Kirsten Dunst says she had "a little bit of trauma" after filming Ex Machina director's new movie due to real-life explosions on set

Civil War
(Image credit: Total Film/A24)

On the set of Ex Machina and Annihilation director Alex Garland's latest movie, authenticity was key. Civil War, an action-packed film that follows a near-future version of the US as it's torn apart by a tyrannical president, seceded states, and violence, used real tanks, real weapons, and real jets to bring its warfare to life.

"We shot pretty much in order, and so the last two weeks were all gunfire and explosions – it was very intense," Kirsten Dunst, who plays war photographer Lee, tells Total Film in our new issue out on Thursday, March 28, which features The Fall Guy on the cover. "I mean, I can leave it mostly on the set. But I did feel a little bit of trauma going back to normal life after this. I felt out of it for a good two weeks."

The movie follows Dunst's character Lee as she travels from New York to Washington DC with fellow experienced journalists Joel (Wagner Moura) and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson) and young aspiring war photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) before the US capital falls. 

"The planes, oh my goodness, the planes," Henderson adds. "And the tanks, the sound of the weaponry…" Moura continues: "It made the whole thing very real."

Civil War is released in cinemas on April 12. And you can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, March 28.

Check out the covers below:

Total Film's The Fall Guy covers

(Image credit: Universal/Total Film)

Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy, or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it's in stores, and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers. 

Total Film subs offer

(Image credit: Total Film)
Editor-at-Large, Total Film

Jamie Graham is the Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You'll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that's just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outlets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and horror. 

Read more
Millie Bobby Brown in The Electric State
The Russo brothers’ upcoming Netflix movie The Electric State includes a section that takes place before the graphic novel due to its "vague narrative"
Warfare movie
First reactions to Ex Machina director's "intense" new war movie are comparing it to Black Hawk Down
Millie Bobby Brown in The Electric State
The Russo brothers and The Electric State cast talk the surprisingly emotional core of the Netflix sci-fi movie: "I was definitely very, very, very moved"
Giancarlo Esposito in The Electric State
The Electric State may be the Russo brothers' most challenging VFX project yet, but stars Stanley Tucci and Giancarlo Esposito say it's one of the easiest films they’ve ever done
Millie Bobby Brown in The Electric State trailer
The Russo Brothers and The Electric State cast talk the Netflix movie's "stunning" VFX – and say the graphic novel's creator is "fully supportive" of the movie lightening the tone
Giancarlo Esposito and Stanley Tucci in The Electric State
Stars Stanley Tucci and Giancarlo Esposito say their new dystopian sci-fi movie The Electric State is more like our own reality than we might realize
Latest in Action Movies
Fantastic Four: 1234 #2 cover excerpt
Sue Storm and Namor are officially both in Avengers: Doomsday, and fans are wondering if Reed Richards has something to worry about
Chris Hemsworth's name on the back of a director's chair
Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal live blog
The cast of Suicide Squad (2016)
David Ayer admits James Gunn has good reason not to release his cut of Suicide Squad, but he remains hopeful it'll happen
The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast assemble
Fantastic Four star says the Marvel movie "will go down in history" for rejuvenating the MCU, "in the same way the Guardians of the Galaxy and Black Panther hit"
Ben Affleck in Air
Ben Affleck isn't in The Odyssey, but he plans to visit the set anyway to watch Christopher Nolan work: "He's one of the greatest filmmaking architects to ever live"
Ben Affleck in Zack Snyder's Justice League
Ben Affleck reflects on the "excruciating experience" playing Batman in the Zack Snyder movies: "A lot of it was misalignment of agendas, understandings, expectations"
Latest in News
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"
Fantastic Four: 1234 #2 cover excerpt
Sue Storm and Namor are officially both in Avengers: Doomsday, and fans are wondering if Reed Richards has something to worry about
The First Berserker: Khazan protagonist
The First Berserker: Khazan isn't even out yet, but the new Soulslike RPG already has over 1,300 94% positive reviews on Steam from early buyers
fool me once
Harlan Coben’s new novel is set to be "more of a sequel" to the hit Netflix series Fool Me Once: "I don’t know any time that’s ever happened"
Naoe looks over at a dense, lush, green forest in Assassin's Creed Shadows from a viewpoint
Getting Assassin's Creed Shadows on PS5 and Xbox Series X was all about adding "dynamism" to the open world, but the devs seem most proud about the trees
Schedule 1
Schedule 1 is Steam's latest viral hit – an open-world drug dealing simulator with 98% positive reviews, co-op, and a free sample to get you started