Slaughter Day

The Mechanic is a 1972 American action thriller film directed by Michael Winner and written by Lewis John Carlino. It stars Charles Bronson, in his second collaboration with Winner, and Jan-Michael Vincent in the leading roles. The supporting cast features Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland and Frank de Kova. The story follows Arthur Bishop (Bronson), a top assassin who takes under his wing Steve McKenna (Vincent), the ruthless and ambitious son of Harry McKenna (Wynn), the former head of the secret organization for which Bishop works. It is noted for its opening, which features no dialogue for the first 16 minutes, as Bronson's character prepares to kill his current target. The title refers to a euphemism for hitmen. Upon its release, the film received generally mixed reviews from critics, with praise for the action scenes, acting, and cinematography, but criticism towards Winner's direction and the storytelling. A remake of the same name was released in 2011 to similarly mixed reception.