Guy Ritchie’s “The Covenant” was like a wake up call that echoed through my subconscious, reminding me of a debt that I could pay forward. From the title, you might not know what this film is about. At the end, we are given a definition. Covenant is “a bond” or “a pledge.” The film both a fictionalized story about debts of honor and a plea for very real people left behind in Afghanistan, a country that they belonged to, but now live as furtive fugitives because of their cooperation with US military forces. 

More than 300 interpreters and their families have been murdered by the Taliban for collaborating with the U.S. Military. Thousands more are still in hiding.

This film requires viewers ask themselves questions, not all of them obvious. First and foremost, we must wonder about those 300 interpreters and the thousands in hiding. Within the film, one must recognized when the foreign language isn’t translated in the subtitles, one must wonder if the audience is supposed to feel less sympathy with certain people(s). Lastly, we should wonder what happened to the interpreters from any previous military conflict, including World War II. 

While I’m not a big fan of Ritchie, this film is well-acted and the script by Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies has more depth than most war films. There’s violence, but the focus is on survival and honor. 

“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” was released on 21 April 2023. It was streaming on Amazon Prime Video.