‘The Killer’ Review – John Woo’s Remake of His Own Action Classic Could Use Some Harder Punches

Remakes are inevitable, especially for popular international films. Why not allow more filmmakers to Americanize their own films, like Michael Haneke‘s Funny Games or Dick Maas‘ Down? John Woo’s The Killer is the latest example of this double-dipping practice, although it’s not Woo’s script, and that’s painfully obvious. Chalk up another US-made remake that lacks the body and soul of unique overseas visions. Peacock’s The Killer is a far cry from the superior Hong Kong favorite, even if Woo’s prolific action output starring icons like Chow Yun-fat isn’t cheaply imitated by this imposter.

What Is ‘The Killer’ About?

Nathalie Emmanuel stars in Woo’s gender-swapped remix as contract killer Zee, known through whispers as the “Queen of the Dead.” Her reputation is pristine, eliminating targets for handler Finn (Sam Worthington), until she blinds a lounge singer during an otherwise successful job. Zee is instructed to leave no loose ends, but guilt stops her from executing Jenn (Diana Silvers). Once an assassin, Zee now acts as Jenn’s bodyguard, whether from dastardly criminals or benevolent lawmen like Paris’ most perceptive investigator, Sey (Omar Sy). Life was botherless when Zee ended lives for money—consciences are such an inconvenience.

Comparisons between The Killer (1989) and The Killer (2024) are unfavorable to the update. Screenwriters Brian Helgeland, Josh Campbell, and Matt Stuecken whittle away the intricacies of Woo’s hard-boiled classic, leaving a more sterilized action-thriller simulation. Woo’s penchant for acrobatic fight choreography rebounds, but not on the same attention-grabbing level. France’s underworld has elegance and sophistication that are only skin deep. There’s a lacking style to Peacock’s The Killer that punches and headshots through the motions, as trope-saddled storytelling softens its edges for non-challenging streaming consumption.

Thankfully, Woo’s more capable than your standard American action director who can barely muster the art of point-and-shoot simplicity. Choreography defies gravity as Zee sprints across the rounded tops of church pews or secures her legs around someone’s neck like she’s about to swing a “Hurricanrana,” only to be twirled in a circle while firing submachine guns. Woo encourages ballet-like performances in the heat of battle, as bodies slam against staircases in slow motion to accentuate thuds. Neither Emmanuel nor Sy are Chow Yun-fat, but that doesn’t negate the actors’ ability to deliver or Woo’s above-competent eye for whimsical violence. Doves and all.

Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy Have Some Good Chemistry in ‘The Killer’

Emmanuel’s presence as an A-tier hitwoman is another highlight, squeezing triggers without a bead of sweat. Her chemistry with Sy’s officer presents a cheeky rivalry until their paths intertwine more collaboratively, which also works as a respectful partnership between warring professions. Their arcs are hardly revolutionary, but play better than the milquetoast nature of Worthington’s dapper mentor-boss or Silvers’ sightless damsel in distress. Woo’s original grows more creative with altercations and boasts more personality, whereas 2024’s revamp keeps character trajectories flatter, and without much variance. There’s a straight line between the start and finish, with predictable plotted twists charted a mile away.

Allusions to Woo’s 1980s masterpiece are weightless nostalgia. Where Woo once took risks, this year’s The Killer is unambitiously by the books. Marco Beltrami‘s highpoint score tries to add some zip with jazzy woodwind rhythms, but visuals lag behind musical peppiness. Certain aerial moves pulled off by Emmanuel read like an actor floating on wires, while chase sequences struggle to reach maximum speeds. There’s nothing exquisite or exceptional about Woo’s second go-around, which makes one ponder why this watered-down take exists outside scrubbing subtitles (except Parisian characters speak French, so that’s also moot). It’s all so inconsequential, advancing in the most routine fashion as far as deadly criminal clusterfunks play out — the total opposite of Woo’s frenzied and endearing source calamity.

The Killer is yet another bummer in the American remake canon. It’s the epitome of mediocrity, and that’s never Emmanuel’s fault. Storytelling polishes away all complications, and yet 2024’s flick has a longer runtime — real strange choices around these parts. At least Woo took chances in his last (almost) no-dialogue actioner, Silent Night, where The Killer is on the precipice of “meh” and “forgettable.” It’s more than just a failure of a remake — it’s disappointing on its own standalone merits, too.

REVIEW

The Killer (2024)

The Killer is a safety-off thriller that’s anything but fully loaded, which equates to an underwhelming remake of an infinitely better John Woo classic.

Pros

• Nathalie Emmanuel plays a dead-eyed killer well.
• Scratches that John Woo itch on a lesser level.
• French backgrounds come with natural allure.

Cons

• It’s such a simple remake that sucks out personality.
• A linear thriller that stays in its lane to a detriment.
• Woo’s just not hitting action on the same level.

The Killer is now available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.

WATCH ON PEACOCK