What an awesome surprise. I shouldn’t be too surprised with Guy Ritchie. The guy has been on an amazing streak of movies for about the last 5 years. He uses his strengths from his past work and applies it to this in order to make a war film unlike anything seen before.

Jake Gyllenhaal & Dar Salim essentially play opposites who want the same outcome for one another. Even though they come from different backgrounds & perspectives, they share a common objective. I know it may not amount to anything, but I am going to start manifesting that Salim gets nominated for his performance. It doesn’t matter if it is the Academy. I’d be happy with any more recognition that this guy can get. He was truly outstanding. It has truly been a while since I have felt that way for a supporting performance. Probably since Everything Everywhere All at Once. That’s not to say that Gyllenhaal was also great. He delivers a very committed performance. Furthermore, the bond between these two characters is relatable.

Furthermore, I really appreciate Ritchie’s efforts to continue making something new almost every time in the last 5 years as almost as a way to convince us that he did not direct 2019’s Aladdin. The unsettling orchestral score and use of one-take shots reminded me of Wrath of Man, while the editing reminded me of his earlier work. It is truly commendable for any filmmaker to switch genres and do it well. The way the cinematography works allows the viewer to be in on the action. Even the smaller supporting characters are well written, giving more reason to care about the story.

It is interesting how this film has gone about. With a budget of $55 million, the movie has only grossed about $15 million only over a span of a few weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if hit Prime Video soon as MGM is the film’s distributor. I know the film’s box office run is more than likely due to how much came out in April. With the summer blockbusters on the horizon, I really encourage people to go see this. It is truly worth it. If not, then I could see this becoming a big hit for Prime Video.

The only real setbacks this movie has is with how it decides to set up the movie. I really thought about this as I believe the rest of the movie is near-perfect. After some thought, I do think the set up could have been handled differently to flow into the bigger plot a little easier.

Overall, this is a tremendous war film unlike anything I have ever seen between the cinematography, the score, and the performances. Guy Ritchie has solidified himself as a top 10 director. The guy has plenty more work coming up, and I think his quality of work will at least stay the same, if not, get better. It is truly commendable for any filmmaker to switch genres and do it well like Ritchie has done.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 (Amazing)