The Contractor movie review

MOVIE TITLE: The Contractor

This Chris Pine thriller is currently in theaters and can now be streamed.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 43 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

Chris Pine stars in the action thriller as Special Forces Sergeant James Harper, who is involuntarily discharged from the Army and cut off from his pension. In debt, out of options, and desperate to provide for his family, Harper contracts with a private underground ex-military force. When the very first assignment goes awry, the elite soldier finds himself hunted and on the run, caught in a dangerous conspiracy and fighting to stay alive long enough to get home and uncover the true motives of those who betrayed him.

THINGS I LIKED:

I love Chris Pine, so the movie poster and American flag had me. He and Ben Foster have great chemistry together.
I was a huge fan of the popular TV show 24 with Keifer Sutherland. It’s always good to see him. The music we hear on his character’s ranch in the movie is his own music from his real country band!
Filming was done in Bucharest in 2019.
The film is very understated without huge action sequences or car chases.
If you enjoy Jason Bourne movies, you might enjoy this one.
I have loved ones in the military, so the plight of the unappreciated ex-military hit home for me.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Way too many other movies have this same title.
Critics gave this film a low 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences enjoyed it at 72%.
There are flashback scenes that might not make sense to the viewer until the end.
It’s somewhat of a slow burn, especially in the beginning.
It’s pretty predictable.
How can trained killers be such bad shots? Scenes where assassins keep missing their target with fancy guns always make me roll my eyes.
Ultimately, there is nothing here we haven’t already seen before. Even still, I enjoyed it.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: