Face it, hitman movies are fun because usually the person that’s about to be killed has it coming. And when they don’t, when the hitman actually has something resembling a heart, the person on the other end of the gun might be spared simply because they don’t deserve it and could be a possible ally later on. The life of a hitman in the movies is kind of complicated in some instances and all too simple at others. Back in the 90s when a lot of movies were dealing with the edgy and overall over the top nature when it came to just about anything, the average hitman movie had a twist to it in some shape or form that made a lot of people either love it or look for something else to entertain them. The best among these movies usually got down and dirty, thereby inviting more drama and a better chance of people paying attention. While some of these are cult classics a few of them gained a great deal of notoriety in their time.
Here are some of the best hitman movies from the 90s.
5. Grosse Point Blank
High school reunions are a lot of fun, except when you realize that you didn’t really connect with that many people in your high school. Plus, the idea of becoming a hitman and having nothing else to talk about at the reunion makes things a bit more awkward since a lot of people get married, have kids, and develop an otherwise mundane life that doesn’t have much room for the excitement and inherent danger that assassins have to deal with. Plus, when your competition comes to town and is actively trying to take you it kind of spoils the mood since then a person has to explain just what they’ve been doing with their lives throughout the last several years.
4. The Replacement Killers
This kind of proves that even the most deadly of hitmen can have a soft spot that hinders their work since the assassin in this movie couldn’t bring himself to kill a father right in front of his child. The father in question, played by Michael Rooker, was pretty cool to be honest since by the end of the movie he’d come to realize that the assassin and the woman tagging along with him were responsible for taking down the very people he’d been warring with, and he lets them go. Chances are that in real life this would never happen since law and order usually has to take precedent over honor, but it was still a great moment in the movies.
3. Things to Do In Denver When You’re Dead
Mr. Shhh is all you have to say and people will likely know which movie you’re talking about. In all honesty the movie is less about the infamous hitman as it is about Jimmy and his pals, but Mr. Shhh kind of takes over since he’s just that awesome and goes out in a way that seems fitting since Critical Bill, nutcase that he is, manages to get the drop on the assassin and kills him even as he’s killed in turn. With that matter settled Mr. Shhh becomes less of a name in the movie as Jimmy has to finally settle things and wait for his death to arrive at the hands of a group of hitmen sent to finish the job.
2. Pulp Fiction
In a way it seems kind of sad to think that Vincent wouldn’t be making it out of this movie and that Jules would simply go on his way to become a wanderer. The episode in the apartment however when the two hitmen should have been killed was an eye-opener for Jules and just another day for Vincent. On one hand you can’t really blame Vincent for wanting to turn the other way, since bullets don’t bend around people in reality and the explanation might be more than he’s willing to deal with. But you can’t blame Jules either since killing people for a living doesn’t seem to come with a very reliable retirement plan.
1. Leon: The Professional
This has to be hands down one of the greatest hitman movies ever made since it’s not glitzy, glamorous, or even high-toned in any way. It’s about a hitman that uses whatever tools he has at his disposal, the greatest being the fact that he’s a literal unknown and keeps such a low profile that it takes a while for the cops to catch on to him. Plus, he does have a heart since taking on a kid Matilda’s age isn’t bound to be easy, but teaching her how to survive and how to simply get by from day to day would be even harder. But somehow Leon does it, and in return she shows him it’s okay to feel more than the need to wake up each day and do his thing.
In real life hitmen are just as human as anyone else to be honest.
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