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The Contractor (2022 film)

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The Contractor
A man in a tactical vest stands in front of an American flag
Official release poster
Directed byTarik Saleh
Written byJ.P. Davis
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyPierre Aïm
Edited byTheis Schmidt
Music byAlex Belcher[1]
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • April 1, 2022 (2022-04-01)
Running time
103 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$2.1 million[3]

The Contractor is a 2022 American action thriller film directed by Tarik Saleh in his English-language debut and written by J. P. Davis. The film stars Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, J. D. Pardo, Florian Munteanu, and Kiefer Sutherland. It follows James Harper, a discharged U.S. Special Forces sergeant who joins a private military organization and soon finds himself on the run after being betrayed during a covert mission.

Principal photography began in Europe in October 2019, with additional scenes shot in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The film was released theatrically and via video-on-demand in the United States on April 1, 2022, by Paramount Pictures and STXfilms. It received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office, grossing approximately $2.1 million worldwide.

Plot

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Sergeant First Class James Harper, a decorated Special Forces soldier, is involuntarily discharged from the army after testing positive for steroids used to manage a chronic knee injury. Struggling financially and desperate to provide for his family, Harper reconnects with his friend Mike, who recruits him into a private military company led by former soldier Rusty Jennings. Harper agrees to join a covert operation in Berlin after being assured the mission is backed by the U.S. government.

Harper is tasked with surveilling Salim, a Middle Eastern scientist believed to be developing a biological weapon for Al-Qaeda. When given the order to eliminate Salim and retrieve his research, Harper complies, despite Salim’s insistence that his work is focused on developing a cure. After the mission turns violent and German authorities intervene, Harper and a wounded Mike escape and hide in a storm drain. Harper performs a life-saving blood transfusion before Mike leaves with the recovered data.

While recovering alone in a hotel, Harper receives word from Rusty that Mike never made it to the rendezvous point. Sensing betrayal, Harper evades an ambush by operatives sent to kill him. He discovers they were former Marines working under Rusty's command, and one warns him that he can never return home. Seeking answers, Harper visits Salim’s widow and obtains an iPad containing a video in which Salim confirms his research was intended to provide a free H5N1 vaccine.

Harper is later taken to a safe house by an ally named Virgil, but the location is attacked by Rusty’s men. Virgil is killed, and Harper narrowly escapes. Returning to the United States, Harper confronts Mike, who reveals that he too was deceived by Rusty and believed Harper was dead. The two reunite and devise a plan for revenge.

They infiltrate Rusty's compound, where Mike launches a distraction while Harper eliminates Rusty. Mike is fatally wounded in the process, and Harper cremates his body in a final act of respect. With Rusty dead, Harper is finally able to return to his family.

Cast

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Production

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The project was initially announced in May 2019 under the title Violence of Action, with Chris Pine attached to star.[4][5][6] In October 2019, Ben Foster and Gillian Jacobs joined the cast. Principal photography began the same month in the United States, with additional filming taking place in Germany and Romania later that year.

The film is produced by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee of Thunder Road Films, with Esther Hornstein serving as co-producer. Executive producers include Dan Friedkin, Micah Green, and Dan Steinman of 30West, alongside Chris Pine, Jonathan Fuhrman, Tom Lassally, and Josh Bratman.[7] By December 2019, the cast had expanded to include Eddie Marsan, Nina Hoss, Amira Casar, Fares Fares, and J. D. Pardo. Filming wrapped by the end of 2019 following an eight-week shoot in Romania.[8][9]

In November 2021, the film's title was officially changed to The Contractor.[10] The musical score was composed by Alex Belcher and released by Sony Classical.

Release

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In February 2021, STXfilms acquired U.S. distribution rights to The Contractor, which was initially titled Violence of Action.[11] The film was originally scheduled for release on December 10, 2021, but the release was delayed to March 18, 2022, and then to April 1, 2022.[10][12] In February 2022, it was announced that Paramount Pictures and Showtime had acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film from STX. Paramount released the film in a simultaneous limited theatrical and premium video-on-demand release on April 1, 2022, with the film coming to Paramount+ and Showtime later in the year.[13]

The film debuted on Prime Video in select international territories as an Amazon Original.

In March 2022, the rights for the film were put into bankruptcy proceedings, with Migration, LLC acquiring all worldwide rights to the film excluding the United States.

The Contractor was subsequently released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 7, 2022.[11]

Reception

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Box office

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In the United States and Canada, The Contractor was released on April 1, 2022, alongside Morbius. The film was projected to earn under $1 million during its opening weekend from 489 theaters.[14] It debuted with $560,678 over its first three days, finishing twelfth at the domestic box office.[15] In its second weekend, it grossed an additional $140,193.[16]

Critical response

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The Contractor received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 44% based on 88 reviews, with an average rating of 5.5/10. The site's consensus reads: "The Contractor is caught between message movie and standard-issue action thriller, satisfying neither aim despite strong work from a talented cast."[17] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 52 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[18]

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com criticized the film for its lack of engaging action sequences and a thin plot, stating that it "feels like set-up" for a potential franchise rather than a standalone narrative.[19] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times noted that while the film transforms into a taut thriller in its latter half, it suffers from underdeveloped dialogue and character dynamics.[4]

John Nugent of Empire described the film as "a by-the-numbers thriller" that, despite a strong performance from Chris Pine, fails to rise above genre clichés.[9] Common Sense Media highlighted the film's exploration of themes like loyalty and betrayal but pointed out that its slow pacing and limited action might not appeal to all viewers.[5]

Conversely, Catherine Springer of We Live Entertainment acknowledged that the film misses opportunities to delve deeper into its premise but praised Pine's performance for adding depth to the narrative.[7] Variety commended the film's attempt to address the struggles of veterans, though it noted that the execution lacked the necessary tension and originality to fully engage audiences.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Alex Belcher Scoring Tarik Saleh's The Contractor". Film Music Reporter. February 21, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  2. ^ "The Contractor". British Board of Film Classification.
  3. ^ "The Contractor (2022)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  4. ^ a b McNary, Dave (May 11, 2019). "Chris Pine to Star in Black Ops Thriller 'Violence of Action'". Variety.
  5. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 10, 2019). "Chris Pine Joins Thunder Road & 30WEST's 'Violence Of Action'". Deadline Hollywood.
  6. ^ a b Keegan, Rebecca (May 14, 2019). "Cannes Diary: It's Time to Roll Out the Red Carpet, But Does Anyone Still Care?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (October 10, 2019). "Ben Foster & Gillian Jacobs Join Chris Pine In Thunder Road & 30WEST Black Ops Action-Thriller 'Violence Of Action". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  8. ^ Blaga, Iulia (November 6, 2019). "Violence of Action Starring Ben Foster and Chris Pine to Be Shot in Romania'". Film New Europe Association. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Kay, Jeremy (December 10, 2019). "Eddie Marsan, Germany's Nina Hoss join thriller 'Violence Of Action' (exclusive)". Screen International. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (November 10, 2021). "STXfilms Pushes Back Dates For Drama 'National Champions' And Thriller 'Violence Of Action'; Latter Film Starring Chris Pine & Ben Foster Gets New Title". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Hipes, Patrick (February 18, 2021). "'Violence Of Action' Starring Chris Pine Lands U.S. Deal At STXfilms". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  12. ^ "STX Sets 2022 Release For Horror Movie 'Bed Rest', Moves Guy Ritchie's 'Operation Fortune' & 'The Contractor'". Deadline Hollywood. December 16, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  13. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 16, 2022). "STXfilms Sells Chris Pine & Ben Foster Reteam 'The Contractor' To Showtime". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  14. ^ Robbins, Shawn (March 30, 2022). "Weekend Box Office Forecast: Morbius". Boxoffice Pro. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  15. ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 13". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
  16. ^ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 14". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  17. ^ "The Contractor (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  18. ^ "The Contractor Reviews". Metacritic (m). Red Ventures. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  19. ^ "The Contractor movie review & film summary (2022) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2025-05-04.
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