Stunt coordinator Sam Hargrave (“Avengers: Endgame,” 2019) makes his feature-length debut with “Extraction,” an action-thriller with a stacked cast that includes Chris Hemsworth (“Bad Times at The El Royale,” 2018), Golshifteh Farahani (“Paterson,” 2016), David Harbour (“The Equalizer,” 2016), Randeep Hooda (“Main Aur Charles;” Eng.: “Me And Charles,” 2015), Pankaj Tripathi (“Gangs of Wasseypur,” 2012) and Rudhraksh Jaiswal. In the film, former special forces soldier Tyler Rake (Hemsworth) is assigned a contract to extract and safely deliver the kidnapped son of Ovi Mahajan Sr. (Tripathi) from Dhaka to Mumbai. Mid-mission, however, things go very wrong very quickly, and every second after ends up being a race against time for Rake and Ovi Jr. (Jaiswal). At the same time, they navigate a treacherous territory that’s practically in the pockets of its most powerful person, drug lord Asif Ali (Priyanshu Painyulli, “Bhavesh Joshi Superhero,” 2018).

If you’re looking for an absorbing narrative here, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree. So much of “Extraction” follows a painfully derivative storytelling pattern—ex-military-type with a dark past and a habit of self-medicating gets a mission that’s about to change his life and reconsider/reconcile with his own demons—with mostly cookie-cutter characters. What it lacks in its narrative decisions, it more than makes up for in its breakneck pace and thrilling action set-pieces that pull you in, be it through choreography or progression. It’s also where Hemsworth proves his mettle as a bona fide action hero with the kind of movie star potential that seems to have eluded his (equally, if not more competent) work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Farahani, for her talents, is criminally underutilized for more than half the film but comes out stronger than ever with a third act that brings out all the big guns.

A lot of the action set-pieces in “Extraction” follow the “Atomic Blonde” (2017) school of oners, where cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel (“Drive,” 2011) and editors Peter B. Ellis and Ruthie Aslan team up to create a seamless output that’s as immersive as it’s thrilling. As fantastic as oners can be, they can get old pretty fast. Thankfully, the final act set piece really drives home multiple points of urgency that drive home the stakes the characters are dealing with. Sigel’s A-game also shows up outside the action, from Mumbai’s high life to Dhaka’s grungy urgency; the styles feel malleable but transition perfectly into each other. The makers’ hyperfocus on the film’s realism, unfortunately, hampers the overall impact by leaps and bounds; the impersonal, derivative dialogue writing keeps its restraints woefully in check, and apart from the portions in India and Bangladesh—most of which isn’t just realistic and culturally relevant but feels immersive enough for viewers across the Indian subcontinent.

The biggest surprise here, by far, is Ovi Jr., played with finesse by Rudhraksh Jaiswal, who perfectly exudes the aura of a rich Bombay kid trapped in a claustrophobic life as the son of an imprisoned drug lord. Jaiswal’s delivery of low-key melancholia in his voice comes off effortlessly, and he remains the heart of the film, even when it feels frustratingly devoid of any compelling humanity itself. While Joe Russo’s story feels like such prime pickings for a potentially pulpy mix of hyper-stylized action in a pulpy, almost gonzo narrative design—a la “John Wick” (2014)—the gritty and grounded nature of Hargrave’s overall direction just won’t let the storytelling fly. By the end of “Extraction,” there isn’t much to hang onto because it can’t commit to bombast or immersive realism.

Despite its rather frustrating storytelling issues, Hargrave’s “Extraction” remains a compelling action thriller that continues to hold your attention throughout by its sheer kinetic power. While it’s not the most groundbreaking film, the director’s debut takes a lot from his experiences in movie stuntwork and packages it into a breathless 116-minute movie that feels unstoppable. Hemsworth puts in both his physicality and his vulnerability on screen, making for a compelling lead performance that has your attention from his first to his last scene in the film. A decent one-time watch that’s fun while it lasts.