Overview
A secret agent seeks vengeance after being wrongfully imprisoned, leading to a thrilling showdown in Paris.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- sardonic
- tense
- action movie night
- classic european cinema night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joss Beaumont is imprisoned after a covert mission is politically disavowed, then returns to settle accounts with the officials responsible.
Beaumont relies on secret-agent discipline, tactical skill, and personal resolve while opposing his former superiors.
The returned agent moves through Paris while intelligence officials and police attempt to contain his mission.
Beaumont’s vendetta is intertwined with his relationship to Jeanne, giving the espionage plot an emotional counterpoint.
Films like The Professional, and why
The Day of the Jackal
French action cinema, charismatic professional protagonist, revenge-driven espionage, and brisk thriller pacing
Le Samouraï
European spy thriller atmosphere, covert operations, betrayal, and morally complicated intelligence agents
The Last Deadly Mission
Stylish French crime action, lone-wolf professionalism, conspiratorial plotting, and fatalistic tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Georges Lautner
- Release Date
- 1981-10-21
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (615)
Cast
- Jean-Paul Belmondo
- Robert Hossein
- Elisabeth Margoni
- Jean-Louis Richard
- Jean Desailly
- Michel Beaune
- Cyrielle Clair
- Pierre Vernier
- Marie-Christine Descouard
- Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Professional about?
- A betrayed French secret agent escapes captivity and returns to Paris, turning his former employers’ conspiracy into a personal reckoning.
- What is The Professional like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Professional as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Professional violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Professional as moderate.
- Which films are like The Professional?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day of the Jackal, Le Samouraï, and The Last Deadly Mission.
- How long is The Professional?
- The Professional runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Professional?
- In United States, The Professional is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
