There are action movies that use war as a backdrop for explosions and gunfire, and then there are films that remind you of the human cost behind every bullet fired. Man of War manages to do both. It delivers the kind of hard-hitting action fans expect from director William Kaufman while never losing sight of the innocent lives caught in the middle of the conflict.
The film follows Connor, an elite American Special Forces veteran played by LaMonica Garrett, who finds himself drawn into the war in Ukraine when a desperate phone call changes everything. What begins as a mission to locate and rescue his adopted daughter quickly spirals into a brutal fight for survival against mercenaries, soldiers, and the horrors of war itself.
If you’ve followed Kaufman’s work over the years, you’ll know exactly what he brings to the table. The man understands action. He understands tactics. More importantly, he understands how to make every firefight feel dangerous. There are no superheroes here. When bullets start flying, people get hurt, plans fall apart, and survival is never guaranteed.
LaMonica Garrett is excellent in the lead role. Connor is a man carrying the weight of his military past while desperately trying to protect what remains of his family. Garrett brings both physical presence and emotional vulnerability to the role, making Connor easy to root for from the very beginning.
Filled with pulse-pounding action, LaMonica Garrett ignites the screen in an epic blaze of glory.
One of the film’s biggest strengths is its supporting cast. Jason Patric makes a welcome appearance as Charlie, Connor’s trusted military contact, while Andy Howard brings plenty of grit and personality to Dany, a Ukrainian asset who gradually forms a strong bond with Connor throughout the mission.
Then there’s Bunny.
Played by Linds Edwards, Bunny feels like he walked straight out of a modern military video game. There’s a real Captain Price quality to him; old-school, tough as nails, and exactly the kind of soldier you want watching your back. He gets some genuinely memorable moments throughout the film, and honestly, I wouldn’t complain if Kaufman gave his team a spin-off down the line.
Another standout is Greg Burridge as sniper Zeus. Fans of Saving Private Ryan will understand this comparison immediately: Zeus feels like a modern-day Jackson. Calm, deadly, and incredibly effective when things go sideways. He gets several standout moments during the finale that action fans are going to love.
Of course, no Kaufman film would be complete without a villain worth hating.
Daniel Bernhardt delivers exactly that as Koniev. Sadistic, ruthless, and completely without remorse, Koniev is the type of villain audiences will spend the entire movie waiting to see get what’s coming to him. Bernhardt continues proving why he’s one of the most reliable bad guys in the business. He brings a physical threat and intensity that immediately elevates every scene he’s in, and you just know that eventually he’s going to force our hero through hell before the credits roll.
What surprised me most was how effectively the film handles the horrors of war. Kaufman never sensationalises the suffering. We see the aftermath of bombings. We see civilians caught in the crossfire. We see men, women, and children paying the price for the violence around them. Yet the film never lingers on these moments for shock value. They’re shown just long enough to remind you what is at stake, and as a parent, some of those images hit particularly hard.
The action itself is outstanding.
The forest shootout is one of the highlights, creating a sense of confusion and unpredictability that perfectly captures the chaos of modern warfare. Kaufman stages the action with clarity and intensity, allowing the audience to follow every movement while still feeling the panic of the situation. The gun work is excellent throughout, and Connor’s knife work leads to one particularly brutal moment that will have action fans cheering.
And then comes the finale.
As always with a William Kaufman movie, the final act goes big. Bullets fly, bodies drop, and the tension ramps up with every passing minute. The action is relentless, the stakes feel real, and the body count rises on both sides as Connor’s mission reaches its explosive conclusion. It’s gripping, intense, and exactly the kind of payoff you hope for after everything that comes before it.
Extraction meets The Expendables.
That comparison kept coming back to me throughout the film. It has the rescue-mission intensity and grounded brutality of Extraction, combined with the larger-than-life action personalities and military camaraderie that made The Expendables such a fan favourite.
Man of War is a dark and brutal action thriller that doesn’t pull any punches.
William Kaufman once again proves why he remains one of the strongest action directors working today, delivering intense firefights, memorable characters, a villain worth rooting against, and enough tactical action to satisfy even the most demanding genre fans. For action lovers, this is one mission worth taking.
Check out our interview with LaMonica Garrett, Daniel Bernhardt and William Kaufman HERE!
