Warfare’s Opening Scene: Unexpected Nostalgia from ‘Call On Me’ Video

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HEADS UP: This article delves into the initial scene of the movie ‘Warfare’ in great detail. If you haven’t watched it yet and usually enjoy movies without prior knowledge, beware as reading further might spoil your viewing experience. Proceed with caution if you choose to continue.

Among the movies I’ve seen in 2025, I find “Warfare” by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland to be my top pick, a sentiment shared by Eric Eisenberg in his review. This remarkable war film offers an intensely immersive, strikingly authentic, and relentlessly terrifying portrayal of the Iraq War, but it doesn’t reveal its true nature immediately.

Before the gripping, real-time tale of U.S. soldiers struggling to flee a harrowing, fatal predicament unfolds, this film starts off in an unexpected manner. I must confess, I didn’t anticipate that the opening scene of this intense combat drama would resonate so profoundly with me, stirring memories from my high school days. Let me elaborate…

Warfare Opens With Eric Prydz’s “Call On Me” Video

The initial scenes of the movie “Warfare” start similarly to Eric Prydz’s 2004 EDM music video, “Call On Me.” After a quick warning, you’ll notice the resemblance. If you haven’t seen the subtly provocative video, which as Vice mentions, once made former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair lose his balance while rowing, give it a watch below:

(Even simpler version) The opening scenes of “Warfare” resemble Eric Prydz’s 2004 EDM music video for “Call On Me.” After a warning, you’ll see the similarity. If you haven’t seen the suggestive video that made former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair fall off his rowing machine, check it out below:

Approximately a minute into intense scenes of flipping hair and beads of sweat, the movie switches to show the cast – which includes renowned A24 film actor Will Poulter and Charles Melton from the second season of Beef – gathered around a laptop in a room. They leap about at the sight of people, both women and men, dancing exuberantly on the screen.

I couldn’t help but exclaim audibly “Not possibly!” when the scene unfolded, and for multiple reasons. It caught me off guard as a delightful blast from the past. To be honest, my friends and I frequently watched that very same video back in our teenage years, and we’d jump around and give each other fist-bumps just like the soldiers in Warfare. I never imagined “Call On Me” would appear on an IMAX screen, let alone as part of a movie like this.

The Scene Is A Rare Moment Of Levity In The Brutal Drama

In contrast to most critics who highly praise the movie “Warfare”, some might find the opening scene reminiscent of the male gaze typical in early 2000s music, specifically the song “Call On Me”. But I think it’s actually a powerful setup for the film’s theme of brotherhood. For me, having seen the video myself, it proves to be an engaging method to connect viewers with the characters.

At a profound level, it reveals a peek at the sunny aspect of a soldier’s life during wartime when they unite to create better memories than those from battle. Moreover, launching the movie with something as casual and amusing as men celebrating with a cheesy music video cleverly sets a carefree tone that makes its sudden shift into intense turmoil even more striking.

After exiting the theater where I watched “Warfare”, I immediately texted my friends to suggest they watch the movie, which is currently playing in cinemas. I warned them that the opening scene would make them laugh, but also prepared them for the intense events that follow. Although they could easily watch it at home, this may be their only opportunity to see it on the big screen with IMAX quality.

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2025-04-14 14:07