“Man of War” follows Connor, an elite American Special Forces veteran operating in Ukraine during Russia’s invasion. It becomes deeply personal when he must risk everything after his adopted daughter is kidnapped.
Backstory? “Man of War” doesn’t need it. The film opens abruptly, setting the central narrative into motion in rapid-fire fashion. It’s a classic “Taken” scenario — this time, set against a hyper-modern backdrop. This approach is risky, never establishing an emotional backbone for the audience to buy into outside of Connor’s “she’s all I got left” statement. In doing so, co-writer and director William Kaufman emphasizes the brutality and callous nature of the world these characters live in.
Another bold choice comes from the decision to set it during the Ukraine-Russia war. Ari Aster recently did something similar with 2025’s “Eddington,” which explored the COVID-19 pandemic through a fictional story. The difference is that Aster’s film was released several years after the pandemic ended. “Man of War” comes out at a time when the conflict is still ongoing.
While the term “exploitative” is heavy-handed, “Man of War” does teeter along the line of misuse. This is mainly because it features the atrocities almost like a subplot within the core rescue storyline. While it ultimately feels like an unnecessary attribute of an otherwise standard action thriller, it does at least serve some purpose. Connor enacts rage on whoever gets in his way, but there is an entire country of individuals suffering in the backdrop. This is the true emotional core of the movie. Had the subject been handled with less care, it could have been disastrous. Instead, it feels like Kaufman (who does take the side of the Ukrainians) is at least trying to make a statement, no matter how inaccessible it may be.
“I also had the chance to work with some incredible Ukrainian actors, all of them living in Bulgaria as refugees when we made the film,” Kaufman said. “Each of them carried a direct connection to the horrors of the war back home. More than once I heard some version of the same thing: ‘This isn’t acting for me. It’s sharing my story.’”
Visually speaking, “Man of War” has an unpolished look that serves a purpose. This proves distracting at times, but it also matches the war-torn nature of its setting. The overall aesthetic is bleak, mixing muted colors with overexposed footage. This isn’t always consistent, however, with the color grading shifting from vibrant to nearly black and white depending on the shot. This becomes especially noticeable in sequences of dialogue, as the back-and-forth cuts reveal imagery that doesn’t completely match. Director of photography Mark Rutledge often keeps the camera in close proximity to the actors. The action remains compact and visceral, also implementing subtle shaking that emulates ordinary movement.
The violence takes on many forms here. At times, it’s simplistic hand-to-hand combat with knives and guns. In others, characters are attempting to maneuver around explosions or race away from kamikaze drones. The film finds a balance between the two extremes, delivering consistently fast-paced choreography. Eventually transforming into full-blown gunfights, it’s impressive just how much “Man of War” is able to do with so little. As an indie production, it doesn’t have the budget of a Hollywood blockbuster. You aren’t able to tell throughout most of the 111-minute runtime because of the quality of the large-scale action on display.
LaMonica Garrett (Connor) stars as a quiet but intimidating lead. He may not deliver many words, but Garrett says plenty through his physical presence alone. Also appearing are Andrew Howard (Dany) and Linds Edwards (Bunny). Howard brings a tender persona to the screen, contrasting Garrett’s character with humanity. Edwards is the definition of comedic relief, making brief appearances to deliver one-liners that alleviate some of the tension. Jason Patric (Charlie), Daniel Bernhardt (Koniev) and Rosmary Yaneva (Riley) also appear in supporting roles.
“Man of War” is guns ablaze from start to finish. Your ears may be ringing from the constant bullets, which drown out the deeper meaning within.
Rating: 3 out of 5
