‘The Killer’s Game’ is a Mix of Goofy, Sentimental Action

The Killer’s Game

★ ★ ★

Dave Buatista is a lot of fun to watch in action films and his performance as fictional hitman Joe Flood is no exception. Bautista has a physically commanding screen presence, impeccable comedic timing and a diverse range of acting abilities. It serves this film very well and makes it fun to watch despite some of its shortcomings.

Joe Flood is a hitman who kills international criminals. He is very good at his job, plays by the rules and lives by a strict, noble code. He doesn’t kill innocents – no women, no kids. His handler and close friend Zvi (Ben Kingsley) sets him up for contracts but also looks out for his well being. I would imagine, as a hitman, this kind of relationship is imperative to a successful career.

Dave Bautista as Joe Flood
© 2024 Lionsgate

We first see Joe at his best, taking out bodyguards to get to his target in the back hallways of a ballet theater as he makes his way to his target’s private balcony seats. He completes his job and makes eye contact with the ballet’s star dancer, Maize (Sofia Boutella), before leaving the balcony. There are still armed bodyguards, and killing them causes a mass panic among audience members.

As Maize heads off stage, she is trampled by other dancers and stage crew as they try to escape danger. Joe helps Maize get out of the building and disappears before she can thank him.

Joe has been suffering from debilitating headaches on the job, sees his medical specialist, Dr. Kagan (Raffaello Degruttola) who runs some tests.

Zvi convinces Joe to take off some time and recharge. He suggests it would be good for him to meet a woman. Joe takes his advice and tracks down Maize to return her cell phone she had lost in the ballet chaos. The two start a romantic relationship that turns serious fast.

Dave Bautista and Sofia Boutella
© 2024 Lionsgate

Joe falls hard for Maize, and he tells Zvi that he wants to retire and start a life with her. Because Joe has played by the rules, it’ll be very “doable” to get him out.

Joe’s test results come back and he’s told he has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare, incurable, fatal brain disorder that causes mental deterioration. Joe doesn’t want to put Maize through that and asks Zvi to make sure she’s taken care of before he puts a contract out on his own life.

It seems like a lot of time had passed from Joe seeing the doctor, building a romantic relationship with Maize and receiving his test results. It’s one of the many illogical story elements, but the characters work so well together, and the film is pretty fun so far, so who cares?

Moments before the contract is set to start on his life, Joe receives another call from Dr. Kagan. They messed up the test results. He’s not dying after all.

Pom Klementieff as Marianna
© 2024 Lionsgate

Apparently reversing a contract on your own life is just as impossible as resolving a medical insurance billing issue, so Joe must now fight to survive as a rival handler, Marianna (Pom Klementieff), sends every contract killer on her payroll his way.

This is where this film goes from a great action movie to a good action movie.

Joe’s assassins are fantastical, cartoonish, over-the-top and quite out of place given the tone of the rest of the movie. Each assassin seems to be given their own cinematic style that works when presented in their own sequences but is out of step with the other scenes and sequences.

Marko Zaror and Dave Bautista in a sword fight
© 2024 Lionsgate

Bouncing between the cartoon violence reminiscent of Quentin Tarrantino’s ‘Kill Bill’ and the semi-sentimental action film we are first presented lends to a more confused-style narrative that sort of works in some areas and misses the mark in others.

While this certainly could’ve been a much better film, Bautista is the glue that firmly holds this film together and keeps it a fun time at the movies.

Action, Comedy