--- title: "The Covenant: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-covenant/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-covenant" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Covenant (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 16 reviews: 9 positive, 6 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like it. Nine of the sixteen reviews are positive, and the recurring note is that Guy Ritchie has put aside his usual flourishes for a serious, grounded war drama and has done so more convincingly than expected. The praise gathers around the two leads: Dar Salim is singled out again and again, several reviews saying he outshines Jake Gyllenhaal, and the partnership between the two men is what most critics find moving. The action is described as clearly staged and tense. The reservations gather around the Afghans and the war. Several critics find the film shallow on both, more interested in an American soldier’s redemption than in the interpreter it claims to honour. Slant goes furthest, arguing it ends up endorsing American exceptionalism. Vulture finds the final act a letdown. The spread is wide, from Deadline calling it Ritchie’s best to Slant near the bottom, but even the harshest reviews praise Salim. ## Los Angeles Times — Katie Walsh Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2023. Walsh calls it Ritchie’s best film in years, finding the serious story effective despite occasional excess in tone. She praises Dar Salim and Jake Gyllenhaal’s performances and the cinematic portrayal of their bond. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-04-20/review-guy-ritchie-the-covenant-jake-gyllenhaal-afghanistan-war) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Rating Critics Pick. 18 April 2023. Gleiberman calls the film a lacerating, moving, superbly crafted war drama. He praises Dar Salim’s nuanced performance and the gripping, unsentimental staging of the men’s struggle to survive. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-review-jake-gyllenhaal-1235585686/) ## Empire — Catherine Bray Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 June 2023. Bray finds the film a handsome, serious war drama and praises Ritchie’s shift into a more grounded style. She singles out the convincing partnership between Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim, especially the opportunity it gives Salim to shine. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/the-covenant/) ## IndieWire — Siddhant Adlakha Rating B. 18 April 2023. The review finds the film an intense, effective war drama, though it notes limitations in its portrayal of Afghans and the broader conflict. It singles out Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim’s performances and the riveting action for praise. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/the-covenant-review-guy-ritchie-jake-gyllenhaal-1234829009/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2023. Rooney finds the film a solid, satisfying war thriller and a welcome change of pace for Guy Ritchie. He praises its focus on the resilient humanity and partnership of the two leads rather than glorifying combat. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/guy-ritchie-the-covenant-review-jake-gyllenhaal-afghan-war-drama-1235376890/) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 April 2023. The standfirst presents the film as a muscular tribute to Afghan interpreters left behind by US forces. The review’s full verdict and specific praise are unavailable in the accessible page text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-review/5180911.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 20 April 2023. The page identifies the article as a review, but its text is inaccessible. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/movies/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-review.html) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 21 April 2023. Ebiri finds the film topical, suspenseful, and moving for much of its running time, but says the final act is a letdown. He praises the dreamy, wordless survival sequences and Gyllenhaal’s haunted performance. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-jake-gyllenhaal-shines-in-guy-ritchies-the-covenant.html?amp=&=) ## The AV Club — Murtada Elfadl Rating C-. 19 April 2023. Elfadl finds the film shallow, dramatically limp, and unwilling to engage with the war’s complexity. He singles out Dar Salim’s quietly commanding performance as the one element that gives viewers something to hold onto. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-covenant-movie-review-jake-gyllenhaal-1850347698) ## Slant Magazine — Gregory Nussen Rating 1.5/4. 18 April 2023. Nussen argues that the film ultimately endorses American exceptionalism and never-ending warfare. He praises the tense, kinetic action sequences, but criticizes the thin characterizations and lack of meaningful scrutiny of the war. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-review-jake-gyllenhaal/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 April 2023. Hammond calls it an exciting, gripping, and moving war film, and praises it as Guy Ritchie’s best. He singles out Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim for compelling performances, especially their characters’ emotional bond. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2023/04/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-review-jake-gyllenhaal-1235330317/) ## Den of Geek — Kayleigh Donaldson Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 April 2023. The critic finds The Covenant a surprisingly successful, more earnest turn for Guy Ritchie, and a promising move toward serious filmmaking. She praises the clearly staged, forceful action but faults the film for giving Afghan characters less humanity and emotional depth than its American soldiers. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-covenant-guy-ritchie-taken-more-seriously-than-snatch-aladdin/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The headline presents the film as an engaging war thriller centered on bonds and brotherhood. The page content is blocked, so no further critical praise or complaint is available. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/the-covenant-review-guy-ritchie-jake-gyllenhaal-team-up-for-an-engaging-war-thriller-about-bonds-brotherhood-paying-spiritual-debts-20230420/) ## Collider — Chase Hutchinson Rating C. 20 April 2023. Hutchinson finds the film’s promising themes and performances overwhelmed by formulaic action and an underwritten story. He praises Dar Salim’s dynamic performance, while faulting the film for sidelining Ahmed and centering John’s redemption instead. [Read the review](https://collider.com/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-review/) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Rating 5.5/10. 19 April 2023. Hassenger finds the film a familiar, middle-of-the-road war drama that misuses Ritchie’s talents. He praises the sharper frustration of Gyllenhaal’s scenes confronting U.S. bureaucracy, but criticizes the noisy visual clichés in battle scenes. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/guy-ritchie/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-is-a-major-departure-from-what-guy-ritchie-is-good-at) ## /Film — Witney Seibold Rating 5 out of 10. 18 April 2023. The critic finds the film shallow despite its effective action, arguing that its focus on male camaraderie avoids examining the war. He praises Dar Salim for giving Ahmed humanity and outshining his co-star. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1261423/guy-ritchies-the-covenant-review-a-shallow-war-movie/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-covenant.md