A 2011 action-thriller starring Jason Statham is coming to Netflix in October. Directed by Simon West and written by Richard Wenk and Lewis John Carlino, the film serves as a remake of a 1972 movie of the same name starring Charles Bronson.
Statham stars in the action flick as hitman Arthur Bishop, following the dangerous individual as he takes on an unpredictable new apprentice named Steve McKenna (Ben Foster). Also starring the late Donald Sutherland, the movie follows Arthur and Steve as they embark on a series of missions and soon find themselves in trouble after a job doesn’t go to plan. Clocking in at a brisk 93 minutes, The Mechanic‘s arrival on Netflix on October 1 (per Collider) makes it a must-watch for those looking for more classic Statham action.
Did You Know: Director Simon West also directed Statham in films like The Expendables 2 (2012) and Wild Card (2015).
For Fans Of…
- Action movies, especially those about assassins or other dangerous protagonists
- Jason Statham, Ben Foster, and Donald Sutherland
- 1972’s The Mechanic starring Charles Bronson
- Unpredictable narratives that wrap up in less than two hours
Why You Should Watch The Mechanic On Netflix
Jason Statham Commands The Screen
Statham has starred in countless action movies over the course of his decades-long career, and most recently appeared in The Beekeeper (2024). While it may be hard to keep the various action-oriented entries in his filmography straight, The Mechanic stands out because it plays to Statham’s strengths. Bishop is a serious man of few words, and it’s his physicality and abilities that make him an imposing and yet charismatic figure, something that Statham and the movie’s camera work expertly communicate.
To complement Statham’s own action-hero screen presence, The Mechanic‘s supporting cast members also get time to shine. Foster, in particular, is excellent as Steve, a character who serves as Bishop’s ally for much of the runtime, but who also has a darker and more chaotic energy than his teacher. Foster gives the character an unpredictability that makes his dynamic with Statham shine on-screen. Sutherland, too, as a legendary Hollywood actor, turns in a charming and yet venomous performance as Steve’s powerful father, Harry.
What Screen Rant has said about The Mechanic:
Much of it has somewhat of a 70s movie vibe. It’s shot mostly in a straightforward manner (up until a major action sequence towards the end of the film) without too much use of shaky-cam, jarring quick cut edits or any of that “cool” camera work. There is lots of action/violence (including an awesome hand to hand combat scene between Foster and a monstrously huge Jeff Chase) and from time to time there are some low-key but funny zingers of dialog in the film. – Vic Holtreman’s 2011 Screen Rant Review
How The Mechanic Compares To Other Recent Statham Films
The 2011 Movie Features Gritty, Street-Level Action
Statham has ventured recently into more far-fetched blockbuster fare with The Meg (2018), Meg 2: The Trench (2023), and Fast X (2023). The Mechanic, by comparison, is one of Statham’s more grounded movies and is more in line with The Beekeeper, which earned positive reviews and became a box office hit earlier this year. Though the film, as seen in the chart below, features a lackluster Rotten Tomatoes score of 53%, it succeeds in offering up plenty of street-level action, and presents a more coherent story than the critically-panned The Expendables 4 (2023).
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The Mechanic‘s Key Figures |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Metacritic Score |
Metacritic User Score |
Estimated Budget |
Worldwide Box Office |
|
53% |
51% |
49/100 |
6.1/10 |
$40 million |
$76 million |
5 Movies Like The Mechanic To Watch On Netflix
- Land of Bad (2024)
- The Killer (2023)
- Safe House (2015)
- The Expendables (2010)
- Kate (2021)
Source: Collider
