The Bricklayer has completed Aaron Eckhart’s gradual transformation into an action star – and it’s a beautiful thing to behold. Eckhart first came to attention for his work in director Neil LaBute’s dark comedies like In the Company of Men, but it was his incredible supporting turn in Erin Brockovich that marked his breakout role. He’s rarely been offscreen since, with easily his best-known role being the tragic Harvey Dent/Two-Face in 2008’s The Dark Knight.

This is the kind of movie that should have led to bigger leading roles for Eckhart, but none of his follow-ups quite clicked. 2024’s The Bricklayer cast Eckhart as a retired CIA agent turned jazz-loving bricklayer, who is called into action to chase down a former friend turned terrorist. Eckhart’s The Bricklayer only received 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, but the star received great notices for the film, proving to be both a convincing action lead and bringing genuine depth to a familiar story.

The Bricklayer Continues Aaron Eckhart’s Action Reinvention

Eckhart has been on a run of action roles since 2019’s Line of Duty

The rise of straight-to-streaming action movies saw major names like Nicolas Cage or Sylvester Stallone fronting projects of often debatable quality. Still, these types of films can be a lucrative endeavor, since name actors can get well paid for only a few days’ work. The Bricklayer adapts the 2010 novel of the same name and was once planned as a theatrical outing with Gerard Butler, but it eventually fell into Eckhart’s hands. This has proven to be a good thing, as The Bricklayer is both a surprise success and completes Eckhart’s steady transformation into an action star.

Beginning in earnest with 2019’s Line of Duty, Eckhart has been fronting a streak of action thrillers. In contrast to names like Stallone or John Travolta, whose names might appear above the title but who only really play supporting roles, Eckhart is front and center in these STV films. Having an actor of Eckhart’s ability leading low-budget action fare like Ambush or Muzzle can’t help but make them feel a little classier. The star never phones his performances in either, and commits to the physical side of things too.

The Bricklayer made several changes to the book, including pumping up the number of fights. Several of these sequences are shot using long takes with complicated fight choreography. He’s not quite up to Keanu Reeves’ level in the John Wick movies, but Eckhart still does a great job. In much the same way Liam Neeson had a rebirth as an action star in his fifties following Taken, the success of The Bricklayer might do the same for Eckhart.

How Aaron Eckhart’s Career Has Changed Since The Dark Knight

Eckhart deserved better material after playing Harvey Dent

The Dark Knight boasted some incredible performances by Heath Ledger and Gary Oldman, with Eckhart also being rated highly for his turn as Dent/Two-Face. Sadly, it feels like movie studios didn’t quite know how to position Eckhart as a leading man, while most of his follow-ups proved underwhelming critically and commercially. Love Happens was a tepid, soon forgotten romantic drama with Jennifer Aniston, while 2011’s Battle: Los Angeles was a modest success that nevertheless did little for Eckhart’s career.

He made one last bid as a blockbuster leading man with I, Frankenstein, a gothic action flick in a similar vein to Underworld. However, that film just about recouped its production budget, while Eckhart largely settled into co-lead roles in movies like Olympus Has Fallen or Clint Eastwood’s Sully afterward. Projects like The Bricklayer have now found Eckhart in a new lane, while reminding everyone of just how good he can be.

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Eckhart’s Upcoming Movies Will Keep Him In The Action Genre

Chief of Station practically looks like a Bricklayer sequel

Following The Bricklayer becoming a streaming hit, Eckhart has no less than three more action films on the horizon. Eckhart’s next film is Chief of Station, where his ex-CIA agent must avenge his wife’s mysterious death. The trailer for this Jesse V. Johnson-directed effort reveals a film that is tonally aligned with The Bricklayer while boasting a supporting cast that includes Olga Kurylenko and Alex Pettyfer. Chief of Station is set to arrive on May 3rd, 2024.

Beyond that, Eckhart fronts another CIA-focused thriller called Classified and will also reunite with The Bricklayer director Renny Harlin for a disaster flick called Deep Water. This finds Eckhart’s pilot forced to make an emergency landing in shark-infested waters, with said sharks then swimming around to feast on the survivors. Neither Deep Water (no relation to the Ben Affleck/Ana de Armas thriller of the same name) nor Classified have release dates at present. Aaron Eckhart’s upcoming slate at least confirms he’ll be sticking with action for the time being, while a Bricklayer sequel isn’t out of the question either.

The Bricklayer

Based on the novel by Paul Lindsay, The Bricklayer is an action thriller by director Renny Harlin that was released in 2024. Aaron Eckhart stars as former CIA agent Steve Vail, who returns to the line of duty when a former agent turns rogue. With their backs against the wall and the threat of agents being burned, Steve is reluctantly brought back into the field to protect the country from his former colleague’s dangerous actions.

Director

Renny Harlin

Release Date

January 5, 2024

Studio(s)

Millennium Media , Eclectic Pictures

Cast

Aaron Eckhart , Nina Dobrev , Tim Blake Nelson , Ilfenesh Hadera , Clifton Collins Jr.

Runtime

110 Minutes