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 (perCollider) makes it a must-watch for those looking for more classic Statham action.
Did You Know: Director Simon West also directed Statham in films likeThe Expendables 2(2012) andWild Card(2015).
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 inThe Beekeeper(2024). While it may be hard to keep the various action-oriented entries in his filmography straight,The Mechanicstands 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 complementStatham’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.
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WhatScreen Ranthas said aboutThe 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 2011Screen RantReview
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 withThe Meg(2018),Meg 2: The Trench(2023), andFast X(2023).The Mechanic, by comparison, is one of Statham’s more grounded movies and is more in line withThe 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 lacklusterRotten Tomatoesscore of 53%, it succeeds in offering up plenty of street-level action, and presents a more coherent story than the critically-pannedThe Expendables 4(2023).
53%
51%
49/100
6.1/10
$40 million
$76 million
The Mechanic
Cast
The Mechanic follows Arthur Bishop, an elite assassin known for his precise methods and emotional detachment. After his mentor Harry McKenna is killed, Bishop forms a deadly partnership with Harry’s son, who seeks vengeance and mastery of the assassin’s trade.
