Safe House (2012)

Safe House is a 2012 action thriller film directed by Daniel Espinosa, starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. The film follows Matt Weston (Reynolds), a CIA agent on his first low-level posting in Cape Town who is in charge of a safe house where the CIA is interrogating Tobin Frost (Washington), a veteran operative who has allegedly betrayed the agency. When the safe house is attacked by mercenaries who kill almost all the agents, Weston flees with Frost in his charge, and they end up on the run. As the team of killers, who seem to be one step ahead of the pair, track them throughout Cape Town, Weston begins to wonder who to trust.

The film was released on February 10, 2012, in North America by Universal Pictures.^[4] Filming took place in Cape Town, South Africa. The film premiered in New York City on February 7, 2012, and was released in U.S. theaters on February 10, 2012. While Washington and Reynolds' performances were praised, the film received mixed reviews. The film earned $208 million worldwide against its $85 million budget.

In Cape Town, South Africa, ex-CIA NOC operative turned international criminal Tobin Frost acquires a data storage device from rogue MI6 agent Alec Wade. A team of mercenaries attacks them and kills Wade. Frost flees and, out of options, surrenders to the American consulate.

Frost is transferred to a local CIA safe house maintained by "housekeeper" Matt Weston, a young agent. A team led by veteran Daniel Kiefer is sent to interrogate Frost and bring him back to the US. Weston watches uneasily as Kiefer's team waterboards Frost. The mercenaries, led by Vargas, attack the safe house and kill Kiefer and his team. Weston escapes with Frost.

Weston contacts his superior, David Barlow, at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, along with Catherine Linklater, the operative in charge of Frost's interrogation and Kiefer's superior, and CIA Deputy Director Harlan Whitford, who is overseeing the operation. Linklater orders Weston to lay low and await further instructions.

Frost begins to manipulate Weston, insisting that someone within the CIA gave away their location to the mercenaries and that Weston will be forced to take the fall if things go wrong. Barlow tells Weston to go to Cape Town Stadium where he retrieves a GPS device containing the location of another safe house, but Frost creates a diversion and escapes. Weston, detained by the police, escapes and is forced to fire at them.

Weston contacts Langley to report Frost's escape. After hearing that Weston fired at the police, Linklater orders him to visit the nearest American embassy for debriefing. When Whitford tells him "we'll take it from here", Weston decides to pursue Frost himself as Frost had warned him that when Weston would be told exactly that he should become concerned about his own safety. Linklater and Barlow go to South Africa themselves. En route, Linklater suggests that Weston has joined Frost, which Barlow refutes.

Weston tracks Frost to a shantytown in Langa. Vargas' team attacks again, killing Frost's contact, but Weston helps him escape. Weston brutally interrogates one of Vargas' wounded mercenaries, who reveals that Vargas is working for the CIA, which is seeking to retrieve the storage device from Frost. As they bandage their wounds, Frost tells the story of how he was forced to kill an air traffic controller while on a mission. He later learned that he was simply part of a plot to assassinate a whistle-blower who would expose wetwork committed by the CIA.

Weston takes Frost to the new safe house, where Weston keeps the housekeeper, Keller at gunpoint. Keller attacks and severely wounds Weston before he is killed. Frost reveals the device contains evidence of corruption and bribery involving the CIA, MI6, and other intelligence agencies. Frost leaves Weston, who passes out from blood loss.

Meanwhile, Linklater arrives in South Africa and informs Barlow of the device's existence, but not its contents. Barlow then kills her and travels to the safe house where he 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 and kills Vargas' team but is fatally shot by Barlow. Weston then shoots and kills Barlow. Frost gives Weston the file and tells Weston he is better than him before dying.

Back in the United States, Weston meets with Director Whitford, 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 knowing about it. Whitford states that whoever has those files will have many enemies. Weston assures Whitford that he will "take it from here", visibly shaking Whitford, and leaves. He leaks the files to the media, incriminating personnel from many intelligence agencies, including Whitford.