The Contender (2000)

Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews

Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot.

The vice president is dead, and as the president makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival. When Senator Laine Hanson is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.

• Released: 2000-10-13
• Genres: Drama, Thriller
• Runtime: 2h 6m
• Status: Released
• TMDB rating: 6.7/10 from 274 votes

Directed by Rod Lurie.

Top cast

• Joan Allen as Laine Hanson
• Gary Oldman as Shelly Runyon
• Jeff Bridges as President Jackson Evans
• Christian Slater as Reginald Webster
• Sam Elliott as Kermit Newman
• William L. Petersen as Jack Hathaway
• Saul Rubinek as Jerry Tolliver
• Philip Baker Hall as Oscar Billings
• Robin Thomas as William Hanson
• Kathryn Morris as Paige Willomina

Full cast & crew

Where to watch The Contender

• United States: watch free on Kanopy, Hoopla, Fawesome, The Roku Channel, Fandango at Home Free, Pluto TV, Plex, Plex Channel, Tubi TV; rent on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home; buy on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
• United Kingdom: watch free on Pluto TV; rent on Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Google Play Movies, YouTube
• Canada: watch free on Hoopla, Tubi TV; rent on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
• Australia: watch free on Hoopla; rent on Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Google Play Movies, YouTube

Movies like The Contender

If you enjoyed The Contender, these movies have a similar feel:

• A House of Dynamite (2025)
• Max (2002)
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• The Parallax View (1974)
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