War Machine trailer: Brad Pitt heads for Afghanistan to 'clean up the mess'

Netflix continues to prove itself as a force in the movie business. The streaming platform’s latest original feature, War Machine, stars Brad Pitt as four-star general Glen McMahon within the dubbed “absurdist war story” about America’s involvement in Afghanistan. “You’re not here to win, you’re hear to clean up the mess,” he’s told in the new trailer, released Thursday.

The film is inspired by journalist Michael Hastings’ book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan. Based on a screenplay by director David Michôd (Animal Kingdom), War Machine follows the rise of McMahon as he leads NATO forces into the nation to be taken down later by his own pride and a journalist’s expose.

“My team and I are about to embark on a new direction,” Pitt’s McMahon says in the footage, one in which they “build a free and prosperous nation.”

“Sounds a lot like the old direction,” Kingsley’s President Karzai responds, teasing the “savage parody” aspect of the film.

The footage highlights the ensemble cast, including Tilda Swinton, Sir Ben Kingsley, Topher Grace, and Anthony Michael Hall, as well as familiar faces like RJ Cyler (Power Rangers), Will Poulter (The Maze Runner), Emory Cohen (Netflix’s The O.A.), Alan Ruck (Fox’s The Exorcist), Scoot McNairy (AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire), and Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out).

War Machine will hit Netflix on May 26. Watch the new trailer above.