There’s never been a shortage of spoofs, satire, and outright mockery regarding the Iraq War. For as long as it’s been happening, the “War on Terror” has been a wellspring for comedy — late-night hosts, sketch shows, cartoons, and feature films (Team America: World Police, Adam McKay’s Vice) have taken swings at it with varying success. Despite all of that, a gap has always been felt in movies, specifically American productions, that tackle the war with a sense of humor that doesn’t paint the victims as the butt of a joke. That’s the space that this year’s Sundance Film Festival U.S. Grand Jury Prize winner, Atropia (2025), confidently fills, and it does so with impressive clarity and execution.
The feature directorial debut of model and actress Hailey Benton Gates, Atropia approaches the Iraq War from a wholeheartedly different angle than this year’s equally excellent but far grittier Warfare. It’s an angle so preposterous that it could only be real. Instead of setting the plot overseas, Gates focuses on the elaborate, real-life training grounds built in the United States to simulate Middle Eastern towns. These simulations included actors playing civilians and insurgents, each with their own fleshed-out backstory, and even racially insensitive animatronic villagers designed to react to military exercises. The sheer surrealism of these places makes them ripe for satire, and Gates runs with it, crafting a film that’s as oddly hilarious as it is sobering.
Rewriting the Rules of War Satire
Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development, Search Party) stars as Fayruz, an Iraqi-American aspiring actress in the fabricated town of Atropia, where soldiers are sent to prepare for their upcoming deployments to Iraq. Shawkat, whose natural comedic instincts are as sharp as ever, delivers a performance that’s equally charming and wistful. She fully sells the perplexing reality of her character’s existence — living in a manufactured war zone, constantly reliving a facsimile of trauma for the sake of military training. Yet, she’s eager to launch her acting career via this extremely unusual route.
Courtesy of Vertical
Callum Turner (Eternity, The Boys in the Boat) plays Abu Dice, a U.S. soldier with more than one tour under his belt who acts as the head insurgent in this military role-playing facility. He finds himself entangled with Fayruz, and their dynamic cunningly sidesteps the worst clichés of war romances. Gates’ script acknowledges the problematic history of stories in which an invader and the invaded fall for each other, and cleverly reframes it. Because Atropia isn’t actually Iraq, but a warped American simulation of it, their relationship plays as an extension of the absurdity rather than an endorsement of the trope.
A Highly Memorable Ensemble
The supporting cast fleshes out the artificial town with an array of memorable performances from its citizens, while Tim Heidecker and Chloë Sevigny pop in and out as uncaring military higher-ups overseeing Atropia and its operations. Alia Shawkat’s real-life father (Tony Shawkat) plays the fictional mayor, adding an extra layer of emotional authenticity to their scenes together. The world of Atropia feels completely lived-in, every character committed to their role in the town’s bizarre ecosystem.
Even in its most ridiculous moments, the narrative always maintains its sense of immersion; everything is played straight, which only heightens the humor. It’s reminiscent of M*A*S*H in how it blends wartime comedy with a grim undercurrent, treating the absurd as routine and letting the audience find the horror underneath the laughter.
Real Research Fuels an Unreal Story
Writer-director Hailey Gates originally wanted to make a documentary about these training grounds before pivoting to fiction, and that sense of grounded research seeps into every frame. The details are startlingly specific, from how role players live and interact with one another to the unsettling inclusion of scent dispersal. Yes, these simulated towns even had deals with the Glade brand of air fresheners to manufacture the smells, from the alluring aroma of authentic spices to the stench of burning flesh. Atropia is smart in how it balances its humor, while also indulging in well-placed potty jokes that somehow feel both juvenile and pointedly hilarious.
Visually, Atropia delivers many striking moments, thanks to cinematographer Eric K. Yue (I Saw the TV Glow, A Thousand and One). A nighttime bathing sequence stands out as a particularly beautiful shot. Meanwhile, a slow pullback of Private iPod (Gilberto Ortiz) — a standout minor character — serenading his fellow role players, captures the film’s strangely effective emotional weight in one lingering image. There’s a confidence in Gates’ direction that’s rare for a debut feature; her ability to navigate such tricky subject matter with balanced wit and empathy marks her as a filmmaker to keep an eye on.
Gates, unsurprisingly, caught the attention of Luca Guadagnino with the mere concept of this movie, having spoken with the director during her minor role in Challengers (2024) and convincing him to come on board as a producer.
A Bold Approach to a Thorny Subject
The film’s biggest strength is its refusal to be overtly cynical or detached. There is genuine care in how its characters are portrayed — not just as vehicles for satire, but also as reflections of the people who actually experienced these surreal training grounds. It acknowledges the pain on both sides, recognizing the complexities of war and the unpredictable ways trauma manifests. Unlike many other American films about the Iraq War, Atropia doesn’t approach its subject with a sense of moral superiority. Instead, it asks: What are the consequences of building fake wars on our own soil? Moreover, what does it say about us that we did it (and continue to do so) in the first place?
In a landscape where Iraq War movies often fall into either heavy-handed self-seriousness or surface-level jabs, Atropia finds a rare sweet spot. It’s funny, sharp, and, most importantly, insightful in a way that lingers. Hailey Benton Gates has crafted something truly singular — a war satire that fills a long-vacant gap with style, humor, and a much-needed fresh sense of perspective.
Atropia releases in select theaters on December 12 and then expands in January 2026!
Release Date: December 12, 2025.
Directed by Hailey Gates.
Written by Hailey Gates.
Produced by Luca Guadagnino, Émilie Georges, Naima Abed, Lana Kim, & Jett Steiger.
Executive Producers: Hailey Gates, Alia Shawkat, Scott McGehee, David Siegel, Mike Spreter, & KC Wallace.
Main Cast: Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner, Zahra Alzubaidi, Tony Shawkat, Jane Levy, Tim Heidecker, Lola Kirke, Chloë Sevigny, Phil Burgers, Chloe East, Gilberto Ortiz, Sal Lopez, Shaholly Ayers, Gil Perez-Abraham, Tim Blake Nelson, & Channing Tatum.
Cinematographer: Eric K. Yue.
Composers: Max Whipple, Ari Balouzian, & Robert Ames.
Editors: Madeleine Gavin & Sophie Corra.
Production Companies: Frenesy Film Company, Paradise City, Ways & Means, & Big Creek Projects.
Distributor: Vertical.
Runtime: 104 minutes.
Rated R.
