The Mechanic 2011

The curtain opens on Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham), a suave and calculated operative, as he emerges from his private jet and makes his way through a labyrinthine mansion, flanked by an imposing escort. As he shed his formal attire for a sleek swimsuit, the serene atmosphere of his poolside retreat is shattered by a jarring discovery: the lifeless body of its former occupant. The assassin’s eyes then turn to more pressing matters as he dispatches his guard and slips away into the night, disappearing into the shadows like a ghost.

Back at his lair, Bishop reunites with Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), a wise and experienced mentor figure who has been a guiding force in his life. Their meeting is marked by a sense of nostalgia and camaraderie as they discuss old times and new endeavors. However, their warm rapport is short-lived, as Bishop soon discovers that his latest contract is to take out the very man he had just paid his respects to – Harry McKenna. A phone call with his employer confirms the chilling news, and Bishop sets out to track down Dean (Tony Goldwyn), the one who issued the fatal order.

The plot thickens as Bishop learns of a botched mission in South Africa, where several agents from his organization met their demise. It becomes clear that only two individuals possessed knowledge of the ill-fated operation: Dean and Harry McKenna. The revelation sparks a chain reaction of events, culminating in Bishop’s reluctant decision to take out Harry, staging it as a seemingly random carjacking.

As the dust settles on this grim affair, Bishop pays his respects at Harry’s grave, where he is confronted by the grieving son, Steve McKenna (Ben Foster). This chance encounter sets off a chain reaction of events, as Bishop becomes fixated on the young man’s raw potential and decides to mold him into a worthy protégé – codename “Mechanic.” To facilitate this training, Bishop adopts a feisty chihuahua and instructs Steve to take the pup on daily excursions to a local coffee shop.

As Steve settles into his new routine, Bishop accelerates his mentorship by embarking on a high-stakes contract that serves as a crash course in the art of assassination. With calculated precision, Bishop dispatches his target with a belt, staging the scene to resemble an auto-erotic asphyxiation accident. He then takes Steve under his wing, revealing the intricate planning and execution that went into this meticulously crafted kill.

As Bishop delivers a shocking revelation to Steve, he reveals that he too has a contract of his own - one that centers around Burke (Jeff Chase), a mechanic who has a penchant for young men and small dogs. This information proves crucial as Steve learns that Burke frequents the same coffee shop where he’s been spending time. The stage is set for an intriguing cat-and-mouse game, with Bishop instructing Steve to exploit Burke’s weaknesses by slipping him a large dose of Rohypnol, which would induce an overdose. However, Steve defies orders and instead chooses to follow Burke back to his apartment, where the situation quickly turns deadly. As Burke begins to undress, Steve attempts to strangle him with a belt, a move he had observed Bishop perform earlier. The ensuing struggle proves grueling, but ultimately ends in Burke’s demise.

This development doesn’t go unnoticed, as Dean later expresses his disapproval of Bishop’s use of Steve for the Burke contract. Bishop retorts that he was given this assignment through Harry, rather than Dean, which only serves to further inflame their disagreement. As a result, Dean informs Bishop that he’s walking a tightrope.

Bishop is subsequently handed a new mission - one that requires him and Steve to take out Andrew Vaughn (John McConnell), the charismatic leader of a cult-like church. The plan involves injecting Vaughn with adrenaline to simulate a heart attack, which would then be exacerbated by the paramedics’ administration of a fatal second dose. As Bishop and Steve lie in wait, hidden in the walls of Vaughn’s hotel room, they’re thwarted by the arrival of a doctor who sets up an IV of ketamine. Recognizing that their initial plan is now compromised, they improvise and quickly suffocate Vaughn.

Their cover blown, Bishop and Steve are forced to engage in a shoot-out with Vaughn’s guards as the building is evacuated. As the chaos dies down, Bishop decides it would be best if they flew home separately, bringing an end to this latest chapter in their deadly game of cat and mouse.

As Bishop arrives at the airport, a disconcerting revelation greets him: one of the supposed casualties from Harry’s allegedly compromised South African mission is alive and well. The encounter with this individual serves as a catalyst for Bishop to reexamine his actions and uncover the truth about Harry’s demise. It becomes clear that Dean, Bishop’s boss, had masterminded the botched mission to conceal his own nefarious dealings, which ultimately led to Harry’s downfall.

Bishop’s quest for clarity is interrupted by an ambush at the airport, but he manages to dispatch his assailants and procure one of their phones. The device reveals Dean’s involvement in the hit, prompting Bishop to spring into action. He hastens home, only to find Steve, his supposed ally, beset by a group of attackers. Bishop instructs Steve to claim a hidden firearm, which the latter uses to eliminate his adversaries.

Upon arriving at the scene, Bishop finds Steve waiting for further instructions. Together, they begin to prepare for their next move, with Bishop focusing on tracking down Dean while Steve gathers supplies and equipment. In the midst of this preparation, Steve discovers his father’s gun, leading him to realize that it was actually Bishop who had killed him, not carjackers.

Following a joint effort to take down Dean, they decide to stop at a gas station en route. As they approach, Bishop notices Harry’s firearm nestled in Steve’s jacket, indicating that Steve has uncovered the truth about his father’s demise. Steve exits the vehicle to refuel and surreptitiously adjusts the nozzle to pour gasoline on the ground rather than into the tank.

Meanwhile, Bishop remains in the truck, unaware of Steve’s intentions. With Harry’s gun still clutched in hand, Steve takes aim and blows up Bishop’s vehicle and the gas station. As Steve returns to the house, he plays a record on the turntable before venturing out to the garage to claim Bishop’s prized vintage 1966 Jaguar E-Type coupe.

As Steve drives away, he notices a note on the seat of the car, bearing the ominous message: “Steve, if you’re reading this then you’re dead!” The eerie warning seems prophetic, as moments later, the vehicle explodes, claiming Steve’s life. Concurrently, the record player at Bishop’s house finishes its cycle, triggering a tripwire that causes the residence to explode.

In a surprising twist, security footage from the gas station reveals that Bishop managed to escape his truck mere seconds before it was destroyed, narrowly avoiding death. Fleeing in another vehicle he had stationed by the beach, Bishop drives off into the unknown, leaving destruction and chaos in his wake.