What Is ‘Kandahar’? Everything to Know About the Gerard Butler Movie on Netflix

Many movies find new life on streaming, and such is the case with Gerard Butler‘s 2023 action thriller, Kandahar.

Two years after its theatrical release, the movie has quickly jumped into Netflix’s Top 10 Movies in the U.S. list since hitting the streamer earlier this month. Kandahar sits on the list alongside Netflix originals KPop Demon Hunters and Happy Gilmore 2, as well as other recent additions, including Furious 7 and Marry Me.

The film follows CIA agent Tom Harris (Butler) as he is sent on missions to help bring down Afghanistan’s nuclear capabilities with the assistance of his translator, Mohammad “Mo” Doud (Navid Negahban). After the pair’s covers are blown, the two set off on a dangerous journey to reach their extraction point in Kandahar, facing many threats along the way.

The movie also stars Ali Fazal, Nina Toussaint-White, Bahador Foladi, and Travis Fimmel. Released in May 2023, Kandahar is loosely based on screenwriter Mitchell LaFortune’s own experience working as a military intelligence officer in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

© Open Road Films /Courtesy Everett Collection

Kandahar received mixed reviews from critics and currently sits at a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes‘ Tomatometer. On the flip side, the film was well-liked by fans, currently sitting at 82% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter.

“There’s little on offer here beyond the archetypical traits of action-packed warzone fare, although the box-ticking doesn’t stretch as far as giving any of the characters tangible depth, while the political machinations of how Butler found himself in hot water in the first place are frustratingly muddied,” Terry Staunton wrote in a review for RadioTimes.com. “Nevertheless, he’s a reliably rugged presence perfectly at ease with what he’s tasked to do, if perhaps lacking in leap-off-the-screen charisma here.”

Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Times wrote in a May 2023 review, “Not only is the pace tepid at best, but Tom is a bore, with at least three characters more intriguing than he is. Chief among them is Mo, portrayed by the excellent Navid Negahban (Homeland, Aladdin). An Afghan exile, he has returned home to try to locate his sister-in-law — a more compelling quest than Butler’s, whose prime motivation is … what exactly? Not being late to his daughter’s graduation in London?”

Fans have recently taken to social media to celebrate the movie’s Netflix streaming success. “Very glad the movie #kandahar is popular in the usa #Netflix,” one X user wrote on August 11. Another user wrote on Saturday, August 16, “The movie Kandahar has exceeded my expectations. TBF my expectations were low but it’s not that bad of a movie.”

Others had differing opinions about the film. “I’m less than 15 minutes into this Netflix cookie cutter bulls*** movie Kandahar and it’s so bad I can’t look away, but I need to,” one person tweeted on Friday, August 15. “It sucks so bad.”

Another person posted, “I give Kandahar a 6/10. Not much to say. Gerard Butler carried the movie as best as he could. If you want a better ‘escape from behind enemy lines’ story, I recommend Covenant.”

What do you think of the movie? Let us know in the comments section below.

Kandahar, Streaming Now, Netflix.

Read the latest entertainment news on TV Insider.