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The Gunman

The Gunman

Armed with the truth.

2015115 minRMidcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Director
Pierre Morel
Starring
Sean Penn, Jasmine Trinca, Javier Bardem, Ray Winstone

Eight years after fleeing the Congo following his assassination of that country's minister of mining, former assassin Jim Terrier is back, suffering from PTSD and digging wells to atone for his violent past. After an attempt is made on his life, Terrier flies to London to find out who wants him dead -- and why. Terrier's search leads him to a reunion with Annie, a woman he once loved, who is now married to an oily businessman with dealings in Africa.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Gunman?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Gunman streaming on Pluto TV (free), Shout! TV via Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Gunman?

The Gunman earns 7 badges, led by Star-studded and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Gunman worth watching?

The Gunman's Midcredits score is the 27th percentile of all films, from 63K ratings across 6 sources. 34% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

27th percentile

Better received than 27% of films

42nd percentile among Action28th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)28th
Approval (how many liked it)29th

55 /100

28th percentile of all films

43rd percentile among Action30th percentile among 2010s

Critics 39 · Audience 56

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.9 — solid but not unanimous.

34% liked it

29th percentile of all films

43rd percentile among Action28th percentile among 2010s
34% rated it 7–1066% rated it 1–6

Critics 15% · Audience 32%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

95th percentile

62K ratings across platforms

90th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$40M
Opening weekend$5M
Domestic gross$11M
Worldwide gross$24M

Returned 0.6× its budget — 70th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A middle-aged action thriller with a derivative Bourne/Taken plot but serviceable action and a strong cast.

Fans praised

  • Hard-hitting, realistic hand-to-hand combat
  • Believable if formulaic globetrotting plot
  • Sean Penn's committed, credible physical performance

Detractors panned

  • Generic, cliché-ridden script with no surprises
  • Wasted A-list cast on small, forgettable roles
  • Muddled, unconvincing blend of action and political drama

What stands out

Cinematography70

Handsome location photography across Congo, London, Barcelona

ActingDivisive65

Penn gives a committed but polarizing lead performance; respected co-stars wasted in brief roles

TensionDivisive55

Intermittent suspense undercut by predictability and slow stretches

Effects and spectacleDivisive50

Solid practical stunts and CQB choreography; limited scale

PacingDivisive45

Overlong setup with long, dry stretches between action beats

Plot and storyDivisive40

Derivative Bourne/Taken formula with predictable twists and incoherent political messaging

CharactersDivisive30

Thin, clichéd characterizations; no rooting interest in the protagonist

Originality20

Rote retread of early-2000s Euro-thriller tropes

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 12 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 9 points apart
  • US vs non-US 9 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Gunman like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you wrung out and released. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its gritty, guilt-ridden story with a straight face, never undercutting its violence or emotional weight.
The rideThe film sustains a pressurized, paranoid atmosphere that intensifies as the conspiracy closes in, with the emotional weight concentrated in the final act.
StructureThe story is told in linear order, from the assassination in the past to the protagonist's return and confrontation years later.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Wrung out and released.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film ends with a sense of atonement and a hint of reconciliation, leaving a mix of relief and regret.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% (this title) · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Corporate villainy: A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows a former mercenary sniper who becomes the target of a corporate hit squad after a past assassination, forcing him to survive and uncover the conspiracy behind his pursuers.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGuiltMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Guilt · 3% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsSurvival
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Global stakes: Consequences reach the world.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores a man grappling with the weight of his past crimes and the impossibility of redemption, as his violent history resurfaces to endanger everyone around him.
StanceThe film treats its protagonist's inescapable guilt and the collateral damage of violence as a tragic, unstoppable force; there is no celebration or satire of the events.

The world

Early 21st centuryUrbanWildernessRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingCongo and various international locations, spanning past and present
MusicLikely a tense, percussive score to match the thriller elements.

Content guide

Is The Gunman okay for kids?

R

The Gunman is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexuality” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (88/100), sexual content at mild (29/100), language at severe (88/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (48/100) and frightening material at moderate (55/100). Overall it is heavier than 73% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • New Zealand16
  • JapanPG12
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina16
  • Greece15
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-16
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Russia18+
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 84% of all filmsHeavier than 73% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 81%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 24%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 87%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 63%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 37%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Gunman have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Gunman?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Sean Penn
as Terrier
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jasmine Trinca
as Annie
Javier Bardem
as Felix
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ray Winstone
as Stanley
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Mark Rylance
as Terrance Cox
Idris Elba
as Barnes
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Peter Franzén
as Reiniger
Billy Billingham
as Reed
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Daniel Adegboyega
as Bryson
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Ade Oyefeso
as Eugene
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Gunman?

Movies like The Gunman include The Constant Gardener (2005), 24 Hours to Live (2017) and Hitman: Agent 47 (2015). Of the 12 closest matches, half are conspiracy thrillers, and half are stories about assassins.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

8 of these 12 share its world: espionage. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Gunman?

980 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: conspiracy thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.