20 Best Hitman Movies, Ranked According to IMDb

Hitmen make for actually fascinating protagonists in movie. They’re thrilling by nature, as ruthless figures who kill individuals with skilled precision, they normally function lethal villains within the movies they seem in reasonably than as violent heroes. Nevertheless, be they motion blockbusters, contemplative dramas, and even black comedies, many films solid contract killers as the primary attraction to delve into the human situation and discover the ethical conundrums surrounding life and dying whereas providing a sensational spectacle besides.

These hitman films give attention to contract killers for legal associations reasonably than political assassins or authorities operatives, reveling within the shady underbelly of the world the place violent and ruthless characters wait round each nook. Starting from Quentin Tarantino classics to masterpieces of worldwide cinema, these movies are amongst the perfect hitman films ever made, and so they have excessive IMDb scores to assist them.

20 ‘The Killer’ (2023)

IMDb Rating: 6.7/10

A Netflix unique, The Killer marks the twelfth characteristic movie by acclaimed director David Fincher, to not point out his fifth collaboration with Netflix, and sees the meticulous filmmaker in positive type. With components of motion, crime-thriller, and drama, it follows an murderer who, after a job goes improper, embarks on a global manhunt to trace down and kill his employers.

The Killer showcases Fincher’s perfectionism, mixing genres because the Killer’s (Michael Fassbender) inner monologue of strict guidelines comes more and more at odds together with his actions. The arrogance within the filmmaking is a deal with to observe, with the film’s briskness by no means glossing over the kills whereas by no means slowing down for them both, whereas Fassbender’s efficiency is characteristically elegant. The Killer is certain to develop into a cherished gem inside Fincher’s filmography, already garnering a small however potent fanbase.

19 ‘The Iceman’ (2012)

IMDb Rating: 6.8/10

The Iceman is a criminal offense drama that may lay declare to being a biographical image given its free foundation on American hitman Richard Kuklinski (portrayed by Michael Shannon), a killer for rent who was convicted of 4 murders in 1988, although he claimed to have killed upwards of 100 individuals. The movie focuses on Kuklinski as he carries out the killings whereas maintaining his violent life hidden from his household.

Whereas the movie was considerably hampered by just a few plot points and a few weak moments, Michael Shannon’s suitably chilling efficiency because the notorious Iceman instructions the display screen with such presence that it’s inconceivable to not be entranced by him. With a superb supporting solid round him, the performances alone make The Iceman a necessary movie for all lovers of hitman flicks and crime cinema.

18 ‘The Equalizer’ (2014)

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

An motion thriller that packs a punch and efficiently launched a movie trilogy, 2014’s The Equalizer re-adapted the ‘80s tv sequence of the identical identify with aptly crowd-pleasing outcomes. It stars Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a former U.S. Marine who has left his violent previous behind him, however when he sees a teenage woman being abused by the Russian mobsters she works for, he steps in to expel justice and ensures the woman stays secure.

Whereas it flaunted some fashion and loads of motion violence, it was largely Washington’s typically brilliant and weighty lead performance that noticed the movie thrive. Coupled with director Antoine Faqua’s eagerness to make use of small particulars to floor the vigilante hero as a violent saint amid a corrupt and merciless world, The Equalizer proved to be an simply likable and triumphant motion movie with loads of leisure worth besides.

17 ‘Bullet Prepare’ (2022)

IMDb Rating: 7.3/10

A fun-loving and vibrant motion romp set aboard a high-speed practice in Japan, Bullet Train stands as one other stylistic, crowd-pleasing triumph for director David Leitch. It sees Brad Pitt star as Ladybug, an unfortunate and contemplative murderer who’s tasked with retrieving a briefcase from the practice. Nevertheless, he crosses paths with a number of different employed weapons, every with their very own goals that span from revenge to defending the son of a criminal offense lord.

Whereas critics had been combined on the movie, normal audiences appeared to embrace it with much more heat, as is evidenced by its sturdy IMDb rating and its spectacular box office intake of $239.2 million. At its greatest, Bullet Prepare is a relentless motion spectacle that piles on the laughs to supply exhilarating and pure leisure.

16 ‘This Gun For Rent’ (1942)

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

One thing of a forgotten gem of noir cinema from Hollywood’s Golden Age, This Gun For Rent is the movie that launched Alan Ladd to superstardom and likewise excels as a gripping hitman thriller that has aged gracefully over the a long time. A part of the rationale for this has been its complicated story and its ethical ambiguity, guaranteeing that cheering for a roguish antihero isn’t actually an possibility.

It follows a sadistic gunman who, upon studying he has been paid in marked payments, vows to take revenge on his double-crossing employer. Nevertheless, the scenario grows difficult when the shooter falls in with considered one of his employer’s new entertainers, who simply so occurs to be the girlfriend of the detective trying into the case. Forward of its time, Ladd’s efficiency because the hitman was distinctive in its period, giving the movie a definite edge that not solely made the actor a star, however gave the image a permanent timelessness as properly.

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15 ‘The American Pal’ (1977)

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

Primarily based on Ripley’s Game by Patricia Highsmith, Wim Wenders‘ 1977 psychological thriller The American Pal is a suitably gripping movie about an imperfect hit that bears dire penalties. It follows American expatriate Tom (Dennis Hopper), who makes a dwelling promoting cast artworks, as he participates in a homicide scheme for some further money. In want of a gunman who received’t discuss, Tom decides to make use of Jonathan (Bruno Ganz), a determined household man dying of most cancers, however his ineptitude as a hitman spells hassle for all concerned.

Along with its exploration of ethical corruption, The American Pal additionally capitalizes on an alluring visible show and two intriguingly juxtaposed performances between the eccentricity of Hopper and the stoicism of Ganz. Surprisingly grounded given its story, the movie could be a problem to know on first viewing, however its somber humanity makes it price experiencing.

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14 ‘Looper’ (2012)

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

Hitman narratives entwine fantastically with an unlimited vary of various genres, one thing Rian Johnson proved with wonderful outcomes together with his sci-fi thriller Looper. Set in 2074, it follows a hitman who’s paid by gangsters 30 years sooner or later to execute targets despatched again in time, thus eradicating their deaths from the long run world fully. Nevertheless, the scenario grows risky in the time loop movie when Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is confronted together with his personal future self who escapes the hit.

It served as a serious breakthrough within the context of Johnson’s profession, with the writer-director being celebrated in equal components for his sturdy, atmospheric route and his clever, unique, and thought-provoking story. Bolstered by wonderful supporting performances from Emily Blunt and Bruce Willis, Looper stays one of many sharpest sci-fi movies of the century with an intense and gripping hitman story besides.

13 ‘John Wick’ (2014)

IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

Because the spearhead of an enormous resurgence in violent and enjoyable motion cinema in America, John Wick is a scintillating revenge film that grew to become an immediate pop-culture phenomenon. It stars Keanu Reeves because the titular hero, a legendary hitman grieving his spouse’s dying in retirement when the son of a Russian gangster steals his automobile and kills his canine, setting John Wick on a brutal quest for revenge.

As an all-out motion spectacle, John Wick is much less preoccupied with utilizing hitmen as a thematic catalyst to discover human morality. As a substitute, it is all about delivering exhilarating motion thrills, with director Chad Stahelski’s expertise as a stuntman coming to the fore within the extremely choreographed fight sequences. John Wick has spawned an extensive series and a tv spin-off, whereas Reeves’ now iconic hitman has develop into nearly mythic within the eyes of motion lovers in all places.

12 ‘A Bittersweet Life’ (2005)

IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

From South Korea, A Bittersweet Life is a heart-pounding and stylistically violent crime thriller that excels as each a neo-noir hitman flick and an out-and-out motion delight. It follows Lee Byung-hun‘s Kim Sun-woo, a revered hitman in a legal empire, whose refusal to homicide his boss’s dishonest mistress ignites a risky gang struggle that sees many crooks find yourself lifeless as Kim is ruthlessly pursued by his former mob.

The movie dances with the tropes of the style with grace and punch, reveling within the ultra-violent mayhem it explores whereas nonetheless making Kim Solar-woo a compelling character bolstered by Byung-hun’s sturdy and nuanced efficiency. With chaos, carnage, choreographed kills, and character drama, A Bittersweet Life accommodates one thing for everybody, making it a preferred hitman film and among the best South Korean movies this century.

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11 ‘Collateral’ (2004)

IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

Because the strongest movie of famend filmmaker Michael Mann’s profession for the reason that flip of the century, Collateral flies by as an adrenaline-pumping crime thriller with a superb, confined narrative. It follows a cab driver in Los Angeles who realizes that the fare he’s been taking to a number of places is definitely a contract killer finishing up quite a lot of hits for a drug lord. As he learns the reality, Max (Jamie Foxx) struggles to discover a approach to interrupt the homicide spree whereas maintaining himself alive.

It combined a hard-edged, gritty depth with an enthralling, pacy story to be a richly immersive motion thriller, one bolstered by a really sensible against-type performance from Tom Cruise who portrayed the chilly and environment friendly killer, Vincent. Whereas Cruise’s efficiency surprisingly didn’t earn recognition, Collateral did internet Academy Award nominations for its movie enhancing and for Jamie Foxx’s supporting efficiency.

10 ‘Fallen Angels’ (1995)

IMDb Rating: 7.6/10

Typically heralded as being one of many finest films to have come from Hong Kong, Fallen Angels sees the mesmerizing Wong Kar-Wai at his stylistic greatest. A hanging and visually astounding meditation on loneliness, it focuses on a hitman making an attempt to interrupt free from his lifetime of crime whereas being the goal of his accomplice’s affections. The story additionally intersects with the journey of a mute ex-convict on the run.

There’s an overbearing sense of tragedy to the Fallen Angels because the thematic give attention to social alienation within the fashionable world clashes with a cynical comedic punch and its apparent crime attract by way of a sequence of hypnotic vignettes. A stylistic delight, Fallen Angels was properly obtained by each followers and critics upon launch and has solely received over extra followers within the years since.

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9 ‘Highway to Perdition’ (2002)

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

A gripping interval crime drama that was really based mostly on DC Comics’ graphic novel series of the identical identify, Highway to Perdition was a thematically hefty thriller with a wonderful sense of favor besides. Whereas slower than most different hitman films, Highway to Perdition makes use of its refined tempo to emphasise its central thematic give attention to the relationships between fathers and sons whereas additionally exploring the results of violence.

Set in the course of the Nice Despair, it follows a mob hitman who should go on the run together with his son after the kid witnesses a gangland killing, thus attracting the wrath of the mob within the type of the boss’ petulant son, Connor Rooney (Daniel Craig). With a blinding visible show, a powerful directorial outing from Sam Mendes in simply his second movie, and two aptly elegant performances from Tom Hanks and Paul Newman, Highway to Perdition grew to become an arresting movie that explored hitmen slightly in a different way from many different films.

8 John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

Whereas the primary two sequels to John Wick upheld the unique’s motion heft and sense of favor, John Wick: Chapter 4 noticed the franchise soar to even better heights. Regardless of working for nearly three hours, the motion spectacle hardly ever has a uninteresting second and none of its fight sequences overstay their welcome, with director Chad Stahelski crafting a visible show of entrancing balletic brutality.

It follows John Wick as he figures out a approach to carry down the Excessive Desk and earn his freedom, solely to be confronted by formidable foes from all world wide hoping to assert the bounty on his head. Because it stands, John Wick: Chapter 4 could well be the last installment within the saga, marking a wonderful outro to among the best motion film sequence ever and Keanu Reeves’ immediately iconic hitman.

7 ‘The Killer’ (1989)

IMDb Rating: 7.7/10

One of many best and most underrated motion movies of all time, 1989’s The Killer grew to become an immediate worldwide success although it struggled to carry out in its native Hong Kong initially. It follows Ah Jong (Chow Yun-Fats), an elite hitman who decides to take one remaining mission after retirement to safe remedy for a nightclub singer he unintentionally blinded together with his muzzle flash in a gangland shootout.

A stunning presentation of favor, The Killer finds a balletic magnificence inside its shoot-em-up spectacle and its sensational dedication to blood and gore. Nevertheless, it additionally manages to carry on to a gripping philosophical intrigue because it offers with its difficult characters. At this time, The Killer stands as a quintessential basic for lovers of worldwide cinema and has been an inspiration for a lot of famend administrators, including filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.

6 ‘In Bruges’ (2008)

IMDb Rating: 7.9/10

Hitman films so usually enthrall us with their life-and-death stakes and their give attention to the morality of violent characters, concepts which can be normally considered by way of a dramatic lens. Martin McDonagh as an alternative determined to discover the complexity of employed killers as a morbid black comedy with In Bruges following two hitmen – Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) – as they’re despatched to Bruges, Belgium after a job goes horribly improper.

As McDonagh’s first characteristic movie, it was a powerful show from the playwright, which emphasised his absurdist but razor-sharp comedic skills and his knack for ultra-violence and confronting characters. In Bruges is a powerful exploration of innocence, morality, and the which means of life, elevated by two delightfully depraved turns from Farrell and Gleeson. Whereas it was initially heralded as a cult basic, its acclaim has steadily grown as McDonagh has develop into a extra distinguished filmmaker to be a contemporary black comedy basic outlined by its tormented characters and skewered morality.

5 ‘Le Samouraï’ (1967)

IMDb Rating: 8/10

Heralded as being one of many coolest films ever made, Le Samouraï has proven to be a timeless film of serious affect. It follows a hitman who learns of a witness to his killing of a nightclub proprietor however is arrested earlier than he can react. Having been launched when the witness doesn’t come ahead, he finds himself being tailed by the police whereas he investigates who gave him the botched job and tried to have him killed.

The movie is sparse however impactful, with director Jean-Pierre Melville giving it a hanging neo-noir aesthetic enhanced by his meticulous use of sunshine and coloration. It additionally accommodates little or no dialogue and as an alternative depends on the bodily performances and facial expressions of its main stars, Alain Delon and Nathalie Delon. With its intense ambiance an element as properly, Le Samouraï is a basic of worldwide cinema and a masterpiece of the crime style.

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4 ‘Kill Invoice: Vol. 1’ (2003)

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

Providing emphatic proof that ladies excel on the planet of contract killing simply in addition to males, Kill Bill Vol. 1 is a surprising show of ultra-violent motion the place Uma Thurman makes the Bride an iconic heroine on a quest for revenge. After waking up from a coma 4 years after her ex-boss and murderous colleagues attacked her on her wedding ceremony day, the Bride seeks to choose off “The Lethal Vipers” one after the other and has no qualms about killing individuals who get in her approach.

A masterful motion movie from Quentin Tarantino, Kill Invoice is rife with fashion, spectacle, and blood splatter and desperate to honor many revenge thrillers that got here earlier than. One of many all-time great martial arts movies, Kill Invoice ends with a climactic sequence that’s, fairly merely, the stuff of cinematic legend. The movie has not misplaced any of its energetic, alluring fervor since its launch – quite the opposite, it will get higher with every new 12 months.

3 ‘No Nation for Outdated Males’ (2007)

IMDb Rating: 8.2/10

Whereas there could possibly be some attractive debate about whether or not No Country for Old Men is the best hitman film ever made, few would deny that it accommodates the very best and most terrifying hitman ever put to screen. Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is a pure psychopath employed by Cartel members to retrieve a satchel full of cash, setting him in opposition to Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a hunter who occurred throughout the aftermath of a shootout and stole the money.

A gripping crime thriller that’s arguably the Coen Brothers’ greatest movie thus far, No Nation for Outdated Males is rife with intriguing twists and heart-pounding sequences. The movie received 4 Oscars – together with Finest Image – from seven nominations. It is without doubt one of the highest-rated films of its style on IMDb, sitting entrenched throughout the web site’s top 250 movies of all time.

2 ‘Leon: The Skilled’ (1994)

IMDb Rating: 8.5/10

A pulsating and surprisingly affecting motion thriller that has develop into one of the defining movies of the Nineteen Nineties, Leon: The Professional stays Luc Besson’s best movie so far. It follows Mathilda (Natalie Portman), a 12-year-old woman whose household is murdered by a corrupt and risky DEA agent. She finds shelter together with her neighbor, an expert hitman by the identify of Leon (Jean Reno).

With Mathilda’s rising need for revenge and her training beneath Leon because the running-through line, the movie leans into attention-grabbing concepts on human relationships, which had been realized by highly effective performances from Reno and a debuting Portman. With Gary Oldman enjoying the eccentric villain, The Skilled succeeds as a rewarding arthouse action film and a disturbing but heartfelt hitman thriller.

1 ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994)

IMDb Rating: 8.9/10

Pulp Fiction is an thrilling, suave, and relentlessly enjoyable crime flick that has develop into a defining success within the profession of Quentin Tarantino. It follows quite a lot of criminals by way of their interwoven tales in L.A.’s legal underbelly. Nevertheless, its de-facto central characters are Vincent Vega (John Travolta), an skilled hitman who should entertain the boss’s spouse for an evening, and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), Vincent’s accomplice in crime who not too long ago returned from Europe and experiences a religious epiphany after a near-death expertise.

Wealthy with a classy neo-noir attract, extreme violence, and tons of black comedian hilarity, Pulp Fiction was a pivotal movie within the context of contemporary cinema and has misplaced none of its influence within the a long time since. It’s extensively considered being the defining film of 1990s cinema, with many viewing it to be among the many best footage of all time, a notion evidenced by its unbelievable IMDb score, which makes it the eighth highest-rated film on the web site total.

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