War Game Parent Guide

What if the events of January 6^th, 2021 happened again but were intensified by the defection of law enforcement and military personnel to the side of the protesters? How would the federal government respond to ensure the certification of the vote and the restoration of law and order in Washington DC?

This is the premise of War Game, a film based on an unusual collaboration between the non-partisan organization Vet Voice and filmmakers Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss. Concerned about rising extremism in the US military, Vet Voice invited governors, senators, and civil and military figures from the past five presidential administrations to participate in a war game based on this scenario. Gerber and Moss filmed the war game in a fictionalized situation room, creating an intriguing production that sits somewhere between “documentary” and “thriller”.

Vet Voice is dedicated to increasing veterans’ participation in democracy and protecting democratic institutions, which explains their unexpected sponsorship of such a complex project. The public servants and vets involved in the war game have varied backgrounds, types of service, and sometimes trauma, but all share a fervent desire to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” Their concern about radical extremists in the military isn’t theoretical; it’s personal.

Credit goes to Vet Voice for coming up with an elaborate and convincing scenario that begins with an attack on the US Capitol, similar to the 2021 event. But in this war game, the protestors are well organized, directed by the Order of Columbus, a fictional group based on the real world sovereign citizens movement. The situation quickly escalates, with violent clashes in Washington DC, calls from a senior military officer to disobey orders, proclamations from the defeated candidate that the re-elected president is illegitimate, and mounting violence across the United States. As a military base is taken over and legislators are taken hostage in a state capital, the war game’s president must make difficult choices about managing the crisis, under- or over-responding, bringing in the military, federalizing the National Guard and invoking the Insurrection Act.

All of these issues are complex and the people participating in this war game know there are no easy answers. It’s the discussions about the options that make this film interesting, and particularly suitable for high school teachers or university professors who want to use War Game as a discussion starter in their own classrooms. Radicalization, extremism, political violence, government response to same – all are relevant issues that could spark serious conversations among young people. Negative content is relatively minor, with minimal violence: only the half dozen sexual expletives in the film push it into Restricted territory.

War Game is a genuinely frightening film because it feels so real. As polarization, factionalism, and violent rhetoric increase in the run up to the 2024 election, I only hope that this movie remains in the realm of fiction.