WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for The Contractor, in theaters now.
In The Contractor, Chris Pine’s James Harper is an ex-Green Beret struggling to make ends meet after moving back to his small town. He’s saddled with debt, and unfortunately, after being forced into an “honorable discharge” due to drug intake for his bad knees, he lost his pension and benefits. As a result, James needed quick cash to take care of his family, resulting in him signing up with his former colleague and best friend Mike (Ben Foster) for a private contracting gig.
However, while on a black ops mission in Berlin, James realized the people in charge had ulterior motives, including their new boss Rusty (Kiefer Sutherland), who was harboring dark secrets of his own. And the whole situation culminated in a heartbreaking finale that saw a major sacrifice allow James to get back to his loved ones.
What Happened to James and Mike in The Contractor?
After killing a supposed bioterrorist, Salim, Mike and James stole his laptop containing intel on a virus. Mike then went on ahead for extraction, while James stayed behind to rest up. However, the extractors betrayed and tried to kill James, confirming he was set up and that Mike was likely murdered after the laptop was attained. Eventually, James staved off assassination attempts and used a fake passport to get home, only to discover Mike alive at home with his family.
James eventually cornered Mike, and he confessed he thought James was killed because of Rusty’s report. After an emotional argument about how they were used as mindless assassins, James confessed he had info proving Salim was making a vaccine, not a virus. In fact, Rusty’s employers were planning to release the virus and make money off Salim’s vaccine. That meant James only had one choice if he wanted to go back to his family without Rusty coming to silence him.
What Happened to Rusty’s Operation in The Contractor?
Later that night, Mike drove up to Rusty’s farm to fake a business meeting, but the confrontation led to a massive firefight, with Mike and James, who was hidden in the jeep trunk, opening fire on their former allies. But it didn’t end well for Mike because Rusty was able to hit him out a couple of times. James then broke into Rusty’s cabin and found him bleeding out from his own wounds. But rather than grant him an honorable death, James shot him in rage and tried to save Mike. Unfortunately, Mike died on the drive back, leaving James to burn the vehicle and remove the evidence while promising Mike he would tell his family about the hero he was.
Did James Reunite With His Family in The Contractor?
James was hesitant to go back home, but he couldn’t abandon his family as his father did to him. In the earlier exchange with Mike, it was revealed James’ dad was a soldier suffering from PTSD and depression, which caused him to leave everything behind. James wasn’t sure if he killed himself, died or started a new family, so the teen just buried his dad’s belongings in the backyard and held a pretend funeral.
Over the years, a scarred James kept seeing other soldiers take their lives, often wondering if he would end up like his dad. His wife, Brianne, was also scared of potential tragedy, and he had to prove to her and their son, Jack, he would always be there. But the final moments of The Contractor showed him calling out to them outside their new home, which they got after Rusty paid them off when James “died.” The credits then begin rolling as Jack sees his father again, reaffirming James went back because he needed them to get through his battles.
See how James returns home in The Contractor, now in select theaters and on VOD.
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