15. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
An assassin coming to his high school reunion is like blending oil with water—but in this black comedy, they somehow blend together well.
Grosse Pointe Blankfeatures John Cusack as assassin Martin Blank, who visits his hometown of Grosse Pointe to finish a mission. Luckily, his high school reunion takes place there, so he has the perfect cover.
Beneath his sly charm and dry humor, Cusack brings a kind of wit that draws us in even as we watch him jump from killing scenes to reunion antics. The dark humor is an oddly welcome source of comic relief.
Related:The Best Black Comedy Movies With Darkly Morbid Humor
14. Hanna (2011)
InHanna, Saoirse Ronan plays a young assassin who’s raised by her father (played by Eric Bana) in the wilderness under tough and stealthy circumstances.
When father and daughter become targets of a CIA operation headed up by Marissa Wiegler (played by Cate Blanchett), Hanna swiftly readies what she’s been conditioned and trained to do.
Hannadeviates from the usual assassin-thriller formula by using a fairy tale-like template: the father prepares his child against evil and the child vanquishes said evil. Here, director Joe Wright pulls no punches in the grit and the violence. Cold and sleek,Hannatruly kills.
Related:The Best Movies About Father-Daughter Relationships
13. Sicario (2015)
The CIA has always been a favorite subject for assassin movies that attempt to uncover the flaws in the system. Through the lens of Roger Deakins,Sicariohighlights it all in full.
This thriller follows FBI agent Kate Macer (played by Emily Blunt) as she joins a task force in taking down a powerful Mexican drug cartel.
Slow tension, heavy action, and sharp cinematography define this Denis Villeneuve flick, but its crowning achievement is its character study of the assassin Gillick (played by Benicio del Toro), who goes through a compelling arc that messes with the mind.
Related:The Best Suspense Thriller Movies That Are Seriously Intense
12. The Killers (1964)
If you’re looking for a satire of thrillers that’s based on a story by Ernest Hemingway,The Killersis for you.
This crime noir film follows two professional killers—Charlie (played by Lee Marvin) and Lee (played by Clu Gulager)—who, after a botched assignment, try to deduce the identity of the one who recruited them.
There’s actually an older version ofThe Killersfrom 1946, but this one brings the best of Lee Marvin and his gritty persona that works so well here. The bits of dry wit and hitman satire never detract from Marvin’s committed performance and action.
Related:The Best Serial Killer Movies of All Time, Ranked
11. The Bourne Identity (2002)
TheBournefranchise took us on a winding journey about tracking down the amnesiac operative Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon).
WhileThe Bourne Ultimatumgave us the most intense action of the original trilogy,The Bourne Identityhad the most compelling characterization for Jason Bourne himself.
In this first movie, Bourne—who wakes up and doesn’t remember who he is—discovers his link to a past CIA operation, which causes panic in the organization as Bourne hunts them down.
Matt Damon makes a great first impression as the assassin on the run. Match that with slow-burn action, a cold atmosphere, and reliable support from Franka Potente, and you have a sharp spy film.
Related:The Best Spy Movies for Espionage Thriller Fans, Ranked
10. Collateral (2004)
InCollateral, Tom Cruise had the rare opportunity to play the antagonist—and in a Michael Mann thriller, no less.
This one follows cab driver Max (played by Jamie Foxx) who’s coerced by his hitman passenger Vincent (played by Tom Cruise) to take him to several locations, where he inevitably takes down his targets.
Beneath the Los Angeles streetlights and frigid tone, we get a slow and tense thriller as we watch Cruise push the limits of his character in a most nerve-wracking way.
Under Michael Mann’s direction and Paul Rubell’s editing,Collateralbecame an unforgettable thriller with no escape.
9. Looper (2012)
Directed by famed genre-bender Rian Johnson,Looperblends two high-concept genres into one mind-blowing action-thriller flick.
It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Joe, a present-day contract killer who’s tasked with eliminating victims who are sent back in time from the future. But one day, when his older self (played by Bruce Willis) appears, he stalls and struggles with the moral dilemma.
The young-person-meets-older-self trope is a common one in time-travel thrillers, but Johnson adds several layers to the story that turn the genre on its head. The action sequences are sharp, the characters are enthralling, and the final twist changes it all.
Related:The Best Time Travel Movies of All Time, Ranked
8. In Bruges (2008)
From renowned writer Martin McDonagh comesIn Bruges, a black comedy of errors about two contract killers.
While Ray (played by Colin Farrell) and Ken (played by Brendan Gleeson) hide out in the Belgian town of Bruges, they grow increasingly at odds with their boss Harry (played by Ralph Fiennes).
Martin McDonagh can find humor and absurdity in the most tragic of situations, and the resulting script is excellent with razor-sharp exchanges between Ray and Ken about morality and murder.
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7. Léon: The Professional (1994)
Léon: The Professionalfollows a hitman named Léon (played by Jean Reno) who lets the twelve-year-old Mathilda (played by Natalie Portman) stay with him after her family is killed by corrupt DEA agent Norman Stansfield (played by Gary Oldman).
As Léon and Mathilda form a bond, Mathilda also learns the tricks of Léon’s trade as a contract killer.
While several scenes focus on Léon’s assignments and his pursuits against the relentless Stansfield, the heart of the movie rests in his relationship with Mathilda.
Related:The Best Movies About Redemption and Atonement, Ranked
6. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino is a connoisseur of contract killer characters in his movies, fromReservoir DogstoDjango Unchained.
But he first struck gold withPulp Fiction, in which nearly every character could be a hidden-in-plain-sight hitman roaming the sunny streets of Los Angeles.
The focus of the film is on Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (played by Samuel L. Jackson), two assassins assigned to recover a mysterious suitcase.
While Vega is chill and nonchalant, Winnfield is extremely passionate as to the liberty of his position. Both end up being iconic hitmen characters who still remain legendary to this day.
Related:The Best Indie Movies of the 1990s, Ranked
5. Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Mr. & Mrs. Smithmay not have the sharpest script, the sleekest action, or the best legacy. So, why are we ranking it so highly? Because it raised the standard for spy movies carried by two charismatic leads.
InMr. & Mrs. Smith, John Smith (played by Brad Pitt) and Jane Smith (played by Angelina Jolie) are an estranged married couple who are bored with their upper-class lifestyle.
More than that, unbeknownst to each other, they both lead secret double lives as assassins for competing agencies.
One day, the truth comes to light—when they’re both tasked with killing each other. Cue sporadic action and thrills, complete with exquisite chemistry between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
Related:The Best Movies About Killer Couples, Ranked
4. La Femme Nikita (1990)
La Femme Nikitacenters on the eponymous teen criminal Nikita (played by Anne Parillaud), who was sent to prison for killing cops but was actually contracted by the government as a professional assassin.
When a special mission goes awry, Nikita goes on the run to find out the true perpetrator.
Though this action flick lacks confidence as a cold-hearted thriller, it finds its groove in the titular assassin. Despite all her flaws, Nikita is a cool assassin who paved the way for more female-centric assassin movies, remakes, and TV spin-offs.
Related:The Best Female Anti-Heroes in Movies, Ranked
3. John Wick (2014)
Before his Hollywood renaissance, Keanu Reeves had his share of thrillers in which he played conflicted operatives and cold assassins. ThenJohn Wickcame along in 2014 and skyrocketed him back to stardom—and for good reason!
Nobody really expected it to take off like it did, butJohn Wicknailed everything you’d expect from an assassin thriller: an active protagonist, a well-rounded cast, awesome action set pieces, and an intriguing universe of underground assassins operating within a secret society.
Truth is,John Wickrevolutionized and reinvigorated the idea of the modern action thriller, taking the genre in a new direction while inspiring all kinds of modern action hits afterwards.
Related:The Best Movies Like John Wick, Ranked
2. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Another Quentin Tarantino flick here, showing that he’ll never quite be done with assassin-centered stories. Of them all, bothKill Billfilms stand out as his best, withVol. 1having an edge due to its much larger involvement of various assassin figures.
What makes theKill Billsaga so compelling is the bloody journey of the Black Mamba (played by Uma Thurman) as she overcomes numerous hurdles with nothing but her fierce determination and her katana.
The whole thing is driven by her personal mission of vengeance against her former team of assassins, and it’s oh so satisfying.
Like her codename, she strikes her foes hard with a relentless, remorseless venom that leaves them in her wake—and inVol. 1, we get to witness the Black Mamba’s most unforgettable kills and moments.
Related:The Best Revenge Movies About Vengeance and Payback
1. No Country for Old Men (2007)
To this day,No Country for Old Menby the Coen brothers remains the greatest movie about assassins and hitmen. Why? Because it doesn’t sugarcoat, glorify, or exalt the profession.
On the contrary,No Country for Old Mentakes that very aspect of genre escapism and makes it the cruelest element of its story.
Based on the Cormac McCarthy novel,No Country for Old Menfollows a Vietnam War veteran (played by Josh Brolin) who’s tracked down by hitman Anton Chigurh (played by Javier Bardem), which prompts a local sheriff (played by Tommy Lee Jones) to investigate.
With brilliant direction by the Coens, this thriller leaves no room for comfort—and that’s mainly due to Bardem’s performance, who elevates this fictional hitman into a living, breathing nightmare.
No Country for Old Menis a neo-Western in which no one wins but Chigurh’s malice and cynicism. He’s the most frightening hitman in cinema history, bar none.
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