Guy Ritchie's The Covenant (2023)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Deal Staker

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

An uncharacteristically serious movie by director Guy Ritchie, this war-themed tale is simplistic, but sturdy and effective, thanks to crisp, energetic filmmaking and a touching emotional core.

U.S. Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) is stationed in Afghanistan, leading a squad tasked with tracking down Taliban weapons. They are aided by local interpreters, who are hired with the caveat that they will eventually get visas to the United States. After the death of his last interpreter, Kinley recruits the clever Ahmed (Dar Salim), whose knowledge almost immediately helps them avoid an ambush. Striking the jackpot and finding a major Taliban supply warehouse, the team attacks, but are quickly outnumbered. Most of Kinley's unit are killed.

Kinley and Ahmed find themselves stranded behind enemy lines, with the entire Taliban after them. When Kinley is mortally wounded during a shootout, Ahmed uses all of his skill and wits to transport him, largely on foot, back to their U.S. base, while avoiding capture. Kinley is discharged and returns home, but learns that Ahmed is still on the run, with his wife and young child in tow. Unable to find help through the proper channels, Kinley realizes what he must do. He must return to Afghanistan himself and save his friend.

Guy Ritchie's The Covenant doesn't exactly offer a nuanced commentary on the nature of war. Lots of people get killed, and it's probably all for nothing. The Taliban are depicted as pure evil, faceless, relentless villains, pouring into battle by the hundreds like hordes of video-game zombies or a pack of John Wick henchmen. Gyllenhaal's performance is perhaps a tad too intense, offering little chance to breathe, and most other characters — notably Kinley's wife (Emily Beecham) — hardly get the chance to come to life.

But Ritchie does provide clear, solid battle scenes, managing to be both harrowing and gripping, generating both shock and suspense. And then there's Salim, who gives us a three-dimensional Ahmed, by turns resourceful, fierce, and tender. He demonstrates that his actions are based not on reasons of skin color, but on his own sense of honor and duty. In one terrific scene, the men stop for a rest; Ahmed attempts several times to say something to the grieving Kinley... and finally decides to say nothing. It's a human story that builds emotionally as it goes along. Guy Ritchie's The Covenant isn't based on a true story, but it's a true depiction of the human spirit.

MGM and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release is top-of-the-line in terms of video and audio transfer, but there are no extras. Audio is available in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 5.1, or English Descriptive Audio, and there are English or Spanish subtitles. The release includes a bonus DVD and digital copy.