After Guy Ritchie’s last film, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, was an absolute disaster, I seriously considered skipping his most recent outing, The Covenant. However, I'm very happy I didn't because it's become one of my favorite films of the year so far.
The direction is excellent, with amazing up-close shots and zooms that really add to the intense nature of the film. The first hour flew by with fantastic build-up and character development. The action was superb and brutally realistic, showcasing the true horrors of the War in Afghanistan in a respectable way. However, after this first act, the movie does slow down a bit, with a pretty substantial lull that lasted about 20 minutes in the middle of the film. It was not terrible, but something I definitely noticed. Performances were excellent, particularly from Dar Salim, who was a standout in the film. His grueling journey across the Afghanistan terrain was one of the most stressful and inspiring segments in any film so far this year and had me at the edge of my seat.
Overall, The Covenant is a pretty straightforward war story, told with excellent direction, performances, and visuals. It handles the source material with incredible care, showcasing the environment of Afghanistan in a way I have never seen before.
Score: 85% ✅ Verdict: Great