Hitman Joe Flood (Dave Bautista) finally sees a future for himself when he falls for ballet dancer Maize (Sofia Boutella). But upon learning he’s terminally ill, he puts a $2 million hit out on himself to go out on his own terms.
The film that would become The Killer’s Game has been hanging around for roughly three decades now – the first draft having been penned way back in 1995. While it has, perhaps admirably, finally made its way to the screen, the final result might indicate why it took 30 years to get there: the film is a hodgepodge of hitman clichés, cartoonish ultra-violence, and underwritten character drama that emerges both undercooked and endlessly reheated, a forgettable John Wick knock-off.
It’s not for lack of trying. Eventual director J.J. Perry has assembled an all-star cast for his hitman face-off, across the spectrum of hulking hardmen (Dave Bautista, Brit powerhouse Scott Adkins), dependable action stars (Terry Crews, Sofia Boutella), and pure thespian talent (Ben Kingsley, Alex Kingston). But these pieces never cohere into a satisfying whole – the character work is flatly directed and the visuals often dour and desaturated, clashing awkwardly with the outlandish action and video-gamey roster of colourful assassins. While a mid-movie twist lands well, The Killer’s Game’s leery sense of laddish humour and guitar-chugging score leave it feeling like an early 2000s relic. Sadly, not in a fun way.
The Killer’s Game mostly feels like it’s cheating you of your time.
Where Perry gets it right is in the fight choreography and action design. His background in stunts shines through – lining up wince-worthy body-blows, extravagantly violent flourishes (a neck dragged across the shards of a broken mirror frame), and moments of slow-mo cool. There are flashes of impressive style, too: he introduces his line-up of hit-people by spelling their names in bloody viscera or lines of cocaine; a montage that flits between Bautista’s dirty work and his blossoming relationship with Boutella’s dancer sees an explosive headshot transition seamlessly into a ballet move.
-But when everything around it is so unconvincing – cheap, often poorly performed (Kingsley flatlines, with an unpindownable pan-European accent), and doused in despicably unconvincing CG blood-spatters – The Killer’s Game mostly feels like it’s cheating you of your time. Not a direct hit.
Despite a handful of cool moments, The Killer’s Game turns out to be one not worth playing.
