Frank Carden is a professional assassin hired to kill a reclusive billionaire. A car accident derails his plans and leaves him injured in the wilderness. Ray Keene, a widowed high school gym teacher and former cop, is hiking with his son Chris in the same area and comes across the wrecked car. After pulling him from the wreck, they realize who he is and decide to hand him over to the law, but Frank has an unfinished job he is determined to complete.

How it was made

Bruce Beresford directed from a screenplay by Stephen Katz, with Avi Lerner and Boaz Davidson producing for Millennium Films. Morgan Freeman and John Cusack lead the cast, alongside Alice Krige and Megan Dodds. Filming took place almost entirely in Bulgaria, where the central headquarters of DSK Bank served as one of the main sets, and the scenes on the large rock were shot at Zlatnite Mostove on Vitosha Mountain, near Sofia. Dante Spinotti handled cinematography and Normand Corbeil composed the score. Beresford discusses the production at length in his memoir.

Reception and legacy

Released direct to video in the United States and Europe, The Contract drew little critical notice despite its high-profile cast. Reviews were largely negative, and Rotten Tomatoes lists it at 0% based on six critics. Leonard Maltin gave it two stars. The available sources do not credit it with a notable influence on later suspense films, and its main interest lies in seeing Freeman and Cusack in a modestly scaled thriller.