Kandahar (2023)

Kandahar distinguishes itself by treating its chase-thriller premise like more than a video game level: it drops you into a modern geopolitical maze where every ally has an angle and every mile of road feels earned. Gerard Butler brings a sturdier, more lived-in intensity than his usual bruiser persona, and the film’s best heartbeat comes from his partnership with Navid Negahban’s translator—an uneasy, human bond forged under pressure rather than speeches. Ric Roman Waugh keeps the action muscular and clear, but what lingers is the sense of place and the moral grit around the mission, not just the explosions. It’s violent and unapologetically tense, so it won’t be for viewers who want a clean, escapist romp—but if you’re on the fence, this is a smart, competent war thriller that respects the people caught in its crossfire.

Kandahar wants to be a grounded, ripped-from-headlines escape thriller, pairing Gerard Butler’s steady, weary hero with an Afghan translator for a tense run to extraction through hostile territory. The problem is the movie often feels like it’s going through the motions: long stretches of trudging exposition, familiar ambush beats, and a political seriousness that’s asserted more than earned. The action is frequent and harsh—shootings, explosions, torture, and blood—so if you’re not in the mood for relentless violence without much emotional payoff, this will feel like work. Still, Butler and Navid Negahban have a solid buddy-survival dynamic, and if you just want a no-nonsense, mid-budget war-zone chase with a few punchy set pieces, it’ll do the job.