The Contractor (2022)

The Contractor starts off with an interesting, uncomfortable scene focusing on a prayer in a church for "those who wield the sword to protect us". It's purposefully misjointed, seeking solace and peace for acts of war. From there the film shows us its characters, former military, not treated well by their institutions, setting up a private contracting agency to commit military actions for private customers. The entire thing feels off. I can see why audiences struggled with this as we don't want to see our set up this way. It's off-putting.  Soldiers are supposed to be heroes. God is supposed to be love. The military is supposed to act for the greater good (how else do we justify the horrors) and not for money. The Contractor shoves all this in our faces. 

There is even a small moment where Pine is remembering his childhood, just a glimpse or him being indoctrinated in a militaristic culture. None of it feels good. I can see why this would turn off general audiences. 

Then as we follow their mission it is often uncomfortable. We aren't sure they are acting as the good-guys. No surprise it turns out they aren't on the right side. And the film then becomes a can-they-get-revenge-on-the-guys-who-used-them story.  This unfortunately is less interesting but it remains standard Hollywood action story entertainment. 

For me the whole deconstruction of the private military system story was more engaging. While I ended up enjoying it enough throughout, and the cast is good, it ends up feeling a bit more standard than it could have been. There was potential here that wasn't acted on. Still, for what it is it manages to be watchable. 

The Contractor

Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, JD Pardo, Kiefer Sutherland

Director: Tarik Saleh

Writer: JP Davis