The Killer (2024)

Plot Overview
The Killer centers around Zee (played by Nathalie Emmanuel), a highly skilled assassin deeply embedded within the Parisian criminal underworld. Zee operates with a strict personal code: her missions must be executed with precision and professionalism, and under no circumstances should innocent civilians ever get hurt. Her assignments come through her handler, Finn (Sam Worthington), who liaises between her and various shadowy clients.

During one particular mission, Zee crosses paths with Jenn Clark (Diana Silvers), a young American singer whose life changes dramatically when she suffers a severe head injury during the chaos, resulting in blindness. Despite explicit instructions from Finn and her client to eliminate Jenn as collateral damage would threaten the mission’s secrecy, Zee chooses to break her code and spares her, setting off a chain of events that intertwine their fates.

Meanwhile, driven by a strong sense of justice and duty, Inspector Sey (Omar Sy), a seasoned police officer, is on the trail of Gobert (Eric Cantona), a notorious crime lord whose power is bolstered by his connections to Saudi prince Bin Faheem (Said Taghmaoui). The investigation deepens around a recent, high-stakes robbery involving Bin Faheem’s private plane. As Sey delves deeper, his path inevitably collides with Zee and Jenn, thrusting the three into a dangerous game of cat and mouse across the city of Paris.

Character Dynamics and Themes
Zee is portrayed as a conflicted but honorable professional who struggles to reconcile her lethal trade with her moral boundaries. The protector role she assumes toward Jenn underlines a rare vulnerability and humanity beneath her assassin exterior. Jenn, blind and vulnerable, serves not only as a catalyst for Zee’s moral awakening but also as a symbol of innocence ensnared in a violent world.

Inspector Sey embodies the dogged determination of law enforcement determined to uproot entrenched corruption and crime, highlighting the blurred lines between justice and survival in a corrupt world. The antagonist figures, Gobert and Bin Faheem, represent the escalating influence and greed that fuel the underworld’s reach into high society.

Cinematic Style and Influences
The Killer (2024) is a remake of John Woo’s seminal 1989 Hong Kong film of the same name, updated to a Parisian backdrop with Western sensibilities. The film retains many stylistic trademarks synonymous with Woo’s signature action cinema: stylized gunplay, emotional stakes, and a strong sense of honor among characters. However, this version intentionally adopts a somewhat lighter and more playful tone compared to Woo’s original, leaning into over-the-top action sequences and occasional tongue-in-cheek moments rather than the intense melodrama of the source material.

Nathalie Emmanuel infuses Zee with a compelling mix of strength and empathy, while Omar Sy adds gravitas and charm as Sey, providing a pairing that anchors the film’s emotional core. Sam Worthington’s Finn, the handler, fits into the archetypal shadowy operative role, reminiscent of action thriller tropes from the early 1990s.

Unlike some recent gritty, grounded action franchises, this The Killer embraces a slightly old-school flair, with nods to influences stretching back to 90s action cinema—making it feel like a stylistic bridge between classic heroic bloodshed films and today’s slick, hyper-realistic thrillers. The film also spends a substantial portion of its runtime focusing on a subplot involving a missing heroin shipment, adding layers of crime intrigue but sometimes diverting the narrative momentum.

Production Background
The idea of remaking The Killer has a lengthy and complicated history. Original rights disputes in the early 90s prevented John Woo from being directly involved initially. Several attempts were made over the decades to adapt the film for Western audiences, including a version in the mid-2000s planned for 3D and earlier drafts which flipped gender roles partly due to executive concerns over interpretation of key character relationships. Ultimately, John Woo himself came on board as director for this 2024 remake, marking his return to action cinema after exploring epics and period films.

Woo’s aim with this iteration was to explore action filmmaking in a new cultural setting—Paris—bringing fresh energy while honoring his earlier work. While the film doesn’t quite reach the emotional and stylistic heights of the original The Killer or some of Woo’s best-known masterpieces like A Better Tomorrow, it delivers a visually stylish and entertaining action thriller that serves as a respectful homage and a solid modern action movie in its own right.