How to watch 'Civil War' online, including the best Max deals that may let you watch for free.
"What kind of American are you?" A24's latest blockbuster asks. If you've ever wondered what it would be like if California and Texas joined forces against the Land of the Free, you're about to find out in Civil War.
Writer and director Alex Garland's mind has delivered twisted movies in the past like Men, Ex Machina, and Annihilation. So, when A24's Civil War was announced, we knew the future of fictional America would be grim. Kirsten Dunst and Wagner Moura star as a pair of war journalists, while Nick Offerman plays the authoritarian president who has begun bombing civilians. Brace yourselves.
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the harrowing Civil War from the comfort of your home.
Civil War is a dystopian thriller set in a near-future America engulfed in a second — you guessed it — Civil War. It's also a road trip movie that follows four journalists — photographers Lee and Jessie (Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny), and reporters Joel and Sammy (Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinley Henderson) — making the audacious journey from New York City to the White House in hopes of interviewing the president (Nick Offerman) before the fall of the Capitol. Typically only a few hours on I-95, devastation on the roads means they're forced to navigate through small towns and dangerous pockets of America.
"Each stop functions as a vignette in which Garland exposes a corner of American wrath, wrong-headed self-righteousness, or apathy. And like with Children of Men, where the quest is born from ideology — in this case, Lee's dedication to journalism — it becomes achingly personal. Seeing a bit of herself in Jessie, Lee takes risks to protect the young woman, even as she laments that their work demands putting themselves in harm's way," Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko writes in her review of the film.
Currently still in theaters, Civil War has earned $112.7 million at the worldwide box office against a $50 million production budget. It's definitely lived up to expectations and then some, earning more worldwide than recent high-profile flicks like Cocaine Bear, Argylle, and The Creator and becoming A24's second-biggest hit at the theaters (after Everything Everywhere All at Once). Of course, box office success doesn't mean much unless the audiences like the film. Fortunately, reviews are largely positive for the dystopian Garland flick. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an 82 percent critic rating and a 71 percent audience rating.
Mashable's review critiqued the film's overall lack of focus, but still refers to the climax in D.C. as "sprawling and spectacular."
Read our full review of Civil War.
About a month and a half after its theatrical debut, Civil War is officially available to watch at home via video-on-demand sites like Prime Video and Fandango at Home (Vudu). You can purchase the film for your digital collection or rent it for 30 days. Just remember once you start watching a rental, you'll have just 48 hours to finish before you lose access.
As of May 24, you can purchase and rent the film at the following retailers:
Prime Video — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Apple TV — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
YouTube — buy for $24.99, rent for $19.99
If you'd rather wait for Civil War to start streaming, you can prepare by signing up for a Max subscription. While it hasn't officially been announced yet, A24 has a licensing deal with Max. So, that pretty much seals the deal that Civil War will make its streaming debut on the platform. There's no official streaming date yet, but we'll keep you updated when the date is announced. Until then, check out the following Max streaming deals. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are some ways you can save some money on your plan.
Max subscriptions start at $9.99 per month if you don't mind watching with ads. You can simply sign up for a single month (once Civil War is released), then cancel before you're charged for another. Or, if you're in it for the long haul, we recommend the yearly subscription instead. An annual plan with ads goes for $99.99 per year, which breaks down to just $8.33 per month. That's 17% (or $1.66) per month in savings. With a year-long subscription, you can watch many other A24 films beyond Civil War.
Rather not have ads interrupting your movie-watching experience? You have the Max Ad-Free and Max Ultimate tiers to choose from. The Ad-Free tier is $15.99 per month, while the Ultimate tier is $19.99 per month. If you opt for a yearly plan instead, though, it will only cost you $149.99 per year (which breaks down to $12.49 per month) or $199.99 per year (which breaks down to $16.67 per month). That's a total savings of 22% on the Ad-Free yearly plan or 17% on the Ultimate plan.
Note: While both tiers offer an ad-free viewing experience, the Ultimate tier takes things a step further with 4K Ultra HD video quality and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.
If you've never considered Cricket as your wireless provider, this deal might make you change your mind. Cricket Wireless customers on the $60 per month unlimited plan get Max with ads for free as long as their account remains in good standing. That's a $99.99 per year value. Just head over to the Max app or navigate to Max.com on a browser, choose Cricket as your provider, and use your Cricket credentials to log in. Then you'll be able to watch Civil War and other A24 films for no extra cost. Check out the terms and conditions on Cricket's website to learn more.
