It seems like the majority of Hitman movies out there are basically the same – a stoic man doing the job taking his money and moving on to the next mark. Even the John Wick movies fall into that same type of formula but seems to deliver it in a much better way. And other than The Hitman’s Bodyguard movies, it’s a lot of fighting, action and blood – without much substance.
Now, I’m not going to say that The Killer’s Game is a movie of substance, but it at least attempts at a story. There’s a budding romance, a misdiagnosis, and a backstory that causes a revenge plan. It’s more of a movie where you can turn off your brain and enjoy the ride.
The movie follows Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) who decides that he finally wants to get out of the Hitman game after falling in love with his girlfriend Maize (Sofia Boutella). Set in his plan to retire and live life with Maize, he finds out that his headaches are actually caused by a rare disease that will kill him in a few months. Instead of suffering and making Maize watch his decline, he takes a hit out on himself. But before the clock starts on his contract, he finds out he was misdiagnosed and now has to fight every assassin he’s wronged and who wants the bounty for his death.
The result – international assassins coming after Flood just to collect the money. With not only his life on the line now, uses every tool in his arsenal to fight off groups, one on one combat, and even teams of mercenaries. The assassins range from serious and stoic, to dancing killers and even stereotypes. Each provides a different challenge for Flood to fight, and to change his method up. Is he truly the best assassin in the world? Or will they finally collect on the contract on his head.
The Killer’s Game doesn’t take itself too seriously. No, we don’t see the fourth wall breaking, but there are a lot more comedic moments than you usually get in a hitman-type movie. Instead, we have comic relief in between the fight scenes, some pretty creative (and gnarly) deaths and at the heart of it a love story that might just be worth fighting for. The movie seems to be a bit more focused on escapism than trying to be a “smart” movie and make the audience have to guess at the outcome. And overall, the result is a fun movie with some creative transitions and fight scenes.
If you’re looking for a bloody fun movie, The Killer’s Game in in theaters everywhere this weekend.
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About The Killer’s Game
In the new action-comedy THE KILLER’S GAME, when top hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he decides to take matters into his own hands – by taking a hit out on himself. But when the very hitmen he hired also target his ex-girlfriend (Sofia Boutella), he must fend off an army of assassin colleagues and win back the love of his life before it’s too late. Lionsgate presents, a Mad Chance & Endurance Media production, in association with Dogbone Entertainment, K. Jam Media and Lipsync.