Repo Men is a 2010 American science fiction action film directed by Miguel Sapochnik and starring Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Liev Schreiber, and Alice Braga. The film is based on the 2009 novel The Repossession Mambo by Eric Garcia, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
Plot Set in a dystopian future where a powerful corporation known as "The Union" manufactures and sells expensive, state-of-the-art artificial organs, or "artiforgs." These life-saving or life-enhancing devices are available on credit, but if a recipient fails to make their payments, The Union dispatches highly skilled and ruthless "repo men" to forcefully repossess the organs. This often involves a brutal procedure that leaves the debtor dead.
Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker) are two of The Union's most effective repo men, known for their cold efficiency in reclaiming organs. Remy, however, begins to question his profession after suffering a debilitating injury on a job, which necessitates him receiving an artificial heart from The Union. When he is unable to keep up with the payments for his new artiforg, Remy finds himself on the other side of the system, becoming a target for his former colleagues and the very organization he served. On the run, he forms an alliance with Beth (Alice Braga), another debtor with a collection of failing artiforgs, as they seek to expose The Union's corrupt practices and find a way to escape their grim fate.
Cast
- Jude Law as Remy
- Forest Whitaker as Jake Freivald
- Liev Schreiber as Frank Mercer
- Alice Braga as Beth
- Carice van Houten as Carol
- Chandler Canterbury as Peter
- RZA as T-Bone
- Yvette Nicole Brown as Rhodesia
- John Leguizamo as Asbury
- Liza Lapira as Brandy
Production The film's concept is directly adapted from Eric Garcia's novel The Repossession Mambo, published in 2009. Garcia co-wrote the screenplay with Garrett Lerner. The production aimed to create a grimy, futuristic aesthetic, blending elements of science fiction, action, and neo-noir. Principal photography took place in Toronto, Canada.
Reception Repo Men received generally mixed to negative reviews from critics. While some critics praised its premise, action sequences, and the performances of Law and Whitaker, many criticized its plot execution, dark and often gruesome tone, and perceived lack of emotional depth. The film performed moderately at the box office.