Assassin Club (2023)

Assassin Club is the kind of slick, globetrotting action thriller that knows exactly what it is: a lean, “turn-off-the-brain” ride built around a delicious hook—hitmen hired to eliminate each other—and it wastes little time cashing in on the paranoia and momentum that premise promises. Henry Golding makes a convincing, charismatic professional who’s tired of the life, and the film uses his weariness as a steady pulse beneath the gunfire, chases, and close-quarters scraps. Director Camille Delamarre keeps the vibe brisk and punchy, hopping across locations with the clean efficiency of a contract and letting the action do the talking even when the story sticks to familiar beats. If you’re looking for deep character study or surprising twists, this may feel by-the-book, but if you want a fast, violent, unapologetically pulpy thriller that delivers its genre pleasures, it’s an easy watch.

Assassin Club is clearly aiming for a slick, globe-trotting “hitmen hunting hitmen” thriller with a clean star vehicle for Henry Golding and a moody cat-and-mouse edge. The problem is it plays like a checklist of familiar assassin-movie beats, with lots of exposition and not enough tension or standout set pieces to make the premise pop. The action is serviceable but rarely exciting, and the dialogue can feel clunky, which makes the whole thing oddly flat for a movie that’s supposed to be pulpy fun. If you’re craving inventive choreography, sharp plotting, or a fresh twist on the genre, this likely won’t do it—but if you just want a straightforward, violent time-killer with a couple of reliable performances (especially Noomi Rapace bringing some bite), you may get by.