The Contractor (2022): A Tense Thriller About Loyalty, Survival, and the Cost of Duty
The Contractor (2022), directed by Tarik Saleh and starring Chris Pine, is a slow-burning action thriller that explores the uncertain lives of modern soldiers after they leave the military. Beneath its gunfights and espionage beats lies a grounded story about betrayal, moral conflict, and the systemic failures that leave veterans vulnerable when they’re no longer in uniform.
Chris Pine plays James Harper, a decorated Special Forces sergeant who is involuntarily discharged from the U.S. Army after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs—medication he was taking to treat injuries sustained during his service. Suddenly cut off from income and healthcare, Harper finds himself at a crossroads: a highly trained soldier with nowhere to go and a family to support.
Desperate for work and a sense of purpose, he joins a private military contracting organization led by an old comrade, Rusty (played by Kiefer Sutherland). The job seems straightforward: go overseas, do a quick mission off the books, and get paid well. But once Harper and his team arrive in Berlin, things spiral out of control. The mission goes wrong, and Harper is left wounded, hunted, and betrayed by the very people who promised him security. What follows is a gritty and suspenseful journey of survival as Harper attempts to unravel the truth while being pursued by those he once trusted.
While the setup may feel familiar, The Contractor distinguishes itself with a restrained tone and emotional focus. The film is less concerned with non-stop action and more with the psychological toll of a soldier’s disillusionment. Chris Pine brings depth to Harper, portraying a man who is not a typical action hero but a loyal soldier pushed into the margins. His internal struggle—between duty, integrity, and the need to provide for his family—is the heart of the film.
The action, when it comes, is brutal and efficient. Gunfights are tense and grounded, filmed with a sense of realism rather than spectacle. There’s a lingering sense of paranoia throughout, echoing political thrillers of the early 2000s. The cinematography, with its cold blues and muted grays, enhances the atmosphere of uncertainty and isolation. Supporting performances from Ben Foster (as Mike, Harper’s best friend) and Gillian Jacobs (as Harper’s wife) help humanize the narrative, emphasizing the emotional stakes beyond the battlefield.
What makes The Contractor particularly compelling is its critique of the systems that fail those who serve. Harper is not hunted because he did anything wrong—but because he trusted a system that exploited his skills and then discarded him. In many ways, the film is a commentary on privatized warfare, the lack of care for veterans, and the murky ethics of modern military operations.
In conclusion, The Contractor is a tense, character-driven thriller that mixes action with social commentary. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it offers a timely, emotionally grounded take on the cost of loyalty and the struggle of soldiers forced to fight their own battles after the war ends. For those seeking an intelligent, slower-paced thriller with heart and grit, The Contractor delivers.
