Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- chaotic
- darkly comic
- classic comedy night
- french cinema night
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hitman Ralf Milan’s controlled assignment is repeatedly disrupted by François Pignon’s distress and intrusive behavior.
Pignon’s suicidal crisis and Milan’s lethal profession are treated through absurd, escalating comic situations.
The hotel becomes the central pressure cooker after Pignon’s attempt floods Milan’s room and traps the hitman in delays.
Milan begins focused on killing a court witness but is continually pulled into Pignon’s personal crisis.
Films like A Pain in the Ass, and why
The Dinner Game
Shares French comic timing, escalating mismatched companionship, and a professionally dangerous predicament.
Les Compères
Shares Francis Veber-style farce, an exasperated straight man paired with an intrusive companion, and escalating situational chaos.
The Odd Couple
Shares a crime-comedy setup, darkly comic reversals, and mismatched male partners trapped by circumstance.
Movie Details
- Director
- Édouard Molinaro
- Release Date
- 1973-09-20
- Runtime
- 85 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (266)
Cast
- Lino Ventura
- Jacques Brel
- Caroline Cellier
- Jean-Pierre Darras
- Nino Castelnuovo
- Michele Gammino
- Xavier Depraz
- François Dyrek
- André Valardy
- Angela Cardile
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Kino Film Collection
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Pain in the Ass about?
- A ruthless hitman’s carefully timed assignment collapses into an absurd hotel-room ordeal when a suicidal stranger makes himself impossible to ignore.
- What is A Pain in the Ass like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Pain in the Ass as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Pain in the Ass violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Pain in the Ass as mild.
- Which films are like A Pain in the Ass?
- Films with a similar feel include The Dinner Game, Les Compères, and The Odd Couple.
- How long is A Pain in the Ass?
- A Pain in the Ass runs 85 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Pain in the Ass?
- In United States, A Pain in the Ass streams on Kino Film Collection.
