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When watching a film about a deadbeat guy who smuggles drugs, gets held under suspicion, and spends the entire film in agony trying not to get caught, it’s not instantly clear what the film is trying to say. The main character is a criminal. Many of the other characters are criminals. Sure, it’s a great film, well-written, and a solid two hours of entertainment - but is it trying to make a point? Is there something deeper behind us eventually rooting for one of the many criminals to get away with his crimes? Even the most superficial of films generally have some over-arching message to convey.

A prominent message of The Mule (2014), evidenced through its narrative and characters, is that one never knows a person’s true capabilities. Every character in the film is trying to find something better than their current situation, and most of them become involved in worlds where they don’t belong to try and get there.

For the first half hour of the film, Ray (Angus Sampson) looks like the most pathetic man in the world. He’s a mediocre soccer player. His physique is sloppy, his face always looks on the verge of a sneeze, he’s in his 30s and lives with his parents, and he works a terrible job at a television repair shop. He’s bossed around and puppeteered by his boss, his father, and his best friend. When he finally agrees to be a mule and smuggle heroin in his body, it comes as no surprise. He’s a doofus, the ultimate pushover, and he wants the money.

Throughout the film, we learn nobody really cared about Ray. His best friend Gavin (Leigh Whannell) made him carry a whole kilo of heroin instead of the half kilo Pat (John Noble) sent them to the Philippines to collect, just for Gavin’s own benefit. We learn Ray’s own father was in cahoots with Pat for the original half kilo. And Pat didn’t care about anyone.

Despite all this, Ray wins in the end. Pat, Gavin and Ray’s father all get their comeuppance. Ray uncovers a crooked police investigation, and the drugs never get found by law enforcement thanks to Ray’s television repair skills coming in handy. Ray’s lawyer knew the truth of his situation, but was also aware of the police corruption and brutality, which bothered her more and sided her with Ray. When all was said and done, the doofus who the police, Pat, Gavin, and everyone else thought would crack ended up besting everyone. It’s a reflection of how far someone will go when tested.

Each character is trying to redefine their life and make a change from who they are. Most of them are going about it by nefarious means, and to many, it doesn’t work out. Ray isn’t the only character who gets their mettle tested, but he’s on the short list of characters whose determination pays off in the end.