Kandahar(2023)

Plot Summary

• Tom Harris (Gerard Butler) is a free-lance undercover operative working under contract to the CIA to insert malware into an Iranian nuclear research facility. Tom's cover is a field technician for a Swiss communications contractor. His mission is successful, and the malware causes the facility to self-destruct.At the same time, the Iranian government has been monitoring a British journalist Luna Cujai (Nina Toussaint-White) in Iran. She receives evidence from a whistle blower of the CIA's ongoing sabotage of Iran's nuclear programs. After the facility is destroyed, she is arrested by an Iranian security agency. She tells the Iranians that she suspects a link between the facility's destruction and a Belgian contractor, because its contracts tend to be next to sensitive government sites. Tom is married, but his wife in London is asking for a divorce. Tom has a daughter Ida who is graduating school and is disappointed since Tom is never there in her life.Tom leaves Iran on route to London via Dubai. While in Dubai, his flight to London is delayed. During his extended layover he is texted by and visits his CIA handler, Roman Chalmers (Travis Fimmel). Roman claims to have delayed the flight to force this meeting. Tom accepts Roman's lucrative CIA contract for a job in Herat, Afghanistan, because it will pay enough to cover his daughter's medical university expenses. The job is to destroy Iran's entire nuclear program before they have the chance to build a bomb. The mission is to build a landing strip in Taybad (which is near the Afghan-Iran border), by entering Iran from the Afghan border city of Herat.After he arrives in Herat, due to an intelligence leak, the global news media names Tom as the operative responsible for the destruction of the nuclear facility. With his cover now blown, the mission in Herat is aborted. Roman directs Tom, and his Afghan-American translator (Mohammad "Mo" Doud (Navid Negahban)) to an extraction point in Kandahar. The flight for Kandahar leaves in 30 hours. Mo himself is an American, but had accepted the mission from Romain, to search for his wife's sister in Herat, who used to be a teacher in a school. But female professionals had no place under Taliban rule.The Iranian and Pakistani security services learn Tom is in Herat, and each send operatives to apprehend him, with Pakistan wanting to ransom Tom to the highest bidder.Tom and Mo are chased by the Iranians and a Pakistani ISI agent (Kahil Nassir (Ali Fazal) who has powerful members of the governing Taliban in his pay) in Herat. Kahil first takes the Iranians out of the game by planting explosives on their vehicles and blowing them up. Iranian agent Farzad Asadi (Bahador Foladi) survives, and it determined to avenge Iran. Kahil pursues Tom outside Herat with help from Afghan warlords, but they manage to escape into the desert.On route to Kandahar, the CIA tracks Tom's progress via satellite or high-altitude drones. Kahil is the main agent who is involved in arming the Afghan warlords against the Americans and the ISIS-K.Tom and Mo are attacked by an Iranian helicopter. Tom destroys the helicopter and kills its crew (which included Farzad), but Mo is hit by a bullet. Now on foot, Tom and Mo seek aid from Tom's friend who is an Afghan warlord not in league with the governing Taliban. Mo reveals to Tom and the warlord that the warlord killed Mo's son years ago. Despite angering the warlord, he provides Tom and Mo with a vehicle, and they depart the warlord's camp.Meanwhile, Roman stops communicating with the CIA and instead arrives in Afghanistan to join an ISIS-K unit. Tom and Mo are captured by a Taliban warlord who is in the pay of Kahil. Tom concludes his warlord friend sold him out.Roman and his ISIS K fighters attack the compound where Tom and Mo are held captive. The Taliban warlord is killed. Roman, Tom, and Mo escape by vehicle from the compound while the battle continues. Kahil arrives at the scene of the battle. He realizes the attackers are Afghan soldiers in the pay of the CIA, posing as ISIS K. Kahil organizes another Taliban unit to intercept Tom.As Tom, Roman, and Mo reach the extraction point, Kahil attacks their vehicle. Roman is mortally wounded and jumps from the vehicle to buy Tom and Mo time. Before dying, Roman severely wounds Kahil and recites the Shahada. The CIA has been continuing to observe Tom's progress. After Kahil's Taliban team intercepts Tom and Mo, it is apparent Tom and Mo will finally be captured.However, the CIA's director of the malware and Herat missions orders an unauthorized missile strike on the remaining Taliban pursuers. This enables Tom and Mo to escape on a British military cargo plane from Kandahar.Kahil apparently survives. The body of the leader of the Iranian team is returned to his Iranian widow. The British journalist is released. Tom is reunited with his daughter. Mo is reunited with his wife and son.

Storyline

• CIA operative Tom Harris succeeded in his Iran mission but later on got his identity exposed. Now the agent has to escape from Afghanistan. He is pursued by mercenaries, war lords and elite special forces of the enemy. Getting to Kandahar is the only chance for salvation. Here, either allied helicopters or a bullet with his name will be waiting for the hero. — Bazza the Beast