war zone movie review

Lot 47

© Written by Richard Propes The Independent Critic

The War Zone Review

03 Sep 1999

War Zone, The

With family dysfunction, emotional brutality and misery-guts atmosphere the order of the day, Tim Roth’s directorial debut was never going to escape comparisons with mate Gary Oldman’s Nil By Mouth. However, while certainly as grim and introspective, The War Zone is far less personal, being based on Alexander Stuart’s award-winning novel set in a desolate, ugly Devon of rainswept moors, isolated farmhouses and deep-seated family shenanigans.

Ostensibly, you get a virtually catatonic teenager Tom (Cuncliffe) who becomes aware that the relationship between his fractious pop (Winstone) and edgy older sister Jessie (Belmont) has taken on a decidedly dodgy dimension. While he wrestles with his conscience, his unaware mother (Swinton) delivers another baby and his sister begins to come apart at the seams Ñ self-mutilation, fierce denial and enticing her bro into their own quasi-incestuous relationship. And with everything set out, you sit back and wait for the truth to hit the breakfast table.

Both of the kids do excellent work in complex, distressing roles - the movie works best in their shared scenes - and the film evokes an effective seriousness of tone with Roth’s fitting penchant for deep shadows, sultry landscapes and long, languorous sequences of sparse dialogue and heavy stares. But it’s all oddly inert and uninvolving, Roth locating strangeness rather than pathos in his forlorn family.

And poor old Ray Winstone is fast turning into a caricature of himself - it’s now prescribed film lore that any character he plays will inevitably go ape somewhere between the credits. Which automatically denies the film the forbidding ordinary-evil theme at its heart. The result is more distasteful than shocking - what should be provocative is simply depressing.

War Zone, The (United Kingdom , 1999)

Note to readers: this review contains spoilers. While I do not believe the revelation of certain plot points will in any way compromise the viewing experience, those who wish to see The War Zone without having previous knowledge of a key element would do well to bail out now and return after they have seen the film.

The title of The War Zone conjures up images of devastation and disaster, of broken lives and rotting corpses. And, while this stunningly accomplished feature debut from Tim Roth has nothing to do with traditional battlefields, it is every bit as harrowing as the first 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan or the whole of Schindler's List . The destruction presented in this film is as graphic and shocking as anything depicted in the most unsparing war movie, except that the victims are not soldiers trained for combat, but children placed in harm's way.

Incest isn't just a "nasty little secret" or a "family issue." It is an abuse of power and a violation of trust. Even when the sex is ostensibly consensual, it is rape. Perhaps the most unnerving thing about incest is how often it happens and how many silent victims there are. Statistics are meaningless with this kind of molestation - shame keeps a majority of those affected quiet, so there's no way to get an accurate count. Yet experts agree that it is a prevalent cancer that infects families of every racial and social background. Gather a hundred random people together, and there are virtually guaranteed to be victims (and perhaps abusers as well) in their midst. Seat those same hundred people in a theater showing The War Zone , and the visceral reactions of the victims will betray them. At a public screening of this movie during the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival, one viewer was so upset that, in the midst of a crucial scene, he rose to his feet and shouted that he couldn't take any more, then headed for the exit, intending to pull the fire alarm. Roth, who was in attendance, intercepted him at the door, and it took 20 minutes of intense conversation to calm the man down.

The War Zone is a devastating motion picture; it's the kind of movie that stuns an audience so absolutely that they remain paralyzed in their seats through the end credits. It does not deal in euphemisms nor does it hide the physical and emotional brutality of the act from viewers. What Roth has accomplished is nothing short of brilliant, but it is also incredibly daring, because the film has no commercial prospects. No matter how many critics trumpet The War Zone 's merits, viewers will not flock to see it; the subject matter is too upsetting and daunting. Yet for sheer force of emotional power, I have not seen the movie's like in years. As I write this review two weeks after seeing The War Zone , every scene remains fresh in my mind, and the overall impact has not lessened.

The film takes place in the rural Devon countryside, where a family of four has just moved from London. Events are related from the perspective of 15 year-old Tom (Freddie Cunliffe), who is unhappy with life away from the city. His 18 year-old sister, Jessie (Lara Belmont), has apparently adjusted better than he has. His parents (Ray Winstone, Tilda Swinton) seem happy and comfortable in their new home, and his mother is on the verge of delivering her third child. Then, shortly after the baby is born, Tom's world is turned upside down when he spies a covert sexual encounter between Jessie and his father. Tom confronts Jessie about the incident, but she denies it, accusing him of having an overactive imagination. He is not convinced, however, and sets out to learn the facts. The truth he must face, and its ramifications upon every member of the family, form The War Zone 's core drama.

In his handling of the material, Roth shows more ability than many accomplished, veteran filmmakers. He paints Devon as a grim, rainy place where darkness and grayness are always enroaching upon the light. Roth deals with the story in a way that does not insult the viewer's intelligence. There is much ambiguity to be found here. While one key rape is graphically depicted, the depth of the father's depravity and the question of how much the mother knows are left up to the individual to determine. Roth freely admits that, with The War Zone , he has pushed the envelope as far as it can go - had he attempted more, the movie would have become too painful for anyone to watch. Even in its current form, it is a difficult, although rewarding, experience for those who make the effort. There is no comic relief and no happy ending (although there is a catharsis of sorts). Perhaps Jessie puts it best when she says, "You want everything to be nice and sweet, but it isn't." Comparisons with Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows and Lasse Hallstrom's My Life As a Dog (two films that Roth says inspired his approach to The War Zone ) are entirely reasonable.

While Roth's adept direction and Alexander Stuart's screenplay are integral to the film's success, the consistently high level of acting is of paramount importance. Roth has assembled an amazing quartet of actors, two of whom have not had previous screen experience. Newcomer Freddie Cunliffe plays the silent, stone-faced, and uncommunicative Tom. Cunliffe effectively captures the teenager's growing horror and anger as he learns the truth about the relationship between his father and sister. It would have been easy for Cunliffe to go over-the-top, but he keeps everything low-key, and therein lies the power of his performance. As Jessie, Lara Belmont is extraordinary. Her portrayal of the tormented, conflicted girl astonishes with its raw power. Stripped naked for the cameras (both emotionally and physically), the young actress gets everything right, from the heartbreaking pain evident during the rape scene to the subtle nuances of her interaction with the other characters. Her ability is most evident during the scene when Tom confronts their father - as a disconsolate, uncontrollably sobbing Jessie sits at the kitchen table, Belmont brings character's torment to the audience with full force. Not since Emily Watson in Breaking the Waves has an actresses' work affected me this deeply.

The two veterans in the cast are Ray Winstone and Tilda Swinton. Winstone is no stranger to this sort of role - he played something similar in Nil By Mouth (another difficult-but-powerful British film). The strength of Winstone's performance is that he makes his character into a far more complex individual than the typical child abuser. With the exception of the rape scene, he is shown to be a loving, caring father and husband. Only once does the monster come into the open. Swinton is equally effective as the mother, who is apparently oblivious to the true nature of her husband's relationship with their daughter. The actress played this part immediately after giving birth to twins, and shows great dedication to her craft for displaying her nude body in its post-birth form.

Over the years, few movies have taken this sort of forthright look at incest. Often, even in the best of films (like Atom Egoyan's masterful The Sweet Hereafter ), it is relegated to a subplot or the impact is diluted to make the picture more palatable. Stories about incest are actually presented with some frequency in network TV shows and made-for-TV movies, but the constraints of the medium emasculate the subject matter, leaving it poorly-focused and melodramatic. In my lifetime, I have seen thousands of films, but none has been as unflinching in its approach to this issue as The War Zone . For his courage and ability, Tim Roth deserves all the praise and recognition he probably will not get. To date, The War Zone is the best movie of 1999.

Comments Add Comment

• Cider House Rules, The (1999)
• Citizen Kane (1941)
• Sweet Hereafter, The (1997)
• Hole in My Heart, A (2005)
• Neon Demon, The (2016)
• Showgirls (1995)
• Departed, The (2006)
• Nil by Mouth (1969)
• Rango (2011)
• Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
• Breaking and Entering (2006)
• Edge of Darkness (2010)
• Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The (2008)
• We Need to Talk about Kevin (2011)
• Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
• Suspiria (2018)
• Beach, The (2000)
• Limits of Control, The (2009)
• (There are no more better movies of Lara Belmont)
• (There are no more worst movies of Lara Belmont)

• COMING SOON
• OUT NOW - US
• COMING SOON - US

• COMPETITIONS

Eye For Film >> Movies >> The War Zone (1999) Film Review

The War Zone

Reviewed by: Angus Wolfe Murray

Searing texts equate with excellence. Words such as "brave", "gritty" and "breaking new barriers" are flung about. Gary Oldman made Nil By Mouth , which many people found too tough to watch. Critics went into raptures. It had the ring of truth. It also had Ray Winstone.

The War Zone is not entirely convincing. It is tougher to watch and probably the most depressing film ever made. It is based on a novel and adapted by the author, Alexander Stuart. Performances by the two teenagers, Lara Belmont and Freddie Cunliffe, who have never acted before, are remarkable. Much credit for this must go to first time director, Tim Roth.

The setting is rural Devon. Shots of angry waves smashing against rocks have an obvious symbolism. The weather is never less than foul. A mood of lonely, sombre, brooding despair hangs about the dark, cheaply-furnished rooms of the isolated cottage. Sex is cold and ugly. Life has no meaning. The one sweet thing is Alice, a newborn baby, who gets sick.

The family is from London. Why they have decided to live in the middle of nowhere, where the teenage kids, Jessie and Tom, are so miserable they can hardly speak, is not elucidated.

Dad (Winstone) is kind and loving to Mum (Tilda Swinton), while taking Jessie to an obsolete machine-gun post on the cliff top and sodomising her. Tom watches. The cycle of anguish is complete. Why? What is being expressed here? That men like Dad can live in denial and believe they don't do what they do? That a girl as hard and damaged as Jessie would allow this to happen? That voyeurism brutalises the voyeur? There is no explanation. No answer. The pain of witness does not compensate.

Director: Tim Roth

Writer: Alexander Stuart

Starring: Tilda Swinton, Ray Winstone, Lara Belmont, Freddie Cunliffe, Aisling O'Sullivan, Kate Ashfield, Ray Winstone, Colin Farrell

Runtime: 98 minutes

Country: UK

Search database:

• News & Features

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

• Start a new list…
• Add all films to a list…
• Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Where to watch

The war zone.

Directed by Tim Roth

When the worst of men hides in a family with no history.

An alienated teenager, saddened that he has moved away from London, must find a way to deal with a dark family secret.

Freddie Cunliffe Lara Belmont Ray Winstone Tilda Swinton Kate Ashfield Aisling O'Sullivan Megan Thorp Colin Farrell Kim Wall Annabelle Apsion

Director Director

Producers producers.

Sarah Radclyffe Steve Butterworth Dixie Linder

Writer Writer

Alexander Stuart

Original Writer Original Writer

Casting casting.

Jina Jay Sharon Howard-Field

Editor Editor

Trevor Waite

Cinematography Cinematography

Seamus McGarvey

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Eric Abraham

Production Design Production Design

Michael Carlin

Art Direction Art Direction

Karen Wakefield

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Liz Griffiths

Composer Composer

Simon Boswell

Costume Design Costume Design

Mary-Jane Reyner

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Ivana Primorac

Portobello Pictures Fandango Mikado Film Film4 Productions

Releases by Date

11 jun 1999, 03 sep 1999, 10 dec 1999, 17 dec 1999, 09 may 2008, 21 dec 2001, releases by country, netherlands.

• TV 12 Nederland 3
• Physical 12 DVD
• Theatrical 18
• Theatrical R

98 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by NeoBhatia ★★★★★ 2

I don’t want to throw around words that are overused when reviewing films. Words like ‘great’ and masterpiece’. The War Zone is certainly a masterpiece but I don’t only want to call it a masterpiece. What the film does is capture a feeling so personal to myself and possibly other people who live in England. It’s a mixture of boredom, loneliness, depression, numbness, shock and anger. Yet the film isn’t really about those things. It’s about something far more darker. Tim Roth (in his directorial debut) tackles the subject matter (which I will not name) in an incredibly mature and intelligent way. The War Zone might just be the most surprising British film you will ever see. Why can’t all…

Review by MJsays ★★★★½ 3

Grim as hell but also extremely powerful. I froth over anything that’s as confidently depressing as this film is. Tim Roth needs to get back in the directors chair ASAP. Watch at your own risk.

Review by nick ★★★½ 1

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

One of the most chilling, terrifying depictions of child sexual abuse. Tim Roth, who was a sexual abuse survivor himself, melancholically directed this story that clearly spoke to him on a personal level. It's a shame that Roth stopped directing after this because this is just such a potent cinematic experience.

Thanks to an amazing British cast, we get to see such a brilliant showcase of pure evil in its most unfiltered, thrilling form, via the vessels of a regular-looking family. It's brutally honest with its subject matter, focusing on the physical and mental traumas of its helpless teenage protagonists. The foursome cast all did a fantastic job delivering the intensity of a devastating family thriller, and Roth's unflinching shot and stone-cold style are spot-on and cherry on top. Highly recommended.

Review by chavel ★★★ 1

If you choose to see the bleak and shuddering The War Zone , a galling portrait of family secrets and incest, you are going to get a very well-made film that doesn’t fail in its directness with severe issues. Tim Roth, in his lone directorial effort, replicates the fleeting surface happiness and craven dysfunction of vintage Ingmar Bergman. Ray Winstone, as the blue collar father who practices sodomy with his own kin at a deserted concrete bunker that is perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean, has so successfully compartmentalized his mind from these evil acts that he re-directs the sickness label onto his own brood as a means to dodge accusation. Tilda Swinton is the mother in denial who has…

Review by james ★★★★ 1

CW: incest, rape

It's disheartening to see the bad faith approach many of this film's detractors take to its intense subject matter. Tim Roth has not made it a secret that he is a survivor of incestuous abuse, and it's that kind of pathology and barefaced disgust that keeps survivors from speaking out; for so many, there is an ingrained repulsion toward incest that not only includes the perpetrator but the victim -- arguably even more so for children raised as girls abused by their fathers. Ironically the film itself addresses this very type of victim-blaming through Tom's cruel treatment of Jessie upon his discovery, but it's hard to take that message in when one is still in the throes…

Review by Rodrigo Homsi ★★★½ 3

Conteúdo sensível.

O primeiro e único filme do "diretor" Tim Roth com participação no elenco de Tilda Swinton.

Roth mergulha de cabeça no universo sombrio do incesto e pedofilia, o tom adotado é assustadoramente cotidiano e tranquilo, aliás como são os milhares de casos de incesto que ocorrem diariamente em qualquer lugar do mundo. A filha abusada desde a infância não enxerga mais a violência em si, há um temor parental, uma síndrome de Estocolmo de quem não quer sair de uma situação ruim, até ser violentamente estuprada. A escolha do roteiro em retratar um pai exemplar evitando criar conflitos para não criar uma antipatia automática pelo abusador é o mote para mostrar alguém "normal" que pode ser qualquer parente ou conhecido insuspeito e que nega seus crimes até a morte.

Review by Mr. DuLac ★★★★½ 4

Most dramas present us with characters and what they would ideally do in traumatic situations or tragedies. Very few depict the real complexities of the human condition in extreme circumstances. This film is one of the few that does and it's not easy to see. It's like an exposed raw nerve.

The film is about a 15 year old boy, his 18 year old sister, his very pregnant mother and his old dad. The family almost lives in seclusion in a rural part of Devon. That is all the information I think someone should have going into the film other then a warning that it will test the limits of what a person can endure emotionally in a film.

Review by Horrible Reviews ★★★★ 2

Well that was surprisingly messed up!

Somehow Tim Roth's first and only movie as director, and for some reason he decided to adapt a novel telling the incredibly bleak story of a English family, normal-from-the-outside, fucked-up-on-the-inside.

I don't know how much of a secret the actual plot is, but I went in completely blind and it was quite the journey. At no point does this become gratuitous, something I very much respected. It's mostly focussed on characters, specifically the two teenage siblings, son and daughter. And it's rather slowly paced, but from the moment the son is starting to unravel the "dark family secret", I was constantly at the edge of my seat.

And it's such an English movie. Or…

Review by Graham ★★★★ 2

The ultimate (beginner’s) guide to DISTURBING MOVIES Category 3: Depressing & Misery porn

A truly dark piece of film, and Tim Roth's sole outing as a director observes the seedy underbelly of a family tearing itself apart. Having recently relocated from London to Devon and now with a newborn in the house, Dad Ray Winstone and Mother Tilda Swinton are not getting much peace in their lives. Swinton had just birthed twins in her real life, so the physical appearance of a swollen mother was her reality. Situation normal so far then, but soon it becomes clear that all is not well.

The son of the house Tom is aware of some unnatural behaviours within the family, and as he lets…

Review by Lee Morgan ★★★★½ 4

Jesus. I feel like some of the things I've seen in this film have been tattooed on the inside of my eyeballs. Indelible, unforgettable images.

And harrowing... yeah, that's the word I'm looking for.

Review by Amy Hensarling 9

My next film has to be a comedy.

Review by DallasFrance ★★★★ 2

More trigger warnings than that scene in Predator where the dudes shoot indiscriminately into the forest after Jesse “The Body” Ventura becomes Jesse “The Body With a Huge Hole in It” Ventura. 

War Zone is really hard to watch. It’s interesting that it’s Tim Roth’s first and only directorial effort. It’s well done, but he might have thought, “Maaaaaybe I’ll just stick to being part of someone else’s f*cked up vision, instead of being in the center of my own supremely f*cked up vision.”

Toxic Family Drama

Similar Films

Mentioned by

Select your preferred backdrop

Select your preferred poster, upgrade to remove ads.

Letterboxd is an independent service created by a small team, and we rely mostly on the support of our members to maintain our site and apps. Please consider upgrading to a Pro account —for less than a couple bucks a month, you’ll get cool additional features like all-time and annual stats pages ( example ), the ability to select (and filter by) your favorite streaming services, and no ads!

December 10, 1999 FILM REVIEW `The War Zone': In a House Full of Nudity, Emotions Are Naked Too Related Articles The New York Times on the Web: Current Film Forum Join a Discussion on Current Film By JANET MASLIN he most troubling events in "The War Zone" take place inside a cement bunker, but that's not what gives the film its name. The actual battlefield is the rural English home where a teenager named Tom (Freddie Cunliffe) looks at his own family with helpless rage and astonishment. His mother (Tilda Swinton) is hugely pregnant as the film begins. Then she is preoccupied with the new baby and not eager to notice much else. Tom's older sister, Jessie (Lara Belmont), is sullen and uneasy, especially in the presence of their father (Ray Winstone). And Tom already senses what he will eventually know for sure: that sex between Dad and Jessie is a fact of this family's life. The actor Tim Roth makes a fierce, disturbing directorial debut with a film that treats incest as something worse than a terrible secret. In this story, adapted by Alexander Stuart from his own novel, the father-daughter relationship is almost a given. It arises fearsomely from the sexual tensions in the household, which Roth underscores with many scenes in which the characters are unself-consciously naked, unsettling one another. He need not specify how explosive this atmosphere must be to a frustrated adolescent who often tussles angrily with his beautiful sister. Raw as it is in spirit, "The War Zone" is filmed with cool blue-green tones and spare, painterly precision. (Seamus McGarvey's striking cinematography is mournfully expressive.) Similarly, the minimal dialogue often gives way to bitter, smoldering silence. Unlike Gary Oldman's voluble "Nil by Mouth," which also starred Winstone as a frighteningly abusive father and had a watchful, tormented boy as its protagonist, Roth's film treats the pain in this household as literally unspeakable. So he favors extreme understatement. One hauntingly effective shot finds Tom outside in the rain, with green landscape occupying most of the frame and a band of yellow light on its right-hand side. That light comes from a window through which Tom can see his father and sister. Just a hint of that image goes a monstrously long way. "The War Zone" first startles its audience with a violent automobile accident as the family is en route to the hospital, waiting for the baby's birth. That event has a stark, surreal quality that shows up in the rest of the story as well. The film concentrates on sexual currents to the dreamlike exclusion of anything else in the characters' lives, to the point where its most shocking events take place in a psychological vacuum. For all its dramatic power, "The War Zone" leaves much about its characters' urges and motives unexplored. Although it's hard to imagine Roth himself playing a role as passively and balefully as his leading man does here, he directs the inexperienced Cunliffe to make the most of it. This young actor is a powerfully disturbing presence. And Ms. Belmont, also an acting newcomer, is no less hauntingly used. Her facial resemblance to Ms. Swinton is artfully exacerbated, as is her carnal presence. Ms. Swinton, in her small but crucial role, makes the mother far more than an oblivious bystander. Winstone again proves himself an extremely natural, courageous actor blessed or cursed with the ability to bring heedless brutishness to life. PRODUCTION NOTES 'THE WAR ZONE' Directed by Tim Roth; written by Alexander Stuart, based on his novel; director of photography, Seamus McGarvey; edited by Trevor Waite; music by Simon Boswell; production designer, Michael Carlin; produced by Sarah Radclyffe and Dixie Linder; released by Lot 47 Films. WITH: Ray Winstone (Dad), Tilda Swinton (Mum), Lara Belmont (Jessie), Freddie Cunliffe (Tom) and Aisling O'Sullivan (Carol). Running time: 99 minutes. "The War Zone" is unrated. It includes frequent nudity and very disturbing sexual situations.

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 82% Speak No Evil Link to Speak No Evil
• 77% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 96% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge

New TV Tonight

• 89% The Penguin: Season 1
• 88% High Potential: Season 1
• 40% Frasier: Season 2
• 17% Emmys: Season 76
• 82% American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez: Season 1
• -- Agatha All Along: Season 1
• -- Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Season 2
• -- Twilight of the Gods: Season 1
• -- Tulsa King: Season 2
• -- A Very Royal Scandal: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 63% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 99% Shōgun: Season 1
• 98% Hacks: Season 3
• 74% Kaos: Season 1
• 67% The Old Man: Season 2
• 85% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 95% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1 Link to Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

30 Most Popular Movies Right Now: What to Watch In Theaters and Streaming

25 Most Popular TV Shows Right Now: What to Watch on Streaming

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

Weekend Box Office: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Holds on to Top Spot

Renewed and Cancelled TV Shows 2024

• Trending on RT
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Spanish-Language Movies
• Re-Release Calendar

Punisher: War Zone

Where to watch.

Rent Punisher: War Zone on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Punisher: War Zone recalls the excessively violent, dialogue-challenged actioners of the 1980s, and coincidentally feels two decades out of date.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Lexi Alexander

Ray Stevenson

Frank Castle

Dominic West

Billy Russoti

Doug Hutchison

Looney Bin Jim

Colin Salmon

Agent Paul Budiansky

Wayne Knight

Linus Lieberman

More Like This

Related movie news.

The War Zone (1999)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

Punisher: war zone.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 12 Reviews
• Kids Say 16 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Violent vigilante comic book story is gory, grim stuff.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this over-the-top action movie is unrepentantly violent, with a body count in the dozens and constant extreme, grisly depictions of hand-to-hand combat, gunshot wounds, explosions, industrial accidents, and much more. The movie's tone is also very moody and bleak -- it may be based on a…

Why Age 18+?

Characters smoke, drink hard liquor, and are seen snorting cocaine. References a

Constant strong language, including "f--k," "motherf--ker," "s--t," "ass," "a--h

The movie's body count is in the dozens, with constant, extreme, and bloody/gory

Some brands -- Range Rover, Krispy Kreme, Beretta -- are mentioned by name.

A brief refrence to "screwing hookers."

Any Positive Content?

The film's "hero" is a vigilante who fights New York's organized crime figures a

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters smoke, drink hard liquor, and are seen snorting cocaine. References are made to crystal meth and anti-psychotic drugs.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Constant strong language, including "f--k," "motherf--ker," "s--t," "ass," "a--hole," "crap," "c--ksucker," and more. Some Italian vulgarities.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

The movie's body count is in the dozens, with constant, extreme, and bloody/gory violence -- including shootings, fights, bare-handed neck-breakings, decapitations, several point-blank shotgun blasts (viewers see the victim's face obliterated), stabbings, death by explosion, and more. A man stabs another man through the neck with the stem of a broken wineglass. A man is killed by having a chair leg thrust through his face. A man is seen devouring another man's kidneys after murdering him. A man is hurled into an industrial glass crusher; viewers see his face, stripped bare of skin and pouring blood (later his face is a grotesque patchwork of scars, grafts, and transplants). Several extremely detailed special-effects deaths -- like when the "hero" punches someone so hard that he penetrates their skull. A man is hurled onto the sharp metal posts of a wrought-iron fence.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Sex, romance & nudity.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Messages

The film's "hero" is a vigilante who fights New York's organized crime figures after his family is executed for accidentally witnessing a mob execution. His murderous work is in many ways secretly approved of by legitimate law enforcement personnel. He shoots and kills an undercover FBI agent and is tormented by this. Discussion of terror plots and biological weapons (which are to be sold "to the ragheads in Queens"). Some discussion of God's mercy and forgiveness and plan; the main character rationalizes his work by explaining that "someone has to punish the corrupt." A criminally insane character is referred to as "Looney Bin Jim."

Parents need to know that this over-the-top action movie is unrepentantly violent, with a body count in the dozens and constant extreme, grisly depictions of hand-to-hand combat, gunshot wounds, explosions, industrial accidents, and much more. The movie's tone is also very moody and bleak -- it may be based on a popular Marvel comic book character, but it's not kids' stuff. It's more akin to the adventures of Dirty Harry than those of Spider-Man. Not only does the film tacitly endorse the vigilante "hero" and his violent methods, but so do law enforcement characters -- who either turn a blind eye to his activities or actively help him. Characters also use extremely strong language, drink, and use drugs (some are shown snorting cocaine). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (12)
• Kids say (16)

Based on 12 parent reviews

Really good movie depending on your taste in movies

What's the story.

Based on a popular comic book character first introduced in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man in 1974, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE revolves around ex-Marine/Special Forces instructor Frank Castle ( Ray Stevenson ). When Frank's wife and children are slain after witnessing a mob execution, Frank begins a one-man war on New York's underworld, unimpeded by due process and the rule of law. Frank's most recent assault on crime boss Bily Russoti ( Dominic West ) not only sees Frank killing an undercover FBI agent but also leaves Rusotti grievously wounded, insane with rage, and even more dangerous. As Frank tries to atone for his acts to the agent's wife and daughter, Rusotti breaks his criminally insane brother, "Looney Bin Jim" (Doug Hutchison), out of the asylum to pull off a bioweapons-smuggling scheme -- and exact personal revenge.

Is It Any Good?

There's no denying the vim, verve, and energy that director Lexi Alexander ( Hooligans ) brings to Punisher: War Zone ; there's also no denying the movie's extreme gore and violence. This film marks the third time that The Punisher's come to the big screen -- previous iterations have starred Dolph Lundgren and Thomas Jane -- and unrepentant fans of hardcore action cinema will enjoy it. In many ways, the filmmakers were even right to make the film so over-the-top; a sanitized, PG-13 version of a film about a semi-insane vigilante who murders criminals might be even more upsetting than the atomized flesh and spraying blood on display here.

Stevenson is easily watchable in the lead role -- tormented when he needs to be, lightning-fast and unhesitant when in action. And West (best known for his work on The Wire ) grimaces, giggles, and glowers out from under disgusting make-up and prosthetics as the mutilated villain, who goes by the name "Jigsaw" (in many ways, Jigsaw is a modern -- and disgusting -- nod to classic Dick Tracy villains like Flatop, the Brow, and other deformed, demented pulp fiction criminals ). Punisher: War Zone is going to appeal to a very limited audience of older action fans, but they'll love its high-adrenaline, gore-heavy approach. If you go in expecting the glossy, "biff bang pow!" bloodless action of recent comic book adaptations like Iron Man or Batman Begins , you're going to get a rude, gory awakening.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the appeal of extreme violence on screen. What draws viewers to this kind of movie? What are the effects of watching so much grisly violence, even if it's intended to be deliberately over-the-top and cartoonish? Families can also discuss the film's endorsement of "going outside the law" to punish criminals who've evaded the consequences of their actions. Do the ends ever justify the means? What other recourse do people have when the system doesn't work?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 5, 2008
• On DVD or streaming : March 17, 2009
• Cast : Dominic West , Julie Benz , Ray Stevenson
• Director : Lexi Alexander
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors
• Studio : Lionsgate
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 100 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : pervasive strong brutal violence, language and some drug use
• Last updated : October 10, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Batman Begins

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Eaten any fresh kidneys lately?

Jigsaw (Dominic West) as Jigsaw in this, the third "Punisher" movie.

You used to be able to depend on a bad film being poorly made. No longer. “The Punisher: War Zone” is one of the best-made bad movies I’ve seen. It looks great, it hurtles through its paces and is well-acted. The soundtrack is like elevator music if the elevator were in a death plunge. The special effects are state of the art. Its only flaw is that it’s disgusting.

There’s a big audience for disgusting, and I confidently predict the movie will “win the weekend,” if not very many hearts and minds. Here you will see a man’s kidney ripped out and eaten, a chair leg pushed through a head via the eyeball, a roomful of men wiped out by the Punisher revolving upside-down from a chandelier and firing machine-guns with both hands, a widow and her wee girl threatened with mayhem, heads sliced off, victims impaled and skewered, and the villain thrown into a machine that crushes glass bottles in much the same way concrete is mixed.

The glass-crushing machine caught my eye. Billy ( Dominic West ) is socked into it by the Punisher ( Ray Stevenson ) and revolves up to his neck in cutting edges while screaming many, many four-letter words, which, under the circumstances, are appropriate.

What confused me is that nearby in the same factory, there is a conveyor belt carrying large lumps of hamburger or something. I expected Billy to emerge as ground round, but then I thought, how much ground glass can you really add to ground round? It’s not often that you see meat processing and bottle crushing done in adjacent operations in the same factory. I was looking for the saltwater taffy mixer.

Billy survives his ordeal and announces to his henchmen, “From now on, my name is ‘Jigsaw.’ ” This is after he has had operations, apparently lasting only minutes by the movie’s timeline, to stitch up his face with twine. He now looks like the exhibit in the entrance lobby of the Texas Chainsaw Museum, and one eye looks painfully introspective.

The movie is not heavy on plot. By my Timex Indiglo, there was no meaningful exposition at all during the first 15 minutes, just men getting slaughtered. Then things slow down enough to reveal that the Punisher, a.k.a. Frank Castle, who avenged the murder of his family in an earlier film, has now killed a good guy who was father to little Grace (Stephanie Janusauskas) and husband to Angela ( Julie Benz ), who will Never Be Able to Forgive Him for What He’s Done, nor should she, but she will.

The city, Montreal playing New York, has a small population, consisting only of good guys and bad guys and not much of anybody else. I’d get out, too. It’s the kind of violence the president should fly over in Air Force One and regard sadly through the window. It goes without saying that the bad guys are unable to shoot the Punisher with their machineguns. That’s consistent with the epidemic of malfunctioning machineguns in all recent super-violent films. Yet the Punisher kills a couple dozen hoodlums with his machineguns, while spinning upside-down under that chandelier.

Now pause to think with me. Everyone around the table is heavily armed. More armed men bust in through the door. The revolving Punisher is suspended in the center of the room. Because of the logic of the laws of physical motion, most of the time, he is shooting away from any individual bad guy. How can they possibly miss hitting him? It’s so hard these days, getting good help.

“The Punisher: War Zone” is the third in a series of Punisher movies. It follows “ The Punisher ” (1989) starring Dolph Lundgren and “The Punisher” (2004), starring Thomas Jane and John Travolta . Since the second film has the same title as the first, it’s hard to tell them apart, but why would you want to? My fellow critic Bill Stamets, settling down for the screening, shared with me that he watched the 2004 movie for his homework. I did my algebra.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• Julie Benz as Angela
• Doug Hutchison as Loony Bin
• Wayne Knight as Micro
• Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle
• Dominic West as Billy/Jigsaw
• Matt Holloway
• Nick Santora

Directed by

• Lexi Alexander

Leave a comment

Now playing.

Transformers One

American Crime Story: Aaron Hernandez

Speak No Evil (2024)

Saturday Night

The Killer’s Game

Girls Will Be Girls

The 4:30 Movie

Sweetheart Deal

Latest articles.

TIFF 2024: Table of Contents

TIFF 2024: Village Keeper, 40 Acres, Flow

TIFF 2024: The Shadow Strays, Friendship, The Shrouds

TIFF 2024: Babygirl, All We Imagine as Light, Queer

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

• Popular Now:
• Browse TV Shows
• Browse Anime
• Browse Manga

The War Zone Ending Explained: The Story Of Unacceptable Relationships

The War Zone (Credit: FilmFour Distributors)

Directorial debut by Tim Roth, The War Zone, is based on the novel that goes with the same name written by Alexander Stuart. He also worked as a writer for the movie. So, people who read the book will quickly realize that it contains violence. Thus, it got considered ‘a dark stunner.’

The 95-minute-long British movie , The War Zone, produced by Lot 47 Films and distributed by FilmFour Distributors, got mainly positive reviews. Many viewers appreciated the director and considered his talent behind the camera.

Produced by Dixie Linder and Sarah Radclyffe, the movie addresses sorrow, wounds, shame, guilt, and empathy. It made a box office collection of $254,441 in the United States.

Related Posts

Jack reynor portrays a layered and intense character in the thrilling sci-fi drama the peripheral, green lantern shines again with a new tv series promising thrilling detective adventure, the bear dominates emmy night with multiple wins and notable nominations, a promising cast fails to save millers in marriage from its emotional shortcomings.

The main cast of The War Zone includes Ray Winstone (as Dad), Kate Ashfield (as Lucy), Lara Belmont (as Jessie), Colin Farrell (as Nick), Kate Ashfield (as Lucy), Aisling O’Sullivan (as Carol), Freddie Cunliffe (as Tom), Kim Wall (as Barman), and Annabelle Apsion (as Nurse).

Also Read: Where Is Flamin’ Hot Filmed? All Locations Revealed

The War Zone Plot

The story begins with a rural house in winter in Devon. Tom, the 15-year-old boy, is disappointed after moving to a home in a rural area in London because he misses his friends . Moreover, interaction with family members is weird.

Tom’s dad is a cheerful guy working in the home-furniture industry. Tom also has an 18-year-old sister, Jessie, and a pregnant mom who soon goes into labor, and the whole family gets driven to a hospital by the dad.

The car crashes, but fortunately, none gets hurt hard, and the mum gives birth to a beautiful baby girl. In the next scene, the mum is in the maternity ward, and the remaining family members get treated in the hospital.

Jessie keeps going nude before Tom, and they take it casually. It seems to be a happy family , but it is not. One day, after coming from shopping with Mom, the disappointed Tom sees Jessie and their dad sitting in a bathtub with no clothes. Tom confronts Jessie, but she denies it.

Namarata Bhiwandkar

Namarata, a 28-year-old mass journalism student residing in Mumbai, India, possesses a deep affection for writing on diverse subjects such as movies, television shows, lifestyle, filming locations, and more.

Latest News

Boris Becker Net Worth

Boris Becker, once a tennis prodigy who amazed the world by winning Wimbledon at just 17 in 1985, has experienced...

Tiger Woods Net Worth

Keith Richards Net Worth

• Editorial, Ethics Policy & Mission
• Cookie Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Verification and Fact-Checking Policy
• Diversity & Corrections Policy
• Publication
• Skibidi Shorts
• Anime Shorts
• One Piece Shorts

© 2014-2024 OtakuKart. A Proud Member of CW Media.

• Television Shows
• Editor’s Picks
• TV Show Streaming Sites
• Manga Reading Sites
• Anime Streaming Sites
• Celebrities

‘In Waves and War’ Review: Moving Doc About Afghanistan Vets Treating PTSD With Hallucinogens Is an Odyssey of the Mind

With animated sequences and intimate profiles, 'Athlete A' directors Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen’s latest is another heartfelt look at a pressing social issue.

By Michael Nordine

Michael Nordine

• ‘In Waves and War’ Review: Moving Doc About Afghanistan Vets Treating PTSD With Hallucinogens Is an Odyssey of the Mind 2 weeks ago
• ‘The Other Laurens’ Review: A Belgian Detective Drama That’s a Little Too Shaggy-Dog 3 weeks ago
• ‘Lumina’ Review: A Soap Opera That Thinks It’s a Space Opera 2 months ago

Related Stories

Flaws in Guilds’ Success-Based Streaming Residual Already Clear 

Beta Film, Robert Lantos Epic ‘Rise of the Raven’ Set to Premiere at Mipcom Cannes, Drops Teaser (EXCLUSIVE) 

Popular on variety.

Marcus Capone, Matty Roberts and DJ Shipley all spent a significant amount of time in Afghanistan and bring to mind the quotation that opens “The Hurt Locker”: “The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug.” They all seem to have been born for military life, not that any amount of training or mental fortitude can truly prepare one for the horrors of war and its lingering aftereffects. Each of them lost several comrades and suffered injuries of their own, which is to say that not all of their scars are visible.

The filmmakers’ focus on these three men lends “In Waves and War” an intimate quality, though at times it seems as though they could have expanded their scope without losing sight of them. The film never delves into why ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT remain illegal or if there’s a significant push among proponents to reschedule them, nor do we hear much from the Stanford researchers studying the drugs.

Lucky, then, that the main trio are worthy of that level of focus. Hearing them talk about actively wanting to die makes “In Waves and War” a difficult sit, but the urge to hear the rest of their story is always stronger than the urge to turn away.

Reviewed, Sep. 2, 2024 at Telluride Film Festival. Running time: 108 MIN.

• Production: Director: Jon Shenk, Bonni Cohen. Camera: Jon Shenk. Editor: Don Bernier. Animation: Studio AKA. Music: Bryce Dessner.
• Crew: A Participant presentation of an Actual Films production in association with Chicago Media Project and Mycoskie Enterprises. Producers: Jessica Anthony, Bonnie Cohen, Jon Shenk. 
• With: Marcus Capone, Matty Roberts, DJ Shipley, Amber Capone, Patsy Shipley.

More from Variety

Jenna Ortega Says Cameron Boyce Stopped an Audition Where They Were Supposed to Kiss as Teens and Felt ‘Uncomfortable’: ‘No, We Can’t Do This’

Apple Vision Pro Clouds the Bright Future for XR

Dissatisfied With Its Rate of Erosion, DVD Biz Fast-Forwards 2024 Decline

More from our brands, sean combs denied bail in racketeering, sex trafficking case.

‘Big Little Lies’ Season 3 Is Happening. Here’s Everything We Know So Far.

Coach Prime Hype Peters Out as Colorado’s TV Ratings Crater

The Best Loofahs and Body Scrubbers, According to Dermatologists

Weeds Creator Calls Long-Gestating Sequel a ‘Money Grab,’ Says Subject Matter ‘Is Not as Relevant Anymore’