The Contractor (2022 film)

James Harper (Chris Pine), a decorated serviceman is involuntarily discharged from the United States Army Special Forces due to his use of illegal steroids to treat a knee injury that will keep him active. Facing financial ruin, he contacts his friend Mike (Ben Foster) who works with a private military company alongside under the command of a fellow veteran Rusty Jennings (Kiefer Sutherland).

Harper is being headhunted by a number of military contracting companies with lucrative offers but still feels a sense of duty to his country. Mike tells him that Rusty runs clandestine operations for the Department of Defense. Harper agrees to meet Rusty after seeing Mike's opulent house. After the meeting Harper signs on with Rusty and the team for an operation in Germany. As a sign of good faith Rusty gives Harper's family $50,000 to help clear their debts.

Harper spends most of his tour surveilling a middle eastern scientist called Salim (Fares Fares). After analysing the data Rusty informs the team that Salim is working for ISIS and developing a bio-agent. He tells the team they have been given permission to invade Salims laboratory and retrieve all of his scientific data and then dispose of Salim. The team easily accesses the lab and acquires the data, Mike orders Harper to finish Salim who protests his innocence to Harper (explaining that he is just a scientist working on a cure). Harper follows orders and then departs after setting the lab on fire. As the 3 man team return to their exfil van they encounter the police and after a prolonged shoot-out, during which the remaining team members have been killed, Harper rescues a wounded Mike and they hide in a nearby sewage drain.

Mike, believing he is about to die, begs Harper to look after his family and get the data to Rusty. Harper provides a blood transfusion and saves Mike's life. After recuperating, Mike is ready to return to Rusty and the main team but Harper's knee has given out on him and needs to rest up. Mike proceeds alone but informs Harper he will be picked up after he rests up.

Harper manages to make it to the agreed hotel and finds fresh clothes but no sign of Mike or Rusty. He tries to treat his injured knee and then gets a burner phone and makes contact with Rusty. Rusty informs him there is a car waiting to exfiltrate him to safety but Harper senses all is not as it seems. As he delays going to the car, a hit team emerges and they shoot at Harper forcing him to flee. Harper evades capture and manages to kill the hit team who are revealed to be a team of former marines working for Rusty and who have been sent to kill Harper. Before dying one of the marines gives Harper intel on a safe house but advises him that he can never return home.

Harper visits Salim's family and has Salim's wife drive him to obtain an iPad with information on his work from a safety deposit box. Salim's wife provides information which allows Harper to unlock the iPad. Harper leaves and calls the contact information for the safe house. After Harper meets Virgil he is tranquilized and awakes in the safe house. Virgil explains that Harper's knee was infected but has now been treated but that Harper cannot return to his family. Harper plays a video on the iPad in which Salim, speaking to his son, explains that he was indeed an innocent scientist and had no affiliation with ISIS but he was working on a cure that was worth a lot of money to pharmaceutical companies. Over dinner, another fire team from Rusty attack and kill Virgil. Harper escapes, setting off a booby trap for Rusty's team.

Harper takes his hidden passport and returns to the US. He tracks down Mike, who explains that Rusty also lied to him and told him Harper had died. Rusty has provided for Harper's family and Mike advises Harper to disappear. Harper protests and wins his old friend over and they set-up a plan to get revenge on Rusty.

Mike gets Harper into Rusty's compound and they surprise Rusty's guards. Harper manages to take out Rusty but not before Mike is mortally wounded. The film finishes with Harper destroying evidence and reaching out to his family after walking away from Mike's burning truck.

• Chris Pine as Special Forces Sergeant James Harper
  • Toby Dixon as young James Harper
• Ben Foster as Mike
• Gillian Jacobs as Brianne Harper
• Eddie Marsan as Virgil
• Kiefer Sutherland as Rusty Jennings
• J. D. Pardo as Eric
• Florian Munteanu[6] as Kauffman
• Nina Hoss as Katia
• Amira Casar as Sylvia
• Fares Fares as Salim Mohamed Mohsin
• Sander Thomas as Jack Harper

The project was announced in May 2019 with Chris Pine set to star.[7][8][9]

In October, Ben Foster and Gillian Jacobs were cast as well. The filming started in October 2019 in the United States, and will be filmed in Europe later in the year. The film is produced by Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee from Thunder Road Films with Esther Hornstein co-producing. Executive producers includes 30WEST's Dan Friedkin, Micah Green and Dan Steinman, along with Pine, Jonathan Fuhrman, Tom Lassally and Josh Bratman.[10] In November 2019, filming in Romania started for around 8 weeks.[11] In December 2019, Eddie Marsan, Nina Hoss, Amira Casar, Fares Fares and J. D. Pardo has joined the film. The filming wrapped by the end of 2019.[12]

On November 10, 2021, it was reported that the title of the movie has been changed from Violence of Action to The Contractor.

Alex Belcher has composed the film score. Sony Classical has released the soundtrack.

In February 2021, STXfilms acquired distribution rights to the film.[13] The movie was originally scheduled for release on December 10, 2021, but the release was delayed to March 18, 2022,[14] and then to April 1, 2022.[15] In February 2022, it was announced Paramount Pictures and Showtime acquired distribution rights to the film. Paramount will release the film in a simultaneous limited theatrical and premium video-on demand release, with the film coming to Paramount+ and Showtime later in the year.[16] The rights for the film were put in bankruptcy on March 22, 2022 with Migration, LLC now owning all worldwide rights to the film excluding United States. The film debuted on Prime Video in select countries on the same day as the U.S. premiere.

• The Contractor at IMDb