Freelance (2023) Movie Review

The best movie, directed by Pierre Morel known for action films like Taken, seems like his attempt to create something more serious. It's a mystery who the movie "Freelance" is for. Morel, often associated with action revenge flicks, appears to be trying to showcase a different side of his filmmaking skills, proving he's not just a one-trick pony.

Drawing parallels with how Taken revitalized Liam Neeson's career, it's understandable why John Cena, a professional wrestler turned actor, would take a chance on this project. However, the article suggests that the film's purpose is unclear, leaving the audience wondering about its target audience and direction.

In simpler terms, the movie's premise involves action and survival but appears to be aiming for something more serious than typical action films. The article questions who the movie is intended for and highlights the director's attempt to break away from his usual style. The comparison with Liam Neeson's career and John Cena's involvement adds context to the film's potential significance.

The movie, unfortunately, turns out to be a confusing disaster. Written by Jacob Lentz, it doesn't smoothly blend different styles, but rather jumps between them without any clear reason. It desperately tries to find its identity, making it hard for the audience to connect with the story. Initially, it seems like a funny action-comedy about a security agent in a jungle during a coup, but suddenly it shifts into a never-ending political drama, leaving you scratching your head.

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John Cena plays Mason Pettits, a former soldier now working a boring lawyer job. The story involves some strange family drama where he gives his daughter questionable advice on dealing with unwanted advances. This advice gets her in trouble at school, and his wife gets angry. Interestingly, when Mason takes a private security job despite his bad back, his wife gets furious for leaving. The family arguments make no sense, making you wonder how chaotic the political drama must be.

Directed by Pierre Morel, the movie fails to bring out the best in John Cena, turning what could have been a funny and action-packed performance into a confusing mess. The entire cast seems lost, attempting to make the audience laugh or connect, but it falls flat. Even the action scenes feel slow and unexciting, making the whole film feel like it's dragging on forever, despite being only 105 minutes.

Let me dive into a rather perplexing scene in the movie that signaled trouble ahead. Despite John Cena's usual action star prowess and humor, his talents seem lost under the direction of Pierre Morel. If the director himself is unsure about the movie's identity, it leaves little room for Cena to navigate and deliver a performance that hits the right notes. The entire cast struggles through the film, not exactly embarrassing themselves, but desperately trying to make the audience laugh or connect with each other. It's a challenging task, especially when the action scenes fall flat, making "Freelance" feel like it's unfolding in slow motion, even though it's not.

Moving on, the plot involves Mason, played by Cena, getting hired by his friend and contractor, Christian Slater, to protect a journalist named Claire Wellington, portrayed by Alison Brie. She's conducting an interview with the dictator of a made-up country, Juan Venegas, played by Juan Pablo Raba. This dictator is the one responsible for the incident that damaged Mason's back and took out his squad's chopper. The setting is dangerous, and it turns out the president is facing opposition from his people, with various mercenary factions attempting to assassinate him.

"Freelance" attempts to find humor in our early understanding that Juan Venegas is a good guy who cares for his people and probably wasn't responsible for what happened to Mason and his team. Strangely, the movie takes a bizarre turn, trying to become a romantic comedy when Claire makes advances toward the separated Mason. The issue is, the actors lack any chemistry, making these plot twists feel random, awkward, and pointless. Every aspect of the film seems to miss the mark, with each new scene and change in tone adding confusion about what this movie is really about. It feels like a never-ending slog that's hard to grasp.

Freelance Movie 

• Rating: 4.0

• Director: Pierre Morel

• Writer: Jacob Lentz