Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- grim
- procedural
- 1990s action marathon
- crime thriller night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a flat, formulaic, and unnecessarily convoluted chase thriller that fails to generate sustained excitement.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The FBI and MVD know the Jackal primarily through his reputation and must identify him before he reaches his unknown American target.
Declan Mulqueen is recruited from an American prison because his past ties to Isabella and the Jackal make him uniquely useful.
The film joins FBI and MVD personnel, Russian mob retaliation, terrorism, and a Washington assassination plot in a polished studio thriller format.
The agencies race to determine whom the Jackal has been hired to kill, with intelligence pointing toward FBI Director Donald Brown.
Films like The Jackal, and why
The Day of the Jackal
international assassin pursuit, counterterrorism operations, and procedural cat-and-mouse suspense
The Bourne Identity
globetrotting espionage thriller centered on a professional killer and an urgent manhunt
Patriot Games
high-stakes political assassination plot, covert operations, and relentless pursuit
The Siege
1990s action thriller combining organized crime, terrorism, law enforcement, and star-driven confrontations
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Caton-Jones
- Release Date
- 1997-11-14
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (2222)
Cast
- Bruce Willis
- Richard Gere
- Sidney Poitier
- Diane Venora
- J.K. Simmons
- Mathilda May
- John Cunningham
- Jack Black
- Stephen Spinella
- Tess Harper
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Jackal about?
- An imprisoned IRA operative teams with skeptical American and Russian investigators to track a master-of-disguise assassin before a politically explosive Washington hit.
- What is The Jackal like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Jackal as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Jackal violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Jackal as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Jackal?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a flat, formulaic, and unnecessarily convoluted chase thriller that fails to generate sustained excitement.
- Which films are like The Jackal?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day of the Jackal, The Bourne Identity, Patriot Games, and The Siege.
- How long is The Jackal?
- The Jackal runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Jackal?
- In United States, The Jackal is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
