Story time. My parents described John Wick 1 to me and told me to watch it with them the night before John Wick 2 came out. I refused. Let me explain. My parents absolutely loved Pirates of the Caribbean 5. I could give you a toilet paper roll length list of flicks they love that aren’t worth your time. However, I decided to be a good son and give this a chance and I was hooked! I walked out of the sequel and exclaimed “I’ll watch as many of these as they make”. I know the opinions vary on Wick, but this is my favorite action franchise by far. In honor of John Wick Parabellum coming out this week, we loaded a full clip of the best assassin movies.
John Wick Chapter 2 builds upon what the first installment delivered and sends it into over-drive. The gun fights are crazier, the fight scenes are more brutal, and the world is much, much larger. Keanu Reeves proves again just how perfect he is as John Wick by being committed to being as authentic in the action scenes as possible by performing his own stunts and delivering a more subtle and bad ass performance. Another big standout here is Cassian who is portrayed by Common. You really get a real sense of his threat level when he’s on screen as he comes across as an almost equal to our titular character. All in all, this is everything the first one is, but better. (Ben Davis)
Denzel Washington carries a movie so well. Honestly, I think we’ve forgotten just how great it is to have Denzel take you through a tale and completely own your full attention. If you enjoy watching bad things befall bad people, this is the assassin movie for you. Denzel weaves in and out through the under belly of society dealing out swift justice to the people who need it most. This is an absolute must for all action fans. (Blake Hodges)
It wasn’t just assassin movies or spy movies that director Doug Liman and Matt Damon turned on their head almost 20 years ago with The Bourne Identity, it was a warning shot to the entire Bond franchise. The intimate, shaky cam, fight scenes with common household items, and the progressive hero who’s more comfortable with humility than bravado felt so fresh and exciting that 007 would follow suit very quickly. Plus did I mention it’s Matt Damon? Cause it’s Matt Damon. (Aaron Dicer)
Kill Bill is like every assassin film ever made, yet no other assassin film ever made is like Kill Bill. That’s because it takes every notable aspect of the genre—the tropes, the characters, the violence, the dialogue, the sound effects–and distills them down to the very essence of pulp filmmaking, elevating this to what can only be recognized as Art. A four-hour epic split into two distinct parts–one a homage to grindhouse Kung-Fu pictures while the other a homage to spaghetti westerns–each half complements each other perfectly, but it is best viewed in its full length. Taking his signature ultraviolent, nonlinear approach and applying it to a tale of one woman’s “roaring rampage of revenge,” Quentin Tarantino transcends the threat of style over substance by injecting as much depth and reflection as possible for a film which is essentially about a woman travelling the world to knock a team of assassins off her hit list. Yet unlike most mindless action cinema, every action of ultra-violence in Kill Bill is one of emotional resonance and catharsis, where each elaborate set-piece is as entertaining as it is gratifying. (Devan Meyer)
When asked for the Best Assassin Movie people are quick to name the ones that are cool. The ones we love to cheer on as they punch, kick, stab, and headshot their way through roughly 90 minutes of an action packed, but not very complex story. And those movies are great, I love them too but when we’re talking about the BEST Assassin Movie there is really only one answer for me: Munich. Munich is one of the lesser known and least appreciated Steven Spielberg movies. And to be fair it’s not his usual fare; it’s a dark, pessimistic, and mature look at the cycle of violence and the toll that perpetuating that cycle takes on the human soul. This is a brilliant film that really forces us to evaluate what part assassinations and retaliatory violence play in international relations, national integrity, and personal morality. So no, this is not the quip filled, slick, action assassin movie but it is the best look at what assassination really looks like in the real world. It might not be the most fun, but it just might be the best. (Isaac Horvat)
In Bruges is about as assassin a movie as they come. And with Martin McDonagh directing Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson it’s about as Scottish as they come as well. But what really sets it apart is the depth and complexity of the moral conundrums that these two hired hit-men have to process together. It’s as callous and compelling as it is surreal and silly, with humor somehow breaking through the violence and yet not undercutting it. I can’t promise this movie won’t disturb you, but I can promise it does so with a purpose and a technical proficiency you probably weren’t expecting. (Aaron Dicer)
The Professional (1994) directed by Luc Besson is a tale of professional hitman named Leon (Jean Reno) who works for the Italian Mob. He begrudgingly takes in a young girl named Mathilda before she is gunned down with the rest of her family by the nefarious Detective Stansfield. The atypical relationship that Leon and Mathilda build is the crux of the entire story. They build a bond over time, he teaches her how to be a Cleaner (Assassin/Hitman) and she helps him embrace his humanity. Leon the Professional is an assassin film that packs a huge punch in the action department, but most of all tugs on the heart strings. (Joseph Vargas)
A movie like John Wick doesn’t necessarily need to have a good story to be entertaining, or even good. Keanu Reeves is better in this role than he has been in any role since The Matrix, and that is largely because of his dedication to making the action look as awesome as possible. The character of John Wick has to “come out of retirement,” and I think that makes the movie more entertaining. It is mentioned how he used to be better and would never be injured, but that would make for a boring movie. So seeing him fight hard adds tension. And it’s impossible not to be on his side after seeing his puppy killed. Overall, it’s a great action movie led by a great action star. (Robert Bouffard)
Looper is a movie that ,like many other sci-fi flicks, plays with time travel. Not only does it involve time travel, but it uses it in such a unique way that it grips you from the moment it gets explained. In the ‘not too distant’ future, there are these people who are called “Loopers”. They assassinate people from the ‘far’ future so that they can get rid of the bodies in the past without being traced. After Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is faced with taking out his older self (Bruce Willis) who is prepared, young Joe must kill old Joe before his employer hunts him down. It’s pretty engaging in my opinion, and the way It’s executed is satisfiying. Director “Rian Johnson” Delivers in this Sci-Fi, Crime, Action, Drama. (Aman Henderson)
The film opens over a Texas desert-scape with the voice of Sherriff Tom Bell warning the audience of “the crime you see now, it’s hard to even take its measure.” And that is how one of the greatest games of cat and mouse in the history of cinema begins. The Coen Brothers are one of the most unique voices in cinema and they bring their darkest and most mature film to being in No Country for Old Men. You know a film is special when a prolonged shot of a candy wrapper slowly unravelling is so tense that it will rival those in top horror films. A thriller packed full of unique characters, biting dialogue, and unnerving tension bring the western genre to a new and tangible setting, No Country for Old Men will defy all of your expectations from a life of watching film. An all-star cast of Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Bardem tie this film together and take us as the audience on one of the greatest cinematic ventures in modern times. (Shane Conto)
Also See:
Pulp Fiction, Collateral, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Road to Perdition, Grosse Pointe Blank, Wanted, The Whole Nine Yards, Assassins, In the Line of Fire