In Civil War, director Alex Garland‘s new movie for A24, America is at war with itself. Believable enough premise so far.
But in the action-packed trailer, President Nick Offerman informs the nation that the “so-called Western Forces of Texas and California have suffered a very great defeat at the hands of the United States military.”
It sounds like the two states, along with 17 others, have seceded from the union. Again, believable, especially for Texas. But what’s less realistic is California (63 percent blue in the 2020 election) and Texas (52 percent red) agreeing on anything, politically speaking. It’s why so many of California’s finest — Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, etc. — eventually move to the Lone Star State.
The Texas and California line has inspired a lot of reactions online. “I’ll give Garland some credit. Having Texas and California team up and start a new civil war is a brilliant way to make sure your dystopian movie about the rise of American fascism is NOT political,” @BivouacChillin wrote on X, while @CarmanTse noted, “The alliance of Texas and California in the Garland movie will be easily explained: they’re two biggest states by population and area, easy to connect geographically and—most importantly—there’ll be a fake Elon Musk technocrat he’ll write into the movie that unites them.”
Speaking as someone who lives in Texas, we have Whataburger and In-N-Out Burger. We’re thriving without California’s help, thank you very much.
Trying to think of what shared political principle could estrange Texas and California from the rest of the United States, and my only conclusion is they go to war over the difference between Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. https://t.co/Guu6yFntRJ
— Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse) December 13, 2023
I’m gonna need elaborate context on this one, like explaining how and why Texas and California somehow banded together to secede https://t.co/TW01IGqgqJ
— Marie Bardi-Salinas (@mariebardi) December 13, 2023
Texas and California on the same side of the Civil War? https://t.co/v77EXwjBTW pic.twitter.com/2vqpKcardf
— Cody
(@AltHistCody) December 13, 2023
The most unbelievable aspect of this movie is that Texas and California would be on the same side in a scenario like this
pic.twitter.com/rPlFVs4Vek— Edwin Jusino, PhD (@erjusinoa) December 13, 2023
not them making texas and california the states that secede from america !! https://t.co/CWXTAHN9oq
— đan (@danqdao) December 13, 2023
Only a British person would think Texas and California have enough in common politically to form an alliance https://t.co/fKBhKuHfpF
— Emmy Potter (@emmylanepotter) December 13, 2023
lotta people confused about texas and california being on the same side. i grew up in south orange county which is texas, and went to grad school in the bay area which becomes south orange county at the slightest inconvenience. https://t.co/n1iqZiQpmW
— am rod (@arod_twit) December 13, 2023
This looks interesting, but I’m trying to imagine a scenario where Texas and California would be on the same side in a civil war. https://t.co/Iosxi0hRrZ
— Bill Brasky (@BillBrasky2620) December 13, 2023
It’s actually an enemies to lovers romcom about Texas and California becoming allies. https://t.co/MXrEg0m8mC
— just adam (@apat10) December 13, 2023
Civil War, which stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jesse Plemons, Nick Offerman, and Cailee Spaeny, opens in theaters on April 26, 2024. You can watch the trailer below.