John Woo was once considered a master of action cinema. His talent for beautifully designed and stylized violence made him an international sensation with hits such as The Killer (1989) And Hard boiled before he made the leap to Hollywood with Hard targetHis influence on the genre is undeniable, but after the critically panned film starring Ben Affleck Paycheck The filmmaker returned to his roots in Hong Kong and left the world of Hollywood behind for two decades.
Last year he returned to American audiences with the dialogue-free, Christmas-themed film Silent Night – a film I personally loved but which met with mixed reactions from most – and again in 2024 with The Killera remake of his 1989 classic. It is always an interesting choice when a filmmaker remakes one of his own films. Yasujiro Ozu remade his film A story of floating weedsand the second attempt is arguably the better film; however, that is not always the case, as Woo proves that some things are better left unchanged.
The Killer review
The Killer has all the hallmarks of a John Woo film. There are action scenes in hospitals and churches, slow motion, standoffs and of course birds (mostly pigeons, but turtle doves make an appearance too). It feels more like a greatest hits than a standalone film. The downside to him pulling from his usual bag of tricks is that we are constantly reminded of his better films. When two opponents inevitably come face to face with their guns pointed straight at each other, I can’t help but think of how epic that moment felt in In the face/out.
In the film, Nathalie Emmanuelle (Fast X) plays Zee, the titular assassin who is tasked with skillfully murdering anyone her boss Finn (Sam Worthington) orders her to kill. She makes enemies of the wrong people when she fails a contract and decides to protect a woman instead. It’s a standard plot full of action potential, but the action feels watered down and generic, especially by Woo film standards.
Viewers expecting the typical “gun-fu” of the filmmaker’s previous works will surely be disappointed. At no point are we treated to the beautiful ballet of bullets and choreography that we have found the filmmaker to be capable of, and this is not an elevated take on the genre. Still, there is plenty here to entertain. The cast, especially Emmanuelle and Sey, bring a dignity and charm to their characters that make their relationship believable and interesting.
The action genre has evolved a lot over the decades. The John Wick films, starring Keanu Reeves, have become the benchmark for stylized action in recent years. This franchise undeniably owes a large part of its success to John Woo. The Killer it feels like it’s trying to compete at that level, but it’s not even in the same league. It’s not that it’s a terrible movie, it’s just that it’s incredibly generic, and that’s somehow even more offensive.
Is The Killer worth seeing?
John Woo is not only a master of action cinema, he is also a fan of it. His love for the genre is clearly evident when he pays tribute not only to his own films, but also to other classics. One stunt is clearly inspired by Jackie Chan’s. Police history. Woo is not a man of subtlety, and you won’t find any here as he aggressively recreates the best moments of his previous works. The Killer is quite entertaining, but you will almost certainly forget the film once it’s over.
5/10
The Killer is now streaming on Peacock.
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