The Contractor: 4K UHD Review
Arriving on 4K UHD and Blu-ray this week is director Tarik Saleh’s espionage-action-thriller The Contractor, starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs and Kiefer Sutherland. While we are only about half-way through 2022, The Contractor could be considered one of the biggest box office bombs of the year. Released in April, the film only managed to gross $2 million dollars on a $40+ million budget. Despite having a top notch cast and potential commercial appeal, there was almost non-existent marketing and the little buzz it did have was not good.
James Harper (Pine) is a decorated soldier who is involuntary discharged from the Army after using illegal steroids for his knee injury. This includes losing all military benefits, which will of course take a toll on his family. James’ wife Brianne (Jacobs) is worried about their financial situation. However, she is more worried that her husband may take a job that could be even more devastating to his family.
It turns out Brianne’s worries are justified. James accepts a private contracting job based on the recommendation of his friend Mike (Foster) and former army buddy. His new boss is Rusty (Sutherland), a seemingly trustworthy former soldier, that promises good money. Unfortunately, James’ first mission with Ben and the team goes bad and he soon learns that Rusty wasn’t someone he could trust. Now James is the one being hunted and the closer he gets to taking down the ones who betrayed him, the closer he gets to learning the truth about why.
The Contractor tries to make James Harper the new Jack Ryan or Jason Bourne, and while there was potential there for the character, the story doesn’t offer anything fresh. Even the action is dull and repetitive. Quality wise, I would put this one just above the last half-dozen Liam Neeson action-vehicles. Pine is perfectly cast and he does his best with the material he is given, but the actor isn’t given much to work with. Sutherland is also wasted here. Foster is an actor I have always loved, and he is given a few good moments here, I just wish the screenplay by J.P. Davis offered more than pieces of other, better films.
By: Marc Ferman