WFG RATING: B+

Paramount Global Content Distribution presents a SP Media Group production. Directed by Kimani Ray Smith. Produced by Steven Paul. Written by Brian Buccelatto. Cinematography by Ryan Petey. Editing by Trevor Mirosh.

Stars Charlie Weber, Madison Bailey, Marie Avgeropoulos, Max Montesi, Rryla McIntosh, Luisa d’Oliveira, Jason Gray-Stanfield, Leah Gibson, and Jon Voight. 

Runtime: 100 minutes

An ex-CIA operative finds himself back in action in this film from the producer behind films like Tekken 2: Kazuya’s Revenge and The Expendables.

Peter Barrett was one of the best CIA operatives in the field. Having a loving relationship with fellow agent Elena, he had planned to retire as Elena was ready to give birth to their baby. When Peter’s adopted father Byrne gives Peter his last mission to take out a target, he is stunned to find Elena who informs Peter that they must keep him alive to stand trial after a long investigation. The target shoots Elena and she loses the baby. Peter and Elena split and he leaves the field.

Seventeen years have passed and Peter now spends his days painting and hanging at the local bar, where he befriends the owner and a homeless bum always wandering the area. However, a knock on the door changes his life forever. A young woman named Sophia shows up, claiming to be Elena’s daughter. When a group of CIA operatives show up, Peter defends himself and soon learns he is the target. New CIA head Piesacki is convinced Peter has some information detrimental to national security and sends not only a team to stop him, but a ruthless killer by the name of Ghost. 

From producer Steven Paul and director Kimani Ray Smith comes this action thriller that brings a familiar thread back in the form of “ex-operative back in action”. However, while this trend of action subgenre may sound like a tired old genre, give credit to Brian Buccellato’s script, which does bring a sense of freshness with the forms of our hero questioning whether the young woman who appears may be in fact the daughter he lost years ago and an assassin who looks to be clearly unhinged in a way not seen often. 

Charlie Weber holds up pretty well as Peter, the titular “painter” due to his post operative career. Clearly he plays a man who suffers from loss and in some ways, seeks redemption with the appearance of Sophia, played by Madison Bailey (who looks a little like Zendaya). Sophia comes in right off the bat and tells Peter she is Elena’s daughter, which leads Peter to believe he may actually be Sophia’s father. Their “relationship” is complicated when Peter unwittingly learns he has become a target to the new CIA, led by the ruthless Piesacki, played by a scene stealing Marie Avgeropoulos in one of her best roles yet. 

Jon Voight makes the most of his role as Byrne, Peter’s adopted dad and CIA vet who helps him in his most needed time. However, if there is a breakout in the film, it has to go to Max Montesi as the assassin Ghost. Montesi is clearly having fun with the role because aside from killing his targets, he sports a massive set of headphones and starts dancing to music and goes a bit over-the-top with mind games before dealing the death blow. 

Dan Rizzuto, a veteran of the stunt industry who was at one point WWE Studios’ go-to-guy for action, handles the action here and once again, he delivers some good action that is a highlight of the film. Weber engages in quite a few knife fights that look nearly as impressive as that of John Wick and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. There is also some pretty good gunplay in the film and a few close quarter combat scenes. The story also delves into a series of twists within the third act that sent me shockwaves as well. 

The Painter brings a little freshness to the “ex operative back in action” subgenre of action with some pretty satisfying action and a great lead in Charlie Weber with scene stealers Marie Avgeropoulos and Max Montesi along for the ride. 

The film will be released in select theaters on January 5 and on Digital on January 9.