Here’s What I Thought of the Civil War Movie

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Author of How to Prep When You’re Broke and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course

Have you heard the buzz about the new movie Civil War? This past weekend I watched it so I could review it from a prepper’s perspective.

If you want to watch it’s available to rent on Amazon Prime.

Who is this movie NOT for?

Let’s get this part out of the way first. There’s abundant swearing and extremely graphic violence. I am generally fine with graphic violence, and even I was surprised.

I wouldn’t let children watch unless Mom and Dad have reviewed it first and feel that their teens will not be traumatized. (No little kids, for sure). Also, if realistic battle scenes are traumatic for you, you’ll want to give this one a pass.

For those of us still hanging on, continue reading. I won’t include any spoilers.

What’s it about?

Much to my surprise, this movie was not political at all. I expected it to be a woke view of those darned pesky rebels, but that wasn’t the case. It was very non-partisan.

Texas and California have formed the “Western Federation” and seceded from the United States. Florida has seceded separately and is trying to get the Carolinas on board.

The movie follows three seasoned war journalists and a girl who has joined their group. They’re making their roundabout way from New York City to Washington, DC, for an attack that everyone seems to know is coming because of the movement of the armies involved.

There is no mention of any of the reasons this war has begun, why Texas and Cali are now buddies, and what the beef is that is making them want to attack Washington, DC. Although I would love to have that information, it’s not actually pertinent to the story we’re watching. In fact, I think it’s better because you’re viewing it through a truly neutral lens.

There’s no right. There’s no wrong. There’s only war and madness.

Lessons for preppers in Civil War

The entire thing could have been ripped straight from the pages of Selco’s book, The Dark Secrets of Survival, except it’s set here in the continental United States.

You have the extreme lawlessness, the people who wanted to do bad things before the SHTF but didn’t want to be caught, the blocked roads, and very limited communications. There are military encampments in the fields of northern West Virginia. There are gunfights using heavy-duty military-grade weapons scattered throughout the trip. There are people who keep to themselves and people who want to protect their homes.

It was difficult to tell the “sides” apart. Maybe that’s just me and my limited knowledge of military interactions, but I think it was intentional. When Americans fight Americans, we DO look alike. We speak the same language, have the same accents, and wear the same clothing.

There are some hateful people being hateful. It seems realistic that some people would use this as an excuse to do awful things, but note that the movie itself is not about hateful people. This was merely an example of hazards one would encounter.

The destruction makes clear that your best bet is to be as far away from it all as possible. But also, that’s not realistic for many people. One particularly notable scene in New York City was the morning after a heated battle. There were very few soldiers on the street, and citizens were riding their bicycles through the rubble, presumably to work.

Some hotels remained open, a few restaurants, and there was a small town that seemed strangely untouched. There was limited wi-fi in a few places and no phone service. Gas stations were able to charge extortionate prices, at gunpoint. It was interesting that nobody would take US dollars, but they’d take Canadian money. Someone said that $300 US would get you a sandwich.

It might be worthwhile to keep some other currencies on hand. And it also speaks to the fact that if you want to maintain your wealth through something like this, precious metals are the answer.

It’s so strange to see this stuff taking place among the landmarks of the United States. I don’t know how on earth they made the siege of Washington, DC, look so incredibly real.

I think the fact that people will have more questions than answers is actually very realistic for this level of SHTF. The mayhem and confusion are all part of the general atmosphere and seem incredibly likely to me.

Should you watch it?

It would be difficult to say I “enjoyed” the movie. It was tough to watch. But I was glued to the screen throughout it, with things happening as fast as they did. I’m glad to have watched it at home and not in theaters. It would have been overwhelmingly in that setting.

If you want a tidy story with all the loose ends wrapped up, you will not enjoy this movie.

If you want a crash course on what actual civil war could look like here in our country, it’s well worth a watch.

Have you seen Civil War?

Have you seen the movie? Are you going to see it? What are your thoughts about it?

Let’s discuss it in the comments section.

About Daisy

Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites.  1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2)  The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.

Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.