The Contract

Seeking a way to slow the ache of a family tragedy, a former lawman and his young son head into the forest for a quiet hiking retreat. Their plan to disconnect is overshadowed by a chance encounter with a dangerous contract killer. As they move deeper into the trees, the pair must stay alert, improvise with limited gear, and outmaneuver a predator who knows the terrain. The woods become a pressure chamber where trust is tested, and every decision could put them in greater peril. The tension builds through close quarters, stealthy pursuit, and a dogged fight for survival.

Directed by Bruce Beresford, The Contract released in 2006 with writing credits Katz and Darrouzet. The production budget was 25 million and cast includes Morgan Freeman as Frank Carden, John Cusack as Ray, Alice Krige as Miles.

Critics were mixed, praising the performances of Freeman and Cusack while flagging uneven pacing and tonal shifts. The film probes memory, duty, and moral ambiguity under pressure, using a survival framework to test how a family copes when danger closes in.