CIA agents Tom Harris (Gerard Butler) and Oliver Altman (Tom Rhys Harries), posing as fiber maintenance technicians from Siblixt, are on a mission to plant malware in an Iranian nuclear reactor. When they are spotted by patrolling soldiers, they quickly improvise, claiming to be working for the Iranian government to improve internet quality. The soldiers leave after Tom showing them a video of football match on his phone to prove that the internet is now faster.

After the destruction of nuclear facility, Tom leaves Iran to London to attend his daughter’s graduation. However, his transit flight in Dubai International Aiport is delayed. He receives a message from his handler Roman Chalmers (Travis Fimmel) asking him to accept a lucrative CIA mission to destroy another nuclear research facility in Herat, Afghanistan.

The Iranian government suspect foul play in the destruction of their nuclear facility, but they need proof. They arrest British journalist Luna Cujai (Nina Toussaint-White), believing she has obtained a file containing information about the CIA’s plans to sabotage Iran’s nuclear program. Fearing for her life, she revealed that she has discovered a link between the destruction of the facility and a Swiss contractor called Siblixt.

When a news story breaks exposing the CIA’s illegal black operations in the Middle East, including the sabotage of Iran’s top-secret nuclear reactor in Qom, Tom and Oliver’s fake identities are also exposed. Tom’s current mission is immediately aborted, and he has to find a way to the extraction point while being pursued by Iranian government agents. However, the government agents are not his only concern, as he is also being hunted by other parties who want to capture and sell him to the highest bidder.

The film’s structure looks promising, but the poor writing and execution just make everything worse.. The filmmaker attempts to provide backstory for nearly every supporting character, and they fill several scenes with uninspired musical choices. This is a feature film, not a television series, and there is no time for music videos!

The film’s plot relies on a number of implausibilities that require suspension of disbelief. For example, why would the CIA send two white men to plant a device in the middle of the desert near a secret nuclear reactor site? Why does the protagonist never attempt to hide or change his appearance? And how is the rescue mission so important that the CIA is willing to risk everything on him? I mean, WHO IS HE?

KANDAHAR was theatrically released in the United States on 26 May 2023 by Open Road Films.