Overview
A former gangster's past catches up with him in a deadly game of survival.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- sardonic
- tense
- fatalistic
- crime movie night
- road movie double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply written, stylish crime road movie elevated by its performances and dark humor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Willie is abducted in Spain and transported toward Paris, with the journey structuring the film's escalating encounters.
The restrained Willie, volatile Braddock, and inexperienced Myron are trapped together during the escort mission.
The hitmen's banter and Willie's detached responses undercut the threat of kidnapping and impending violence.
Willie's decade of hiding in Spain is disrupted when his former associates finally send men to retrieve him.
Films like The Hit, and why
The Long Good Friday
shares a darkly comic crime road movie structure, criminal protagonists, and uneasy companionship
Get Carter
shares fatalistic gangster drama, sharp dialogue, and morally compromised characters
Sexy Beast
shares a tense criminal journey, sardonic humor, and shifting loyalties among dangerous men
In Bruges
shares a bleakly comic crime odyssey and odd-couple tension during a perilous journey
Movie Details
- Director
- Stephen Frears
- Release Date
- 1984-09-07
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (243)
Cast
- John Hurt
- Terence Stamp
- Tim Roth
- Laura del Sol
- Bill Hunter
- Fernando Rey
- Jim Broadbent
- Lennie Peters
- Bernie Searle
- Brian Royal
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Best of British Tv Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Hit about?
- A betrayed ex-gangster is dragged across Spain toward Paris by two mismatched hitmen in a mordantly funny, dangerous road thriller.
- What is The Hit like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Hit as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Hit violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Hit as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Hit?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sharply written, stylish crime road movie elevated by its performances and dark humor.
- Which films are like The Hit?
- Films with a similar feel include The Long Good Friday, Get Carter, Sexy Beast, and In Bruges.
- How long is The Hit?
- The Hit runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Hit?
- In United States, The Hit streams on Amazon Prime Video, Criterion Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Best of British Tv Amazon Channel.
