Jake Gyllenhaal has a debt to settle in the action-packed trailer for Guy Ritchie’s upcoming war thriller, The Covenant. MGM recently dropped the first full-length trailer for the movie, giving us a peek at Ritchie’s kill-or-be-killed epic. The Covenant sees Gyllenhaal making a comeback to the war genre, portraying Army Sergeant John Kinley, who becomes incapacitated during his last tour in Afghanistan after receiving a blow to the head. Left for dead, Kinley is rescued by his local interpreter, Ahmed, played by Dar Salim. However, after recovering and finding out that Ahmed’s life is in danger because of him, Gyllenhaal’s Kinley finds himself caught in a conflict of morals.
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‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ (2023) | Image: MGM
Originally titled The Interpreter, the movie was written by Snatch favourite Guy Ritchie, with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies lending hands. Ritchie is also producing the film alongside Atkinson, John Friedberg and Josh Berger, who promise to deliver a heartbreaking and brutal picture of war.
From the opening few seconds of the first trailer, The Covenant foreshadows a harrowing journey for Sergeant Kinley. During a tour to Afghanistan, Kinley and his company are ambushed, with the sergeant suffering a nasty concussion that sees him lose part of his memory. The only thing Gyllenhaal’s character recalls about the whole affair is “the interpreter.”
Following this, we see some early shots from the movie, giving us a glimpse of Kinley and Ahmed and how their relationship develops over the course of the tour. It’s revealed that Dar Salim’s Ahmed not only wants the job because of the money but also to get revenge on the Taliban operatives who killed his son.
‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ (2023) | Image: MGM
Later in the trailer, Ahmed warns Kinley not “to go down this road,” but as you might expect, Gyllenhaal’s Kinley ignores the advice, opting to do what he deems necessary/best. Obviously, Kinley and his team fail to hold their ground, resulting in everyone dying (except for Kinley). This is when Ahmed steps up and kills the whole squad of terrorists singlehandedly, in a way, avenging his son’s death.
At one point in the trailer, Gyllenhaal’s character grievously says, “If it wasn’t enough for him to carry me across those mountains, now he’s hiding in a hole somewhere. I should be in that hole.” Upon realising that the army isn’t ready to intervene and help Ahmed, Kinley says, “Ahmed and his family are in trouble. I am gonna have to get him out myself.” Ultimately, he embarks on a one-man mission to rescue his saviour and friend.
In midst of all the war and action, The Covenant tells the story of a soldier determined to go to any lengths (even risk his own life) to save an innocent person who put everything on the line for his well-being. With The Covenant all locked in for an April 21 theatrical release, we can’t wait to see how things pan out for Sergeant Kinley and his interpreter friend.
‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ (2023) | Image: MGM
