War for the Planet of the Apes
2017 · Directed by Matt Reeves
Original language: English
- drama
- science fiction
- war
The story
Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
What it’s like
Cold, washed-out palettes of snow, grey rock and bleached timber, with the apes' fur and firelight providing the only warmth, and long, unhurried takes that let the camera hold on faces the way a stage actor would. Winter forests and ruined cityscapes are shot with a deliberate, painterly stillness, while the battle sequences are handheld and muddy, with frantic gunfire and crashing bodies. Matt Reeves builds the score around sparse, mournful strings and low percussion, leaving long gaps of near silence where the apes communicate through sign and breath. The vibe is elegiac and grimly contemplative, a slow, weighty film for a grey afternoon or a late evening when you want something serious to sit with. Pacing is measured, with quiet stretches of grief and doubt punctuated by brutal, sustained action. Intensity is high: sustained war violence, shootings and deaths of named characters, a harrowing sequence of cruelty toward captive apes, and a few tense, frightening scenes; the gore is restrained but the emotional brutality is heavy. It suits viewers who want a thoughtful, morally weighted drama about power, grief and what it means to be human, not a light escape.
More films like War for the Planet of the Apes
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved War for the Planet of the Apesand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
