(Credit: Souvik Bajeree)

Imagine this: a lone man stranded in a land where everyone wants him dead. He is racing against time, hunted by enemies at every turn, and somewhere in the middle of it all, there is the threat of his secrets getting uncovered. Well, that’s Kandahar for you. A Netflix action thriller that wastes no time throwing you into the fire.

And if it has been a while since you watched an intriguing action thriller, this is your sign. The 2023 film, directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Gerard Butler, is suddenly climbing the Netflix US charts, ranking at number two. It is reminding everyone that sometimes all you want is a high-stakes, edge-of-your-seat story that does not let you breathe until the end.

Kandahar follows undercover CIA operative Tom Harris (played by Butler), who finds himself exposed deep inside hostile territory. When his mission is compromised, he has one goal left: to escape. But of course, nothing is ever that simple. Also, he is not alone. He needs to escape with his Afghan translator.

What makes it worse is that he has to make his way through 400 miles of treacherous desert while being pursued by special forces and mercenaries. Every corner is a death trap, and every moment is borrowed time. The film is not just about action. Instead, it makes you feel what it’s like to survive when everything’s working against you.

Back in 2023, Kandhar had a modest run in theatres. The question is, why is it suddenly breaking into the Netflix Top 10 in the US? Part of the answer is timing. Audiences are always hungry for a good action thriller, and Netflix’s catalogue does not always offer fresh stories in this genre. Kandahar fills that gap. Apart from being fast-paced and tense, this film is rooted in geopolitical drama that feels quite close to reality.

Another reason it’s finding new life is the audience shift. Movies like Kandahar may not always explode at the box office, but streaming is a different game. On Netflix, word of mouth travels fast. A few people click play out of curiosity, then suddenly the film is trending. The next thing you know, everyone wants to see what the buzz is about.

So yes, Kandahar might not have been the loudest blockbuster when it first released, but Netflix has given it a second wind. And right now, it is proof that sometimes the best streaming hits aren’t brand-new releases. They are films that find the right audience at the right time.

If you have been craving a thriller that is less about flashy stunts and more about survival under impossible odds, Kandahar is the one to watch. It is the kind of movie that makes you clutch your blanket a little tighter while thinking, “What would I do if it were me out there?”