The Killer Movie: John Woo is the director of “The Killer” (2024), a remake of his 1989 movie of the same name. This Peacock action thriller centres on the encounter between a skilled assassin and a devout police officer investigating a string of killings. Omar Sy and Nathalie Emmanuel play the main characters in the movie.
Emmanuel rose to fame for her performance in HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” She is currently starring in Francis Ford Coppola’s next film, “Megalopolis.” Sy rose to fame with his parts in “Intouchables” and, more recently, “Lupin” on Netflix. In addition to them, Saïd Taghmoui, Erica Cantona, Diana Silvers, and Sam Worthington have significant roles in the movie.
The Killer (2024) Movie Plot Summary
“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 adaptation of ‘The Killer’ features Zed (Nathalie Emmanuel), a seasoned assassin who collaborates on several murderous missions with her handler, Finn (Sam Worthington). He affectionately addresses her as ‘cushla machree’ (O pulse of my heart). They meet at an old church, where he delivers information on their new but previously negotiated mission.
The same night, she must infiltrate a club and ensure that no one, including herself, survives. So she visits her normal suit designer to get a sleek suit. She enters the club at night. Inside, she enters a VIP lounge where a female singer, Jennifer ‘Jenn’ Clark (Diana Silvers), performs a copy of another artist’s song.
Zed eventually draws her target with her sexy dress and tricks him into dancing with her. As they get closer, she pulls out her hidden blade and kills him. Then she starts killing all of his cronies with her sword. Meanwhile, Jenn receives a text message informing her that Coco has died.
Jenn flees to defend herself as Zed uses her gun to kill a man. She accidentally injures her spinal cord, blinding her immediately. Jenn asks for forgiveness as Zed points her gun at her. Zed feels bad for Jenn. She decides to depart without killing her. However, this action is not without its effects.
Sam’s Investigation
Besides Zed, we encounter Sey (Omar Sy), a French cop who works alongside his colleague, Jax (Gregory Montel). Initially, we witness the duo attempting to arrest Coco, an arrogant criminal who annoys them. Things quickly spiral out of control, and Coco ends up shooting Jax. Sey pursues Sey as he attempts to flee the area and shoots him to death.
Coco was listening to The Grass Roots’ ‘Let’s Live For Today’ on his headphones before passing away. Sey’s crew, with the help of an English detective, discovers that it was a cover by another musician. As they try to figure out who the singer is, Finn challenges Zed about why she didn’t kill Jenn. He thinks her sympathy is a weakness. He believes their unethical behaviours are justifiable because of their status as outsiders in their criminal community.
Zed joins Jenn at the hospital as instructed by Finn. She poses as Ms. Noone, Vice-Consul of the United States Embassy. She injects something into the IV tubing connected to Jenn’s body. Sey arrives moments later to speak with Jenn about her cover song, which was playing in Coco’s headphones before his death.
He asks her about the killings she saw at the club, as well as her relationship with Coco. She pretends not to know. Zed is sympathetic to Jenn’s situation as she listens to their chat. She purposefully knocks Jenn’s IV tube with her suitcase, forcing the nurse to change it.
Zee & Sey Cross Paths
Zed is leaving the hospital when Sey gets a call from the US embassy informing him that there is no “Ms. Noone” working for them. Zed took on the persona of “No one,” as Sey discovers.
But she escapes before he can apprehend her. Finn meets crime leader Jules Gobert (Eric Cantona) to talk about Gobert’s arrangement with Saudi Prince Majeb Bin Faheem (Saïd Taghmaoui). Inspector Sey questions Prince Majeb about his involvement in the club murders shortly after they first meet. The men who had earlier raided Prince Majeb’s plane were the same ones who were killed.
Prince Majeb maintains he does not know Gobert, even though both of them staged the attack on his jet. However, Sey is certain that Prince Majeb’s plane was transporting the drugs that he and Jax were monitoring. Finn, on the other hand, dispatches further assassins to assassinate Jenn because Zee’s assignment has yet to be completed.
Zed recognises this and hurries to rescue Jenn’s life. She enters Jenn’s hospital and fights Finn’s guys. Sey happens to be in the same hospital as Jax. So, when he hears the gunfire, he joins Zed in protecting Jenn. After eliminating Finn’s troops, Zed and Sey face off. Zed has one round left in her gun, while Sey has none. So she beats him and leaves with Jenn.
The Killer (2024) Movie Ending Explained
Zed accompanies Jenn to her flat and helps her adjust to her new life. They eventually discuss about their dark past. Zed says that she moved to Paris 15 years ago and has worked hard to obtain the comforts she enjoys now. Jenn reveals that she travelled to Europe with her band, who abandoned her shortly after. Then she met Coco, who provided her with work and financial support.
Coco expressed a desire to leave his past behind. Zed connects with it. Jenn also admits that she assisted Coco in stealing the drugs that he was engaged to take on behalf of others (Gobert’s men). Coco claimed they could put that money into Jenn’s singing career.
As a result, Gobert made sure Jenn was in the room when Finn despatched Zed to kill every live soul. While they examine these topics, Finn attends a meeting with Gobert and Prince Majeb. There, Gobert realises Inspector Sey is aware of his heroin link. So he becomes enraged, assaults a guard, and storms out. Then Finn goes back to the abandoned church to meet Zed.
Zed lies to Finn, claiming she has made sure Jenn dies soon. On the other side, Sey’s superiors require him not to look into situations involving powerful people like Prince Mujeb, which frustrates him. Soon, he recognises Zed as ‘the killer in the club’ and arrests her.
What happens to Zee & Sey in the end?
In the confessional, Zed and Sey examine their moral codes. Then, Sey seeks to understand Zee’s motivations for her misdeeds over the years. During this conversation, Sey discovers that Zed previously shot a Russian thug who attempted to assassinate him. Because she saved him, he allowed her to leave their headquarters. Soon after, Finn hires another assassin, Chi Mai (Angeles Woo), to kill Gobert, who is becoming overly demanding.
Zed arrives at her flat and discovers Jenn has gone. She realises from the security camera that two men pulled Jenn out of her house. Meanwhile, at the police headquarters, Sey’s superiors decide to take action against him because he did not follow their instructions. So Sey escapes the building. Zed goes to her normal suitmaker for a suit.
He reveals that a police officer came looking for her. This cop left a phone number to call when Zed arrived at the store. Soon after, Zed meets Finn. He persuades her to join him. But she wants to call it quits. So he sends Chi Mai to make sure Zed kills Sey. However, Zed deceives Chi Mai and murders her.
Zed realises that Jax is the police officer that got Sey in trouble. So, at the end of “The Killer,” Zed and Sey reconcile and recover Finn’s stolen heroin. Zed asks Finn to meet her in the abandoned chapel. To defend Jenn, she fights Finn’s cronies with the help of Sey. Sey eventually gets into a fight with Finn, and Zed defeats a female assassin.
Does Sey finally leave her past behind?
Finn stabs Sey, leaving him near-helpless. While lying down, he notices Finn attempting to murder Zed. So he gets her a gun to kill Finn. Zed helps Jenn reunite with her mother following Finn’s death. Sey’s bosses present him with a medal, expecting him not to share any of his recent findings. Sey denies the honour. Later, he calls Zed on a burner phone and they discuss their new life, free of their corrupt past.
The Killer (2024) Movie Review
Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy are charismatic and athletic actors. They have both demonstrated this with their previous efforts. These characteristics come in useful in John Woo’s “The Killer” remake, as they each perform their parts and stunts with equal expertise. You rarely want to take your gaze away from the TV when they perform a competitive ballet, either against themselves or against others.
Emmanuel’s role is intended to captivate a masculine audience: a graceful yet merciless figure with a wounded mind. Emmanuel catches Zee’s pounding heart despite the film’s visual turmoil. Furthermore, she appears to be more nimble than the majority of the stuntpeople she competes against.
Some of the film’s comedy punches are not as effective as they may be. Sy’s French accent, which is not an issue normally, falters in the wise-guy remarks assigned to him by the writer. His sophisticated appeal keeps us invested in any of Sey’s chats. When it comes to the film’s action scenes, some of the breaks between feats are ridiculous. Typically, brief breaks between feats are required to make them appear more engaging. However, those fillers must have a purpose, whether as moments of anticipation or preparation.
The filler parts in “The Killer” are overly long and occasionally amusing. ‘Why did he take so long to kill the other guy? Was he waiting for her to make that enormous jump? You should ask the choreographer! Regardless, Woo’s directing technique in this adaptation is reminiscent of Hong Kong action thrillers, where stars chew the scenery with slow-motion entrances and combat scenes that present them as unstoppable forces. While some scenes in “The Killer” have a mystically romantic attraction, others feel out of place in the film’s plot.
Zed and Finn briefly explore their subjective morality and whether their unusual circumstances allow them to believe in it. However, the script does not consider these features in a broader context. It never delves far enough into their backgrounds to grasp the source of their motivations beyond the cliches of social outcasts. Instead, it uses visual clues to highlight repeating faith and religious symbols. Unfortunately, it is the extent of the film’s moral depth. Overall, the picture is captivating because of Emmanuel and Sy’s consistent lead performances.
