Yeah, I’ve only just recently watched this movie. Sue me.
There are two things about this movie that I think makes it stand out from other action movies. It’s ability for you to sympathize with the main character and its world building. On the surface, it seems to be a movie about a man who’s going to kill the people who killed his dog and stole his car. And you’d be right, that’s exactly what it is. The film takes it’s time in introducing these elements, however. It doesn’t begin with a loud opening meant to grab your attention. It begins with the funeral of the main character’s wife and the days of grief that followed. In fact, we don’t even learn that John used to be a feared hitman until 30 min into the movie.
And this is where the world building really shines. Everywhere John goes, people seem to know who he is and what he does. As John reenters his old life, we see the places he used to go, the tools he used to have and the underworld lifestyle that seems to blend with the rest of the world. The world of assassins that exists in this film seems to be just behind the layer of civilization, hidden in plain sight, making John’s trek into his old life an interesting journey.
The only complaint I have is that the action sequences, while impressive in their own right, doesn’t seem to have the same punch that’s seen in Atomic Blonde (also by David Leitch) or The Raid. Though I’m willing to forgive this due to the film’s low budget and it’s other strengths.
So, in conclusion, yeah the film is pretty good. Shame that I hadn’t seen it earlier.
Tim Lilly 