The Bricklayer review: Aaron Eckhart impresses in bland action thriller

The Bricklayer hit screens on January 5, 2024, and became the talk of the town with its engaging storyline. The action-thriller features Aaron Eckhart as the titular character and revolves around the events that unfold when the CIA takes his help to neutralize a Greece-based rogue informant.

The cast includes Nina Dobrev as Kate, Clifton Collins Jr as Radek, Tim Blake Nelson as O’Malley, and Ilfenesh Hadera as Tye. The Bricklayer is directed by Renny Harlin, who rose to fame with A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master and Die Hard 2. Jeffrey Greenstein, Yariv Lerner, Jonathan Yunger, Heidi Jo Markel, and Robert Van Norden are its producers.

The Bricklayer had the potential to be a riveting tale about patriotism and friendship but it ended up being a generic action thriller.

The Bricklayer review: Shoddy screenplay dilutes the film’s impact

Slick fight sequences and well-fleshed-out characters are the hallmarks of an engaging action thriller. Unfortunately, The Bricklayer fails to deliver on both fronts.

The film begins with an intense sequence in which a mysterious character murders a journalist after sharing some confidential documents with her.

The focus soon shifts to Vail/The Bricklayer, an ex-CIA agent with a dark past. In an intense sequence, his superiors inform him about Radek, his friend-turned-foe, being responsible for the journalist's death. Additionally, they ask him to help them stop the rogue informant.

Vail initially refuses to get involved but changes his mind after a visit from a ‘friend’. He soon lands in Greece with Kate to track down Radek. Viewers also learn that he considers Tye, the station chief, to be an ‘old friend’.

These events set the stage for a captivating cat-and-mouse game between Vail and Radek.

The Bricklayer hit screens on January 5, 2024. (Image via Vertical)

However, the half-baked screenplay fails to do justice to these subplots. The track about Radek’s tragic past had the potential to be the film’s backbone but this never happens.

The makers rush through his transformation from a family man to a rogue agent, which makes it difficult for the audience to empathize with his downfall.

Similarly, Vail’s complex relationship with Tye could have added another layer to the film but the writers make no effort to explore their past. This dilutes the impact of a twist towards the end.

However, the track with Kate and Vail is the film’s biggest missed opportunity. There is a strong chemistry between Eckhart and Dobev but the characters are one-dimensional, which makes the emotional scenes feel forced.

Unfortunately, the film’s problems don’t end here. The action scenes lack the intensity and spontaneity that fans have come to expect from the genre over the years.

Eckhart tries to salvage The Bricklayer with his restrained yet intense performance. He uses his eyes to convey the character's anger and disgust in a scene where he confronts an old acquaintance.

Dobev holds her own against him, especially in the action scenes. She also transitions between brave and vulnerable with relative ease, a hallmark of a good performer

Collins Jr makes his presence felt despite the limited scope. His unnerving dialogue gels with his character’s violent actions. However, he needed more screen time to bring Radek to life on the big screen.

Meanwhile, Hadera and Nelson don’t make much of an impact as they are underutilized.

The editing too is a letdown as several scenes, especially the opening fight sequence, are too stretched. Similarly, the background score feels too generic at points, which dilutes the impact of the onscreen action.

To sum up, the film had an exciting premise but needed better world-building and a tighter screenplay to reach its potential.

---

The Bricklayer was released in theaters on January 5, 2024.