Review

As part of distributors STX multi-million pound deal with Amazon Prime Video, or just Prime Video as they like to be now known, the Chris Pine actioner “The Contractor” hit the streaming platform in the UK on the 6 th May.

In his biggest gig to date director Tarik Saleh, he previously directed an episode of the TV series Westworld and Ray Donovan, has fashioned together and competent and generally enjoyable Jason Bourne type action adventure.

Chris Pine (Wonder Woman, Star Trek) plays James Harper a dedicated Navy Seal who is kicked out of the forces and stripped of his pension after a routine drug test show up illegal drugs in his system, drugs he is in fact taking for an old war wound.

Stuck for cash and having to provide for his family he’s convinced by his best pal and ex-soldier buddy Mike (Ben Foster) to take up a contractor’s job for a covert organisation run by the shady Rusty Jennings (Kiefer Sutherland). After Heading to Berlin the operation doesn’t quite go to plan leaving Harper to fight his way back to the US here he hopes to uncover the real truth about the mission.

“The Contractor” is pretty much a series of shootouts interspersed with some narrative that allows the story to move from one shootout to the next.

Pine’s on screen charisma helps to lift “The Contractor” above numerous similar type straight to digital action yarns. It might not be Jason Bourne but it’s never less the watchable. Recommended.

3/5


The Contractor

1h 43m

Director: Tarik Saleh
Cast: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, JD Pardo, Florian Munteanu, Kiefer Sutherland

UK Release: Prime Video 6th May 2022