The Covenant (2023)

Good War Drama - The Covenant review by GI

This is a solidly made and directed film from Guy Ritchie that holds your attention and delivers what it intends well. There's a good mix of action with some political messaging but in brief this is a survival war film that nicely fills its two hour run time. Jake Gyllenhaal is John, a top US soldier in Afghanistan shortly before the American withdrawal. His unit seeks out Taliban arms dumps and destroys them. But on one such op' they face odds that are too big and Jack barely manages to escape along with his unit's interpreter, Ahmed (Dar Salim). Many miles from their base and relentlessly hunted they have to make it across hostile territory. Years later Jack feels a debt to Ahmed and has to return to try and get him and his family out but faces the bureaucracy of the US system that promised visas for interpreters but is reluctant to issue them. Ritchie handles the action sequences with aplomb and he kept the pace rattling along just nicely. From the end credit photographs this appears based on a true story which gives it some added depth. An entertaining war film and well worth a watch.