The Contractor

Don't call James Harper a mercenary. He's an Army Ranger—or was, 'til they kicked him out for all the painkillers in his blood. Ironic, given that he needed ...

Is it true that all people will go to see in theaters are superhero movies and other familiar IP? If that's the case, my suspicion is that films like “The ...

This all means that the cast has to do a lot of heavy lifting to get this bare-bones film to two stars, which they do. It’s easy to think about the last time Pine & Foster starred in a drama that hinged on the lie of the American Dream. If “Hell or High Water” was the Western version of that concept, this is the Tom Clancy-inspired one. It all feels like set-up, getting people ready for a series of a film franchise, but so narratively thin on its own that you could recount the plot in like 15 words or less. As Mike says, “We’re all just mercenaries in the end,” giving the opening act of “The Contractor” some weighty dramatic material that the rest of the film doesn’t fulfill. Is it true that all people will go to see in theaters are superhero movies and other familiar IP? If that’s the case, my suspicion is that films like “The Contractor” will become commonplace on streaming services. The success of shows like “Yellowstone” and “Bosch” means people will probably be drawn to an action movie that not only recalls the time that star Chris Pine played Jack Ryan but reunites the stars of “Hell or High Water.” Sadly, the promise of “The Contractor” fizzles after an intriguing set-up as the script feels beneath most of the people involved.

Excited to see Chris Pine in The Contractor? This handy guide explains how you can watch the movie, whether it's on streaming, and more.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014): This 2014 action flick follows Jack Ryan, a young lieutenant embedded in the US Marine Corps, who travels to Russia for work but ends up uncovering a dangerous terrorist plot to crash the U. S. economy. The best part of the trailer is how quickly things go awry for James and this throws us into the high-speed chases and fight scenes we love to see in action thrillers. Hell or High Water received four Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. You can stream Hell or High Water on Netflix. You can also buy it from Apple iTunes or Google Play Movies. The main cast is also not new to the action scene. 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. The Contractor is currently in limited theaters in the United States and is expected to be coming to Paramount Plus and Showtime later in the year. James’ wife, (Gillian Jacob) is hesitant, but James insists that he needs to be able to take care of his family and accepts the job. The producers behind The Contractor are no strangers to action thrillers. From the producers of John Wick and Sicario, comes another action thriller to keep you at the edge of your seat. We’re then thrown into James’ new world when the army kicks him out with no pension and no healthcare. James turns to a black ops operation for some quick cash but when the operation goes south, he soon finds himself on the run, fighting to stay alive. The 2:34-minute trailer kicks off at a family dinner where we get an insight into James and Mike’s (Ben Foster) relationship.

What happens to our fine young actors as they reach middle age? They get to play more characters who spend whole movies looking anxious and ...

His James, graying around the temples, undone with worry over his family, carries extra layers of gravity that we didn’t see in Steve Trevor in the Wonder Woman films, or Captain Kirk in the J. J. Abrams Star Trek franchise. His old friend and former superior, Mike (Ben Foster, reuniting with his co-star from 2016’s superb Hell or High Water), has a much nicer house than Jack does, as well as the means to take good care of a son with special needs. But The Contractor follows a long, proud tradition of films that are critical of the military without being anti-soldier. Before long, he’s headed to Berlin, where he’s met by new colleagues including a tough cookie named Katia (played by the marvelous German actor Nina Hoss, in a way-too-small role). And for a brief stretch late in the film, the fine English actor Eddie Marsan shows up as the keeper of a safe house, a cozy repository of books, record albums, and rough wooden furniture, which in future centuries might be viewed as archaeological evidence of a man living on his own in forced solitude, building the best life for himself that he can. It’s an honorable discharge, but the higher-ups have stripped him of his pension and insurance benefits. That’s the realm Chris Pine has entered with The Contractor, directed by Tarik Saleh and written by J. P. Davis. Pine plays Army Ranger James Harper, a medical sergeant dismissed from duty when the painkillers he’s forced to take for an old injury show up in a drug test.

The action thriller The Contractor stars Chris Pine, and fans of the star, as well as the genre, are most certainly eager to learn if they can watch it on ...

The Contractor is available in theaters and on-demand starting April 1, 2020. The lack of sought-after endeavors is never an ideal situation. On a covert mission overseas, enemies are everywhere, trying to kill him as he attempts to make his way back home.

"The Contractor" represents the third movie that actors Chris Pine and Ben Foster have made together.

Pine has to work through his guilt over taking a private military gig, and he and Foster definitely have some stuff to work out before the movie's over. Whether you're looking for news and entertainment, thinking of joining the military or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. "The Contractor" represents the third movie that actors Chris Pine and Ben Foster have made together.

Directed by Tarik Saleh. Starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Florian Munteanu, and Kiefer Sutherland. The-Contractor-1-600x901.

As the only remotely prominent female presence here, it’s a shame that Gillian Jacobs is meanwhile given so little to do as the typical suffering wife; she doesn’t want James doing contract work, and that’s about the extent of her character. It all builds up to a rushed-yet-predictable final plot twist and fitfully entertaining shoot ’em up showdown, albeit one that paints in corners we’ve all spent far too long looking at within the genre. Sergeant James Harper (Chris Pine) is honourably discharged from the U. S. Special Forces after failing a drug test.

The stars of "The Contractor" discuss their onscreen history fighting Russian villains.

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