Critics are torn on Man of War.

Directed by William Kaufman, the action thriller hit VOD on July 3 and follows former Navy SEAL Connor as he sets out to rescue an aid worker during the early days of the war in Ukraine. LaMonica Garrett takes on the lead role in the film after previously starring in Taylor Sheridan projects like 1883 and Lioness.

Following the film’s digital release, reviews for Man of War are now available online, and opinions are all over the map. The Action Elite hails the film as “One of the best action movies of the year” and awards it a score of 4.5 out of 5. Similarly, Action-Flix awards a perfect 5 out of 5, calling it “exactly what action fans should be looking for.”

Other reviews are more middling. For CineMovie, Lupe R. Haas awards Man of War a B- score, acknowledging that the film moves quickly but suffers from “uneven visual effects and confusing editing.” The review from The Last Thing I See is also a B-. The site celebrates the film’s more grounded storytelling and “concise tactical action,” while docking points for the film’s lack of thematic depth and its one-note protagonist.

For others, Man of War‘s action is less impressive. Writing for Cinemalogue, Todd Jorgenson writes that the film features no “meaningful sociopolitical intrigue to accompany its boilerplate confrontations,” leaving the entire experience feeling underwhelming. MidWest Film Journal critic Nick Rogers awards the film a 2.5 out of 5, writing that the film is “unrelenting” and “unpretentious,” but that it is too long and suffers from Garrett’s lack of acting range.

As a straight-to-VOD release, there will be no box office results through which to judge Man of War‘s success. Garrett’s involvement could draw eyes, as he has been a regular in the genre for years now. Not only has he starred in multiple Sheridan projects, but he’s also appeared in action series like Terminal List and Terminal List: Dark Wolf.

The upcoming premiere of Lioness season 3 on August 2 could also give the film a boost. Garrett is set to return as Tucker in a series regular capacity, fleshing out the show’s core team of shadowy special operators.

The rest of Man of War‘s cast doesn’t feature any big names. Andrew Howard, Linds Edwards, Rosmary Yaneva, and Jason Patric also feature in the film, with Daniel Bernhardt playing the central villain. Bernhardt may be familiar to viewers for his roles in the John Wick franchise, including in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025), as well as for starring in a standout episode of HBO’s Barry.

It remains to be seen whether Man of War will mark the start of a new action movie career for Garrett, but the mixed response suggests word-of-mouth on the film may only be strong in more niche action fan circles. In any case, the movie is now available to rent or purchase on major platforms like Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.