warfare - a story of love and hate warfare - a story of love and hate is a 2019 american film directed by steven soderbergh it was written and produced by soderbergh based on his own 1973 novel the film stars bella thorn and malcolm mc donnell the movie is about a man named johnny who marries his high school sweetheart but then becomes obsessed with a prostitute he met in college and eventually leaves his wife for her it's a story about how people can be consumed by their desires and make wrong choices but also how they can find redemption through love and forgiveness the film was shot on super 16 mm film and features no professional actors or actresses instead using amateur cast members to play the roles of johnny s wife and the prostitute as well as other characters throughout the movie it is a low budget independent film that follows johnny s journey as he struggles with his own desires and those of others around him warfare - a story of love and hate features an original score by elton john and was released in 2019 to positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.