Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant (it’s odd to me that the director’s name is in the title, but OK) is a solid rescue thriller based on real events—and it gives Jake Gyllenhaal an opportunity to shine in yet another movie that nobody is seeing.
OK, a little bit of research shows that there have been many movies and projects called “The Covenant,” so throwing “Guy Ritchie’s” in the title distinguishes it from the pack. Makes sense. Back to the review.
Gyllenhaal is his typically reliable self as Sgt. John Kinley, working in Afghanistan to sniff out the Taliban and their explosives factories. When his interpreter is killed, he hires a new one, Ahmed (Dar Salim), who has some unorthodox methods.
After a mission gone wrong, Ahmed must drag Kinley across the desert to safety. After saving Sgt. Kinley’s life. Ahmed is left behind while Kinley returns to America. When he learns of his friend’s plight, Kinley returns to Afghanistan to rescue Ahmed and his family, now enemies of the Taliban.
Ritchie directs this well; the survival scenes and shootouts in the desert are effective sequences. Gyllenhaal and Salim are good together, and the story is strong.
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is now streaming in theaters, and is available for streaming rental via Amazon Prime.
