The Mechanic

The Mechanic (1972) is a lean American action thriller directed by Michael Winner — watch it online on iFILM. Charles Bronson plays Arthur Bishop, a contract killer whose one professional obsession is craft: every target must die in a way that looks like an accident. No mess, no trail. He has grown rich and completely alone.

Pushing into middle age, Bishop takes on an apprentice — Steve McKenna, the son of one of his recent victims. Jan-Michael Vincent plays Steve as a fast learner, sharp enough to absorb every lesson Bishop teaches: surveillance, patience, the geometry of a clean hit. The training goes well. Too well. Bishop starts to wonder what Steve actually knows about his father's death — and whether the student is already calculating his own next job.

The film runs a tight 100 minutes and wastes nothing. It became the template for a whole line of cold-blooded hitman thrillers, and inspired a 2011 remake starring Jason Statham. Stream The Mechanic (1972) online on iFILM and see the original that started it all.