Guy Richie’s the Covenant (2023)

Plot of The Covenant: Master Sgt John Kinley and his troop of American special forces have the task of locating the sources of explosives used by the Taliban. In a routine search of vehicles an explosion kills his interpreter, requiring his to find another. Step forward Ahmed Abdullah, a taciturn Afghan, and despite his apparent links to the heroin trade Kinley hires him. They are given a location 100 km from the Bagram air base where apparently explosive vests are being manufactured and so off they go. The location is a former quarry, with a complex of buildings making it difficult for them to remain secure, and unexpectedly they are attacked by the Taliban. The whole crew apart from Kinley and the interpreter are killed and later during their escape Kinley is captured, wounded and clubbed with a rifle butt, rendering him immobile and unconscious. Ahmed manages to kill the Taliban group, and with great fortitude transports the wounded Kinley back to Bagram. Kinley is repatriated but has no memory of the rescue. When he learns how he was rescued and that the Americans have not kept their word to allow the interpreter and his family to go to America, he determines that he will return to Afghanistan to rescue him.

Content: No sex or nudity, but a bit of smoking of hash and a lot of recreational beer drinking. There are a number of fire fights between the American guys and the Taliban, who have good communications and an unlimited number of Kalashnikovs available to them, as well as the usual fleet of Toyota pickups. Once Kinley has been wounded Ahmed first of all drags him along on a sort of stretcher, then gets hold of a two wheeled cart allowing him to make slightly better progress. When Kinley returns to Afghanistan he pays for the services of some civilian contractors who have available drones, helicopters and aircraft.

A View: This is quite a moral tale disguised and an action movie, highlighting the fact that many people who worked for the Americans and the British in Afghanistan who were promised that they and their families would be taken to America or Britain, were actually abandoned and, to this day, are being hunted by the Taliban. The film’s ending states that over 300 interpreters have been murdered. So this is not just an action film, although the shoot outs are well done, it is thoughtfully presented, and there is tension right to the end. So well worth a view but you have to pay attention.

Fun Fact: The area of Spain around the holiday coast of Alicante stood in for the mountains of Afghanistan.