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The Contractor 4K UHD Review

Chris Pine shines in the routine “The Contractor.”

Directed by Tarik Seleh, “The Contractor” revolves around Special Forces Sgt. James Harper who has been honorably discharged from service. Broke and in desperate need of providing for his wife and son, James gets hooked up with a high paying private military contract job by his friend and fellow soldier Mike. The National Security mission in Berlin allegedly concerns a bioterrorism threat, but the mission isn’t what it seems. Not only does the job go south, but James soon finds himself being betrayed and targeted for death. Stranded in Berlin, James has to unravel the truth about the mission while trying to find a way to get home.

“The Contractor” is a film with a lot of important concepts about post-service life, survival, trauma, mental health of soldiers, and service life’s effects on families, but ultimately, the J.P. Davis script ends up being a thriller that is as generic as its title. 

The story starts out promising enough with great pacing, an intriguing plot set-up and some intense action set pieces (the motorbike sequence in particular), but the script quickly runs out of ideas as it leads into the rushed, anticlimactic and all too tidy ending. It feels like something is missing in the story as it closes out in such a simplistic fashion. It’s a shame too because the makings of a good movie are present here. It just never quite pans out like one would help.

As underwhelming as the story may be, the cast certainly does not let the viewer down. Chris Pine and Ben Foster reunite and their chemistry shines through again. Foster’s screentime may be limited, but he makes the best of every moment. Pine, meanwhile, truly carries the movie on his back. He gives it everything he has and makes it watchable. Supporting performances by Gillian Jacobs, Kiefer Sutherland, and Eddie Marsan are also memorable. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. Grade: A-

Audio Track: 7.1 DTS-HD MA. Grade: A-

The lone extra is a Digital copy.

May 30, 2022 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Ben Foster, Chris Pine, The Contractor 4K UHD Review, Thriller Movie