Contraband

Synopsis
A former smuggler from New Orleans faces ruthless drug lords, vicious criminals, corrupt officials, and trigger-happy hit men after getting back into the business to help his brother-in-law settle a deadly debt. When it came to transporting illicit goods under treacherous circumstances, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) used to be the best in the business. But all of that changed when he chose to give up his life of crime to start a family with Kate (Kate Beckinsale). Chris learns that leaving his past behind is easier said than done, however, after Kate's brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) goes to work for ferocious drug lord Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi), and drops the ball on a major deal. Now, in order to set things right, Chris must smuggle millions of dollars in counterfeit bills from Panama into the United States. And if anything goes wrong, Tim will target his entire family for death. With his best friend Sebastian (Ben Foster) by his side and a crackerjack crew along for the ride, Chris heads to Panama for one last job. Later, with time running out and a treacherous maze of desperate criminals to navigate, the job gets complicated, and Chris must race to reach his family before Tim gets to them first. Lukas Haas, Diego Luna, and J.K. Simmons co-star.

Reviews
"Wahlberg has a way of making lethal look neighborly and necessary, which he does here....Those qualities go a long way to keep CONTRABAND afloat." (Los Angeles Times)

3 stars out of 5 -- "This Americanized version of the 2008 Nordic thriller REJKJAVIK ROTTERDAM transfers the original's gritty, violent action into an entertaining and intense starring role for Mark Wahlberg..." (Box Office)

"[I]nvolving, atmospherically grungy....The camerawork remains alert and alive to the alarming events that punctuate the characters' lives with all-too-frequent regularity." (Hollywood Reporter)

"This is an uncommonly well-crafted action adventure..." (Wall Street Journal)

"[A]n obligingly tense, scruffy addition to the one-last-crime genre." (Movieline)

"[The] Mark Wahlberg smuggling drama CONTRABAND benefits from elegant simplicity." (A.V. Club)

3 stars out of 5 -- "Amid all the grain and grit, Ribisi's colourful villain is as splashy as any Pollack painting, and his unhinged, ratty turn adrenalises the picture." (Total Film)

"[A] watchably unpretentious yarn as unassuming as its blue-collar hero." (Sight and Sound)