Contract Killers

I was not familiar with this 2008 action thriller titled "Contract Killers" from director Justin Rhodes prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2025. And with it being a movie that I hadn't already seen, of course I had to check it out.

Writers Ric Moxley and Justin Rhodes put together an interesting enough script and storyline, provided you enjoy these cloak-and-dagger type of movies.

Of the entire cast ensemble, then I was only familiar with actor Nick Mancuso. The acting performances in "Contract Killers" were good, and leading actress Frida Farrell was adequately cast for the role.

There is a fair amount of action scenes and sequences in the movie, which were adequately brought to the screen.

While "Contract Killers" is a watchable and enjoyable enough movie, it is hardly one that you return to watch a second time, as the storyline just doesn't seem to have the layers and contents to support more than a single viewing.

My rating of director Justin Rhodes's 2008 movie "Contract Killers" lands on a five out of ten stars.

When I saw this movie, I thought to myself 'wow, this movie sucked. Why don't I write a review to let people know not to see it?'. And so I am. The beginning of the movie sets the mood for the rest of the movie: confusing. That's basically the only word I can use to describe it. I'm not going to write any spoilers, so I'll keep it simple. This action/conspiracy (or whatever you want to call it) movie is a combination of scenes having little to do with each other. Justin Rhodes adds some implausible romance to the movie to make it more enjoyable, but fails miserably. Maybe it'd be more pragmatic if it was between lovers, but I was thrown off by the lunacy of a captor-captive relationship. This, coupled with other blatant impossibilities, produced a movie that was unbearable. I really hope you choose something else for your one and a half hour movie time slot. Try Stand By Me, although it's in a different genre.

I ordinarily comment about movies I like. This is an exception. Frida looks the part of of a hardened, stealthy assassin. Nevertheless, a weak script, disjointed segments and sloppy direction supplant her latent talent and place it under a thinly veiled insult to her ability.

By no means a Robert Ludlum thriller, the film is merely an inept reprise of the Bourne trilogy. Tougher, smarter and much more gutsy, Jason rarely used a firearm to execute his agenda, but that is Frida's only counter to the loosely conceived threats she faces. Her unwitting English accomplice bears little resemblance to Jason's love interests.

Always the bad guys, the C.I.A. hierarchy and subordinates lack the sophistication we have come to know in the film media. Easily duped, they are outwitted at every turn, and their "assets" are more like liabilities. Humanizing them weakens their ability to pose a serious threat to Frida as she unravels a truly ludicrous scheme that would effectively undermine the economy of the world.

The fights, the car chases, the helicopter intervention (why didn't the asset just shoot it down?) and the predictable climax made a dismal excuse for an action thriller. I hope Frida's paycheck compensates her for the what is truly a stab at her credibility as an actor.

Surprisingly enough this film had a solid plot even though it has been done thousands of times before. The film keeps you invested throughout its entirety and has the energy of suspense/intrigue. The action sequences were well thought out and done in a real sense rather than CGI or special effected. The film has a Bourne theme to it with the female lead. Although there are real no known actors in the film it is carried rather well with the cast.

If your film savvy lies in interest of spy films with black ops and secrecy involved and betrayal than this film will be right in your wheel house. I myself enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Julian Cane is SO right. After all, what you think of the quality of a movie has NO value at all unless it is bought or watched in the cinema. If you download the movie it magically turns into a horrible, horrible film that is completely different from a 'legal' version of the same film.

I'm not promoting movie piracy here, but stating that a reviewer's opinions of the movie are invalid simply because he or she watched it by some other means than BUYING it is ridiculous. Perhaps the movie's horrible performance has something to do with the intelligence of its producers.