Lower than two months after being added to Netflix and hovering to the highest of the charts to grow to be the #1 film on the streamer for a quick second, Gerard Butler‘s 2023 motion thriller that critics despised, however followers liked is already leaving. It is all a part of the revolving door of streaming, sadly, which sees films continuously depart one platform for an additional as rights expire and new offers are made. Nonetheless, it is form of shocking contemplating how profitable the movie has been on Netflix.
We’re speaking, after all, about Kandahar, Gerard Butler’s 2023 motion spy thriller that was directed by Ric Roman Waugh and written by Mitchell LaFortune. Hitting Netflix on August 8, 2025, the movie shortly shot to the highest of the charts to dethrone the likes of KPop Demon Hunters and Glad Gilmore 2 to grow to be the #1 film in the US. Sadly, per What’s on Netflix, it is already slated to depart the streaming service on Oct. 1, so when you’re a Butler fan, you higher ensure you get in no less than one viewing of it earlier than it is gone.
Additionally starring the likes of Ali Fazal, Navid Negahban, Bahador Foladi, Nina Toussaint-White, Tom Rhys Harries, Vassilis Koukalani, and Travis Fimmel, Kandahar was launched on Might 26, 2023, however wasn’t practically as profitable as Butler’s different motion flick that 12 months, Airplane. It did not have the backing of Lionsgate, nevertheless, as Kandahar was launched in theaters by Open Highway Movies, a a lot smaller firm whose attain would not stretch as far. As such, it managed to absorb simply $9.4 million throughout its transient run in cinemas earlier than hitting digital lower than a month later, which is peanuts in comparison with Airplane‘s take of $74 million. Take a look at the synopsis for Kandahar under:
“An undercover CIA operative (Butler) will get caught in hostile territory in Afghanistan after his mission is uncovered. Accompanied by his translator, he should combat enemy combatants as he tries to achieve an extraction level in Kandahar.”
‘Kandahar’ Is Precisely What Followers Needed It To Be
At the moment sitting with a “rotten” score of simply 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, critics have been largely dismissive of Kandahar, calling it a “senseless, obscenely violent motion movie and not using a soul.” Different adjectives akin to “formulaic,” “predictable,” and “forgettable” have been bandied about in a number of opinions, whereas others from the likes of critic Sebastian Zavala Kahn added a little bit extra to the dialog:
“Kandahar is a failed last product, with fascinating intentions, however too irregular an execution. If solely it have been extra tense, and if they’d eliminated some pointless secondary characters, I am positive the movie would have been higher.”
Nonetheless, it is clear that Butler does have his followers who will prove and help no matter he does, as Kandahar‘s viewers rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 82% is far larger than its vital score. Known as “unbelievable” by some and “wonderful” by others, the consensus amongst followers appears to be that the movie is a superb motion thriller stuffed with thrilling sequences and rigidity that delivers on what it guarantees.
You’ll be able to try Kandahar streaming now on Netflix, however be sure when you’re a subscriber that you just watch it earlier than it leaves on Oct. 1. In any other case, it is nonetheless obtainable for now on different companies akin to Tubi and Pluto TV.
Kandahar
- Launch Date
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Might 26, 2023
- Runtime
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119 minutes
- Director
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Ric Roman Waugh