Directed by John Woo, “The Killer” (2024) is a remake of his 1989 film by the same name. This action thriller streaming on Peacock follows an adept assassin and an honest cop crossing paths in a case that involves a series of murders. The film stars Nathalie Emmanuel & Omar Sy in the central roles. Emmanuel gained recognition through her role in HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” and she also stars in Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming “Megalopolis.” Sy became known after his role in “Intouchables” and, most recently, through Netflix’s Lupin.” Besides them, the film stars Sam Worthington, Diana Silvers, Erica Cantona, and Saïd Taghmoui in crucial roles.
Spoilers ahead
The Killer (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
“The Killer,” starring Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy, follows an assassin whose life takes a swift turn after one of her fatal missions. She crosses paths with a cop, who becomes crucial in shaping her fate.
What happens in John Woo’s ‘The Killer’ remake?
John Woo’s “The Killer” remake follows Zee (Nathalie Emmanuel), a seasoned assassin who works on different lethal operations with her handler, Finn (Sam Worthington). He lovingly calls her ‘cushla machree’ (O pulse of my heart). They meet at an old Church, where he shares details of their new but previously-discussed mission. The same night, she must enter a club and ensure no one leaves the room alive except her. So, she meets her usual suit designer for a sleek suit. At night, she enters the said club. Inside, she walks into a special lounge where a female singer, Jennifer ‘Jenn’ Clark (Diana Silvers), covers someone else’s song.
Eventually, Zee attracts her target with her sensual attire and tricks him into dancing with her. As they grow closer, she takes out her hidden sword and kills the man. Then, she starts killing all his cronies with her sword. Meanwhile, Jenn receives a text message telling her about Coco’s death. As Zee kills a man with her gun, Jenn jumps away to protect herself. Accidentally, she injures her spinal cord in a way that immediately blinds her. While Zee points her gun at her, Jenn asks for forgiveness. Zee feels sorry for Jenn. So, she decides to leave without killing her. But this action comes with a share of consequences.
Sam’s Investigation
Besides Zee, we meet Sey (Omar Sy), a French cop who works with his partner, Jax (Gregory Montel). Initially, we see the duo trying to arrest an arrogant criminal, Coco, who provokes them. Suddenly, things go south, and Coco ends up shooting Jax. As Sey tries to flee the scene, Sey follows him and shoots him to death. Before Coco died, he was listening to a song on his headphones – ‘Let’s Live For Today’ by The Grass Roots. With the help of an English cop, Sey’s team realizes that it was a cover by another singer. As they try to trace the singer’s identity, Finn questions Zee why she did not kill Jenn. He considers her sympathy a weakness. He believes their immoral actions are justified due to their background as outsiders in their criminal world.
As per Finn’s orders, Zee meets Jenn at the hospital. She pretends to be a U.S. embassy Vice-Consul, Ms. Noone. There, she injects something into the IV tube attached to Jenn’s body. Moments later, Sey arrives there to speak with Jenn about her cover song that was playing in Coco’s headphones before he died. He asks her about her relationship with Coco and about the murders she witnessed at the club. She feigns ignorance. While listening to their conversation, Zee feels sorry for Jenn’s predicament. So, she intentionally hits Jenn’s IV tube with her suitcase, so the nurse will have to replace it.
Zee & Sey Cross Paths
As Zee walks away from the hospital, Sey receives a call from the U.S. embassy to inform that no ‘Ms. Noone’ works for them. Sey realises Zee assumed an identity as ‘No one’. However, before he can catch her, she manages to flee. Meanwhile, Finn meets Jules Gobert (Eric Cantona), a criminal kingpin, to discuss Gobert’s deal with the Saudi Prince Majeb Bin Faheem (Saïd Taghmaoui). Soon after, Inspector Sey meets Prince Majeb to ask him about his connection to the murders at the club. The murdered men were the same who had earlier raided Prince Majeb’s plane.
Prince Majeb claims he doesn’t know Gobert even though both of them staged the attack on his plane. However, Sey is sure that Prince Majeb’s plane was carrying the drugs he & Jax were tracking. On the other hand, Finn sends other assassins to kill Jenn since Zee has not finished her mission. Zee realizes this and rushes to save Jenn’s life. She enters Jenn’s hospital to fight Finn’s men. Sey happens to be in the same hospital next to Jax. So, once he hears the gunshots, he helps Zee protect Jenn. After killing Finn’s men, Zee & Sey come face to face. While Zee has one bullet left in her gun, Sey has none. So, she beats him and decides to leave with Jenn.
The Killer (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Zee takes Jenn to her apartment and helps her get the hang of her new life. Eventually, they talk about their morose past. Zee reveals she entered Paris 15 years ago and worked her way to afford the luxuries she currently has. Jenn reveals she came to Europe with her band, who abandoned her shortly after. Then, she met Coco, who helped her with work and financial sustenance. At the time, Coco talked about his desire to leave his past behind. Zee resonates with it. Jenn further reveals that she helped Coco steal the drugs that he was hired to help others (Gobert’s men) steal. Coco claimed they could use that money for Jenn’s singing career.
Because of this, Gobert ensured Jenn was in the room Finn sent Zee to kill every living soul. While they discuss these details, Finn joins a meeting with Gobert & Prince Majeb. There, Gobert realizes that Inspector Sey knows about his connection to the heroin. So, he gets furious, attacks a guard, and storms out. Then, Finn returns to the abandoned church to meet Zee. Zee lies to Finn, claiming she has ensured Jenn dies soon. On the other hand, Sey’s superiors expect him not to investigate matters that involve influential people like Prince Mujeb, which justifiably frustrates him. Soon, he realizes Zee’s identity as ‘the killer at the club’ and arrests her.
What happens to Zee & Sey in the end?
In the confession room, Zee & Sey discuss their moral codes. Then, Sey tries to understand Zee’s motives behind her crimes over the years. During this discussion, Sey realizes that Zee once shot a Russian gangster who was trying to kill him. Since she saved him, he let her escape their HQ. Soon after, Finn gets another assassin, Chi Mai (Angeles Woo), to kill Gobert, who is getting too demanding. Zee returns to her apartment to find Jenn gone. Through the security footage, she realizes that two men dragged Jenn out of her house. Meanwhile, in the police headquarters, Sey’s superiors decide to take action against him because he didn’t abide by their orders. So, Sey escapes the building.
Zee meets her usual suitmaker for a suit. He reveals that a policeman came looking for her. This cop left a phone number to contact whenever Zee arrives at the store. Right after, Zee meets Finn. He persuades her to team up with him. But she wants to call it quits. So, he sends Chi Mai to ensure Zee kills Sey. However, Zee tricks Chi Mai and kills her. Zee realizes that Jax is the policeman who got Sey into trouble. So, at the end of “The Killer,” Zee & Sey reunite and get hold of Finn’s stolen heroin. Zee tells Finn to meet her at the abandoned church. With Sey’s help, she fights Finn’s cronies to protect Jenn. Eventually, Sey gets into a fight with Finn while Zee beats a female assassin.
Does Sey finally leave her past behind?
Finn stabs Sey and makes him near-helpless. While lying aside, he sees Finn trying to kill Zee. So, he fetches her a gun to kill Finn. After Finn’s death, Zee helps Jenn reunite with her mother. Sey’s superiors offer him a medal, expecting him not to reveal any of his recent findings. Sey refuses their award. Later, he speaks with Zee on a burner phone, and they talk about their new lives, liberated from their corrupt past.
The Killer (2024) Movie Review:
Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy are charismatic and athletic actors. They both have proved that with their prior work. In John Woo’s “The Killer” remake, these qualities come in handy as they both perform their scenes and stunts with equal finesse. You rarely want to take your eyes off the screen while they perform a competitive ballet of sorts, either against each other or against others. Emmanuel’s character is designed to attract a male gaze – a graceful yet ruthless figure with a tortured soul. Emmanuel still captures Zee’s beating heart amidst the film’s visual chaos. Besides, she seems more agile than most stuntpeople she fights against.
Some of the film’s comic punches do not land as well as they could have. Sy’s French accent, although not an issue otherwise, falters in the wise-guy quotes that the writer assigns him. His suave charm still helps us be invested in any of Sey’s conversations. Speaking about the film’s action scenes, some of its moments of relief between stunts feel idiotic. Usually, you need brief moments in between the stunts to make them appear more compelling. However, those fillers need to serve a purpose – whether as moments of anticipation or preparation.
In “The Killer,” the filler moments feel needlessly stretched and sometimes become laugh-worthy. ‘Why did he wait so long to kill that other guy? Was he waiting for her to make that big jump?’ you want to ask the choreographer! Regardless, Woo’s directorial style in this remake offers a peek into Hong Kong action thrillers, where stars chew the scenery through their slow-mo entrance or the combat scenes portraying them as unbeatable forces. In “The Killer,” while some moments have a mystically romantic allure, others feel unnecessary in the film’s progression.
The Themes in ‘The Killer’ (2024):
Zee & Finn briefly discuss their subjective morality and whether their odd situation allows them to believe in it. However, the script doesn’t analyze these details in a larger context. It never digs enough into their pasts to understand the root of their drive beyond the stereotypes of social pariahs. Instead, it highlights some recurring motifs of faith and religion through visual cues. Unfortunately, that’s about the scope of the film’s moral complexity. So, overall, the film is compelling due to Emmanuel & Sy’s reliable lead performances.
Read More: First Images of John Woo’s ‘The Killer’ Remake Reveal a Radical Reimagining of His 1989 Action Thriller
The Killer (2024) Movie Trailer:
The Killer (2024) Movie Links: IMDb, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
Cast of The Killer (2024) Movie: Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy, Sam Worthington, Diana Silvers, Saïd Taghmaoui, Hugo Diego Garcia
The Killer (2024) Movie Release Date: 23rd August 2024 | Genre: Action | Runtime: 2h 6m
