THE KILLER (NETFLIX) (2024)

SYNOPSIS: From the Oscar® winning producer of Oppenheimer, the kinetic action thriller stars Emmy nominee Nathalie Emmanuel (The Fast Saga, Game of Thrones) as Zee, a mysterious and infamous assassin known, and feared, in the Parisian underworld as the Queen of the Dead. But when, during an assignment from her shadowy mentor and handler (Avatar’s Sam Worthington), Zee refuses to kill a blinded young woman (Diana Silvers; Ma, Booksmart) in a Paris nightclub, the decision will disintegrate Zee’s alliances, attract the attention of a savvy police investigator (Golden Globe nominee Omar Sy; Jurassic World franchise, Lupin), and plunge her into a sinister criminal conspiracy that will set her on a collision course with her own past. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

Rather than letting others tamper with his legacy, John Woo decided to do it himself. The Hong Kong action legend returns with a remake of his 1989 classic The Killer, originally starring Chow Yun-fat and Danny Lee.

This time, Woo enlisted Oscar winner Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) and two other writers to rework his original story. While the core remains intact, the director made a bold change -gender-swapping the lead role, now played by Nathalie Emmanuel (Furious 7, The Invitation).

Emmanuel stars as Zee, a skilled assassin who only kills those she believes deserve to die. Her handler, Finn (Sam Worthington, sporting a curious blend of Aussie and Irish accents), works for a high-profile mobster portrayed by football legend Eric Cantona. When a young singer, Jenn (Diana Silvers), loses her eyesight during one of Zee’s missions, the guilt-ridden killer joins forces with an honest cop, Sey (Omar Sy of Lupin fame), to protect Jenn from Finn who wants her silenced.

Throw in missing money, drugs, and crooked cops, and you have the makings of Woo’s American reimagining of his own classic.

At 77, Woo hasn’t lost his signature flair. The Killer (2024) once again features his trademark doves, mid-air motorcycle explosions, stylized gunfights, and balletic violence though noticeably, there’s less reliance on slow-motion this time around.

The chaotic “gun-fu” that defined the original feels toned down here, but Woo compensates with a gripping hospital shootout and a climactic sequence set in a deconsecrated church, rich with his familiar religious imagery and operatic style.

However, what made the original so iconic -the bond of honor and friendship between two men on opposite sides of the law is lost in translation. While the gender swap may reflect modern sensibilities, Zee’s emotional connection to Jenn never feels as genuine or profound as the dynamic between Chow Yun-fat and Sally Yeh’s characters. On the plus side, Woo avoids any forced romantic subplots that might have derailed the story further.

Emmanuel gives her all in the physically demanding role, while Sy brings charisma and grounded charm to his performance. The Parisian locations add authenticity, yet the film’s visual polish often falls short at times, it feels more like a TV production than a cinematic spectacle.

Ultimately, The Killer (2024) isn’t a great film but it’s a serviceable, old-school John Woo actioner that’s far more entertaining than many of today’s CGI-heavy, incoherently edited Hollywood blockbusters. After the misfire that was Silent Night, this remake suggests Woo might just be finding his rhythm again.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee