Amazon Prime viewers will be happy to learn that this “incredible” war film that is “better than Saving Private Ryan” is now streaming on the platform. The American action film was originally released in 2023 and was co-written, produced and directed by Guy Ritchie. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim and follows a U.S. Army Green Beret Master Sergeant who has been sent home after surviving a Taliban ambush and a harrowing trek to safety. The film, of course, is Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant – if you hadn’t already guessed.
The film’s synopsis reads: “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Salim). After an ambush, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first.”
Sean Sagar, Jason Wong, Rhys Yates, Christian Ochoa, Bobby Schofield, Emily Beecham, Jonny Lee Miller, Alexander Ludwig, Reza Diako, James Nelson-Joyce, Antony Starr and Fariba Sheikhan star alongside Gyllenhaal and Salim.
The film was met with a positive reaction and has an impressive 98% score from audience reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes who state: “Come to Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant for the action – stay for some fantastic performances and a story that honors wartime sacrifices.”
This means that Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant has a higher popcorn score than Saving Private Ryan, which the audience rates at 95%.
One audience reviewer described the film as “incredible”, with another adding: “This is a tremendous must see film. It’s one of the best films of the last few years, for sure, and Jake Gyllenhaal’s best work. If you haven’t seen it, watch it now.”
The critics rating is currently sitting at a high 83% and they say: “A satisfying, well-acted war thriller with surprising dramatic depths, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant tells a solid story with impressive restraint.”
Catherine Bray of Empire praised the lead actors’ performances, she said: “[Gyllenhaal’s] energy is perfect for the relatively sober-minded The Covenant – and allows space for Dar Salim to shine, in a more substantial lead than the majority of his Hollywood roles have afforded him so far.”
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant is available to watch right now on Amazon Prime.