. I jumped more than a few times during the screening, and the sound design really throws you into the chaos, with gunfire echoing in tight quarters, screams haunting you to your very core, fighter jets shaking your bones, and radio chatter adding to your anxiety. As mentioned in my intro, I was incredibly stressed watching this movie, more so than any other war movie I can think of. In fact, this is less a war movie and more of a horror film.

The year is still young, and there are many films yet to be released, but Warfare is an early contender for one of the best of the year. It certainly joins the likes of 1917 and Saving Private Ryan as one of the best in its genre. It’s horrifying, relentless, anxiety-inducing, which I can only imagine is what the real deal is like. Very few movies leave me shaking or suffering from an increased heart rate, but Warfare certainly left its mark. It won’t be for everyone, as the lack of a narrative and characterization will likely put off those looking for more familiar cinematic trappings. But much like Schindler’s List, this isn’t exactly a movie I want to watch again, as it isn’t exactly “entertaining”, but one that I’m still very glad I watched.