Guy Ritchie's The Covenant

The British filmmaker breaks new ground with Afghan war thriller.

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Director Guy Ritchie likely lent his name to the title “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” (now in theaters and henceforth simply referred to as “The Covenant”) so as to minimize confusion between his movie and Renny Harlin’s craptacular 2006 dudebrah witch flick of the same name. The Afghan war film is the least Ritchie thing Ritchie’s ever made (there’s no cheekiness, clever twists, Cockney gangsters or Jason Statham) and yet it’s one of the best things Ritchie’s ever made.

Jake Gyllenhaal stars as Sgt. John Kinley. It’s 2018 and John’s serving another tour in Afghanistan. He’s overseeing a team that stirs up shit by looking for Taliban bomb-making sites and weapons caches. After losing his interpreter to an improvised explosive device, John takes on willful “man about town” Ahmed (Dar Salim) as translator.

When not at war John and Ahmed both work as auto mechanics – despite having common ground the two men clash. Ahmed has John and the squad’s best interest at heart and is almost always correct in his assessments. He’ll do what he feels is right even if it means undermining John’s authority. Ahmed’s as motivated as his American counterparts (if not more so) to dismantle the Taliban as they murdered his son.

Things go sideways for the squad on one of their raids resulting in everyone save for John and Ahmed getting killed. The men flee for the mountains with the Taliban in hot pursuit. In a subsequent skirmish John sustains serious injuries. It’s now up to Ahmed to save John and drag him on a perilous journey across the mountains back to base.

I knew how just good Gyllenhaal was coming into “The Covenant” and he doesn’t disappoint here. I wasn’t familiar with Salim prior to this film, but I gotta say with no equivocation he steals it. These guys both give awards-worthy performances and are strongly supported by Emily Beecham as John’s wife Caroline, Alexander Ludwig as the helpful Sgt. Declan O’Brady, Jonny Lee Miller as John’s commanding officer Col. Vokes and Lucas Hood/Homelander himself Antony Starr as mercenary Eddie Parker, whom John hires to assist in exfiltrating Ahmed and his family when they wind up at the top of the Taliban’s hit list.

“The Covenant” isn’t as flashy as a lot of Ritchie’s other offerings, but that’s not to say it’s not technically accomplished. The cinematography by Ed Wild (“London Has Fallen”) has a ton of the awesome overhead shots Ritchie’s employed since “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” Christopher Benstead’s rousing score expertly evokes John Williams’ theme from “Jaws” at a particularly intense moment.

“The Covenant” isn’t based on a true story, but it feels as though it could be. It’s less “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch” and more “Lone Survivor” and “American Sniper.” It’s a story of brotherhood, honor and life debts in need of payment. It’s a condemnation of bureaucracy and a celebration of those with their boots on the ground. It’s a stirring reminder that this country needs to do better by its soldiers and veterans and even more so by the brave Afghan people who endangered themselves and their families by assisting us. This is thrilling, important filmmaking.