Sabotage (2014 film)

Sabotage
Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	2014
Founder	David Ayer (director), David Ayer and Skip Woods (screenwriters)
Products	Action thriller film

Sabotage is a 2014 American action thriller film directed by David Ayer with a screenplay co-written by Ayer and Skip Woods. The story follows a DEA team led by Arnold Schwarzenegger whose members (Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway, and Mireille Enos) become targets after they steal money during a cartel bust.

The movie premiered in the United States on March 28, 2014, but failed to recoup its $35 million budget, earning only $22.1 million. Schwarzenegger's acting was noted positively; however, the film faced criticism mainly for its plot, script, and high levels of violence.

Plot

John "Breacher" Wharton commands the DEA's Special Operations Team (DEA SOT), which includes James "Monster" Murray, his wife Lizzy, Joe "Grinder" Philips, Julius "Sugar" Edmonds, Eddie "Neck" Jordan, Tom "Pyro" Roberts, Bryce "Tripod" McNeely, and "Smoke" Jennings.

During a raid on a cartel operation, Smoke is killed as the team seizes $10 million from a cash reserve. They conceal the money in the sewer system while destroying the remainder of the funds, effectively depriving the cartel of $190 million. When the stolen cash disappears, their superior Floyd Demel suspends them amid an investigation into the missing money, which coincides with an FBI cartel probe. After six months without any leads or admissions, the team is reinstated.

Pyro dies in an accident when his motorhome, being towed, is struck by a train. Atlanta Police homicide detective Caroline Brentwood and her partner Darius Jackson take on the investigation and question Pyro’s former teammates. Brentwood observes that Neck avoids interrogation; soon after, Breacher discovers Neck’s body disemboweled and nailed to the ceiling—a method associated with cartel executions—implying that someone is targeting them over the stolen cash.

When visiting Tripod—who had resigned from the DEA after suspension—they find him dead following a confrontation with a cartel hitman. Monster confides in Brentwood that Breacher’s family was abducted and killed by cartels; Breacher had spent months seeking vengeance before trying to move forward. Brentwood and Breacher develop a personal relationship.

Jackson tracks the cartel enforcer’s phone to a safe house; however, a raid reveals it empty. Later, enforcers are found drowned near Tripod’s residence, having been killed prior to Pyro and Neck. This pattern suggests someone is framing the cartel for these murders.

Breacher gathers the team again; Lizzy admits to having an affair with Sugar. Grinder confesses to Brentwood that they took the money. During a meeting with Grinder, Lizzy assassinates him with a sniper rifle—she and Sugar are responsible for killing their teammates. As Lizzy attempts to escape with Sugar, Monster destroys her passport; she retaliates by stabbing Monster to death.

Breacher and Brentwood discover Monster’s corpse stored in Lizzy’s refrigerator. Lizzy arranges another meeting but is ambushed; Brentwood assists Breacher during the confrontation. The pursuit ends when Sugar dies in a vehicle crash. Facing Lizzy, Breacher reveals he has hidden the stolen money; as she reaches for her weapon, he shoots her dead. He vanishes before law enforcement arrives.

Weeks later in Mexico, Breacher uses the stolen funds to bribe a corrupt official who helps him locate Brujo—the man responsible for murdering his family. He finds and kills Brujo along with his men. Injured but alive, Breacher waits for what comes next while enjoying whiskey and a cigar.

Production

Principal photography commenced on October 15, 2012, and concluded by December 13, 2012.

Marketing

An unrated red band trailer was released on February 7, 2014. Initially, the project was known under the titles Ten and Breacher.

To enhance promotional efforts, Schwarzenegger and Joe Manganiello made an appearance on the March 24, 2014 episode of WWE Raw, joining Hulk Hogan in the ring to publicize the movie.

Though early promotional materials indicated an April 11 release date, the film ultimately premiered on March 28, 2014.

Box office

Produced with a budget of $35 million, the film generated $5.3 million during its opening weekend, placing seventh at the box office and marking Schwarzenegger’s lowest debut in over three decades. By July 6, 2014, global earnings reached $17.5 million, including $10.5 million from domestic markets. The total worldwide gross eventually amounted to $22.1 million.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie holds a 21% approval rating based on 111 reviews, averaging a score of 4.31/10. The critical consensus reads: "Sabotage showcases one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s more compelling performances since his political career, but it is overwhelmed by unrelenting violence that lacks clear purpose." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average of 41 out of 100 from 31 critics, signifying "mixed or average reviews." Audience polling by CinemaScore assigned it a "B" grade.

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times commended the movie as a "brutal, bloody, dark and occasionally gruesomely humorous thriller," comparing it to a contemporary spaghetti Western. Jim Vejvoda from IGN awarded it seven out of ten stars, observing that it was more successful than its action-heavy trailers implied and emphasizing its mystery-thriller aspects that allowed Schwarzenegger and the cast to deliver performances beyond typical gunfight scenes.

Director David Ayer reflected on his experience in an IndieWire interview, describing Sabotage as a valuable learning process and expressing his preference for working with original screenplays. In an Esquire interview, he reiterated that the project offered important insights into filmmaking that continue to inform his work.

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