Plot
Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), an ex-CIA agent turned international criminal, acquires a file from renegade MI6 agent Alec Wade (Liam Cunningham). Attacked by the mercenary Vargas (Fares Fares), he enters an American consulate and is moved to a CIA safe house in Cape Town, South Africa.
The "housekeeper" is Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), a low-level agent. He watches Frost's interrogation and waterboarding by Daniel Kiefer (Robert Patrick). When Vargas and his men attack the house, he executes Kiefer, and Weston escapes with Frost captive. Weston contacts his mentor, David Barlow (Brendan Gleeson), at CIA headquarters. Catherine Linklater (Vera Farmiga), another CIA operative, intercepts the call and orders Weston to lay low and call back later.
Weston hides with Frost and calls his girlfriend Ana Moreau (Nora Arnezeder), telling her to leave the house. Linklater later tells Weston to go to Cape Town Stadium to retrieve a GPS device with the location of a nearby safe house. He retrieves the GPS at the stadium, but Frost creates a diversion and escapes by disguising himself as a policeman. Weston, detained by the police, escapes but can't catch Frost.
Weston is ordered to visit the nearest American embassy for debriefing. Instead he meets with Ana, where he reveals that he is a CIA agent and sends her away for her safety. He then locates the house of Frost's contact, Carlos Villar (Rubén Blades), where Frost is attacked by Vargas and his team, but escapes with Weston's help. They learn that Vargas is actually working for the CIA, which is seeking to retrieve the files Frost received from Wade. It is revealed that the files contain detailed information of corrupt activities by many intelligence agencies, including the CIA itself, and that Weston's own superiors may be implicated. Frost is taken to the new safe house by Weston, where Weston is attacked by the housekeeper, Keller (Joel Kinnaman). After much struggle, Weston kills Keller but is badly wounded in their fight. Frost leaves Weston who then passes out from the wounds sustained fighting Keller. Meanwhile, Linklater has arrived in South Africa with Barlow to discover who leaked the location of the first safe house, but is shot and killed by Barlow, who goes to the safe house and reveals that he is Vargas' employer. He confirms that the file contains incriminating evidence against him, and encourages Weston to lie about what has happened. Frost returns to rescue Weston by killing Vargas and his men but is shot by Barlow. Weston, outraged, then shoots Barlow in the chest, killing him. Frost gives Weston the file and tells him he is better than Frost before he dies from his injuries.
Back in the U.S., Weston meets with CIA Deputy Director Harlan Whitford (Sam Shepard), who informs Weston that unflattering facts about the CIA must be removed from his report, but that he will be promoted. He asks Weston about the file's location but Weston denies having been told about it by Frost. Whitford states that whoever has those files will have many enemies. Weston leaves, then leaks the files to the Internet, incriminating personnel from many intelligence agencies, including Whitford.
Later on, Weston sees Ana across a street in Paris, France. She reads a note passed to her from him, looks up at Weston, and they both make eye contact before he disappears around a corner.
Cast
Denzel Washington as Tobin Frost
Ryan Reynolds as Matt Weston
Vera Farmiga as Catherine Linklater
Brendan Gleeson as David Barlow
Sam Shepard as Harlan Whitford
Rubén Blades as Carlos Villar
Nora Arnezeder as Ana Moreau
Robert Patrick as Daniel Kiefer
Liam Cunningham as Alec Wade
Joel Kinnaman as Keller
Fares Fares as Vargas
Sebastian Roché as Heissler
Jake McLaughlin as Miller
Nicole Sherwin as Whitford's Assistant
Robert Hobbs as Morgan
On The Dean's List Scale:
Waste Of Time!
Eh!
Redbox Visit!
Glad I Saw It!
I Will Own It!
I Do Own It!
Safe House gets: I Will Own It!
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