There did n’t seem to be much of a reason to go intoThe Killerexpecting anything other than an unfortunate disaster . Legendary Hong Kong director John Woo may be one of the most revered public figure in action movie story , but it has been a long time since he ’s take a thriller of actual note . Couple that with the fact thatThe Killeris an English - language remaking that nobody asked for of one of his best and most well - known films , and what you get is a healthy amount of deep skepticism from even the most passionate sports fan of Woo ’s body of work .
By the sentence it was denote thatThe Killerwas belong to skip a theatrical run altogether and premiere exclusively onPeacock , the flick already seemed from the exterior looking in to be dead on arrival . Imagine this author ’s surprisal then when it turns out thatThe Killeris — strictly and plainly — a lotof fun . It is n’t anything specially exceptional and , as far as C - movie action thriller go , it has little more decease for it than Woo ’s supremely stylish , lighthearted direction . Fortunately , that ’s still a lot more than what most modern streaming originals have these days .
The Killersticks somewhat closely to the plot and recipe of its parent motion picture . Like that 1989 classic , the new thriller follows assassin Zee ( Nathalie Emmanuel ) whose long - abeyant conscience is awoken after an innocent bystander , Jenn ( Diana Silvers ) , is blind and marked for death during a hitting . As she tries to save Jenn and refine some of her past error , Zee crosses path with a determined law detective , Sey ( Lupinstar Omar Sy ) , who ultimately has more in common with her than either could ever have imagined . These plot stage are all pulled directly from Woo ’s originalKiller , but neither the film maker nor any of the remake ’s screenwriters , Brian Helgeland , Josh Campbell , and Matt Stuecken , sprain out to be overly devoted to its rootage textile .
Woo does n’t so much deviate from the itinerary that he lay out for himself 35 years ago as he finds a new way of life of walking down it . With a few noteworthy exceptions , the new picture show plays out very likewise to how its predecessor does , but Woo test with this year’sKillerthat what happens in a moving-picture show is never more authoritative than how it stock itself . In the case of his latest film , Woo has chosen to trade the hard - knuckle , bloody ferocity of his beloved 1989 thriller for a brilliant , more colourful look and more comedic deportment . By swop the gender of his redemption - seeking bravo this sentence around , he has also opened the door for a playful and coquettish dynamic to emerge between Emmanuel ’s Zee and Sy ’s Sey that suits bothThe Killer‘s lighter action - clowning aspiration and its Parisian setting .
Emmanuel , at first , seems too unshakable to suit the more jovial nature of the film that surrounds her , but the formerGame of Thronesactress step by step undo up over the form ofThe Killer‘s 128 - minute runtime . Her carrying into action greatly improves once she ’s able to start sharing the cover with Sy , the Gallic movie superstar who pose a hazard to be as wizardly as ever here . The two bounce off each other well and elevateThe Killer‘s third act — even when the film seems in peril of fall back its endearing elegance — by literally throwing themselves into its physically demanding challenge . Opposite her two co - stars , Silvers take a refreshingly low - key , Gen Z energy to a plastic film that is n’t interested in giving her much else to do than be in danger .
ThisKillerisn’t ample on case exploitation or the sort of gamy - intensity level melodrama of its parent film . It is , alternatively , a remaking of Brobdingnagian personality and knavish , beguiling vibraharp . That may just be another elbow room of say that it is a two - hour alibi for Woo to try out and show off stylistically , butThe Killergives you plenty of rationality not to envy it for that . Whether it be Zee ’s rain - soaked , neon - lit entryway into a Parisian nightclub , a dance between her and an unsuspecting gangster that proves to be a prelude to a battle of sword and guns , or the brief representative of tear - screen that both keepThe Killermoving at a unwavering pace and dual as expedited exposition dumps , Woo continuously finds novel ways to defend your attention .
The moving-picture show ’s action sequences are few and further between than viewers will probably expect , and none of them turn up to be quite as intemperately - hit or explosively draw up as the shootouts of the originalKiller . sealed New shortcuts , like bursts of CGI blood and green - screen door metal plating , mar some set pieces as well . For the most part , though , Woo pulls offThe Killer‘s vehement confrontation and heater - riddle chase with welcome humor and directorial grace . That is specially genuine of one centre meeting between Zee and Sey in which composer Marco Beltrami amply sweep up the motion-picture show ’s jazzy , ’ 60s - inspire elements and Woo detect the distance for even more memorable , vivid persona — like one of a unreasoning and confused Jenn sit down unknowingly in the middle of a standoff between Emmanuel ’s assassin and Sy ’s detective .
Does any of this mean thatThe Killeris as good as its 1989 precursor ? utterly not , nor is it specify to be remember as fondly . It seems more probable , in fact , that it will finish up being draw a blank like so many of the other streaming - exclusive action movies that have been released over the past six ( or so ) years . It is a whole lot practiced and more gratifying than many of those films , though . Even more importantly , it suggests that Woo actually still has more to give us . That he find a manner to rise that by revisiting one of his own past works is as unexpected as it is laudable . One can only desire that his next film keep an eye on through on the promise of his latest .
Either way , it feels like a sure stroke of poetic justice that Woo has found a newfangled sense of life and enthusiasm inThe Killer , a remaking about — among other things — someone who is very beneficial at what they do realizing that it ’s never too previous to become things around . That may or may not be true for bloodthirsty paid assassins , but it undoubtedly is for movie maker of Woo ’s caliber .
The Killeris cyclosis now onPeacock .
