3414. The Contract (2006)

Starring: Morgan Freeman, John Cusack, Jamie Anderson

Director: Bruce Beresford

Running Time: 97 mins

The Contract is an American film about a father and son who, while out camping in the wilderness, encounter a mysterious man under arrest, and of whom they must take custody.

For a film with a premise that at first doesn’t seem to have the legs for a full 90 minutes, I was thoroughly impressed by The Contract. An engaging adventure story complete with captivating characters, charismatic performances and some great action, the film really delivers an enjoyable and intriguing watch from start to finish.

At first, the film does struggle to find its feet. The early stages are a fairly tenuous set-up for the story to come, and in the early minutes of John Cusack and his son escorting the villainous Morgan Freeman through the woods, there doesn’t seem to be much more to the film than that.

However, The Contact genuinely impresses as it regularly subverts the dynamic between the characters, with a stronger-than-usual ‘hero’ in Cusack, and a rather likable ‘villain’ in Freeman.

The leads work really well together, and you do end up supporting them as a bit of a rag-tag team of outlaws running for safety from all the threats that surround them, from natural obstacles to helicopters trying to gun them down.

Bolstered by a few good twists that make use of the ever-growing roster of characters involved, and The Contract impressively manages to craft a really great story out of thin air, proving not only an engaging watch right to the end of its final act, but also one that throws up a fair few exciting surprises too.

Counting on excellent performances across the board and a story that really does grow as it develops, The Contract is far more than the simple adventure story you might have expected at first, with good action, good twists and good characters. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 7.5 overall.