Jack Ryan: Ghost War review – Nothing more than a bland TV movie

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A star rating of 2 out of 5.

Jack Ryan, the relatable action hero created by Tom Clancy and portrayed by John Krasinski, returns in a new movie. It’s been three years since the character was reimagined in the fourth season of the Prime Video series.

While he doesn’t quite reach the level of iconic Jack Ryan portrayals by Alec Baldwin or Harrison Ford, John Krasinski’s natural charisma helped the show’s revival succeed more than previous attempts with Ben Affleck or Chris Pine.

It’s disappointing that Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War – quite a long title! – feels flat and uninspired. This is especially surprising considering John Krasinski and Noah Oppenheim (who wrote the excellent thriller A House of Dynamite) created the story. Krasinski has shown his talent as a writer and director with the suspenseful films A Quiet Place and its sequel, making this lackluster spy adventure even more unexpected.

The story starts with Ryan, a former CIA analyst, jogging in New York City when he’s unexpectedly stopped by his old boss, James Greer, and coworker, Mike November. In typical movie fashion, Greer doesn’t just call—he stages a dramatic encounter, complete with operatives in dark SUVs, forcing Ryan to evade them through a restaurant kitchen.

I thought Ryan had finally left that world behind, settling into a normal life. He even admitted he wasn’t sure he was suited for all the secrecy and moral ambiguity. But it wasn’t long before he was pulled back in, and this time it’s serious. There’s a shadowy black ops team operating off the books, born out of the post-9/11 climate, and their leader, Liam Crown – played by Max Beesley – is terrifying. He seems to know everything about the people he’s after, and he’s clearly driven by a deep, personal vendetta.

Soon after, Krasinski finds himself in London working with Emma Marlowe (Sienna Miller), a skilled MI6 agent, as they navigate a web of deceit and betrayal.

As explosions happen and people are killed, Marlowe declares that no one is trustworthy. However, the standout performance in the film is by Miller. Though she doesn’t usually do action roles, she excels at everything – from handling guns and riding motorcycles to convincingly speaking Arabic.

The script might have been stronger with a different director, but Andrew Bernstein appears limited in what he could do with it. While he’s an experienced television director – known for shows like Ozark, Fear the Walking Dead, and the upcoming It: Welcome to Derry – he’s also familiar with this series, having directed three previous episodes.

Despite its exotic locations, this film never rises above the level of a made-for-TV movie. The sweeping views of Dubai and the action scenes in London, even with landmarks like the Gherkin, feel more like postcard images than integral parts of the story.

It’s occasionally funny to see action unfold in everyday places, like outside a store or near a London bus. However, most of the fight scenes feel very similar to the stealth-based video game series, Splinter Cell. Beyond a brief, upbeat moment with Belinda Carlisle’s song ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’ and a trip to RAF Abingdon, the movie doesn’t offer much in the way of excitement or positivity.

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Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Ghost War is released on Prime Video Wednesday on 20 May 2026.

Authors

James Mottram

James Mottram is a London-based film critic, journalist, and author.

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2026-05-18 11:37