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The Jackal

The Jackal

How do you stop an assassin who has no identity?

1997124 minRMidcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Director
Michael Caton-Jones
Starring
Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier, Diane Venora

Hired by a powerful member of the Russian mafia to avenge an FBI sting that left his brother dead, a psychopathic hitman known only as The Jackal proves an elusive target for the people charged with the task of bringing him down: a deputy FBI director, a Russian MVK Major, and a jailed IRA terrorist who can recognize him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Jackal?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Jackal to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Jackal?

The Jackal earns 10 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

Show 2 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Jackal worth watching?

The Jackal's Midcredits score is the 54th percentile of all films, from 182K ratings across 6 sources. 52% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

54th percentile

Better received than 54% of films

69th percentile among Action57th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)51st
Approval (how many liked it)55th

62 /100

51st percentile of all films

68th percentile among Action56th percentile among 1990s

Critics 36 · Audience 64

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

52% liked it

55th percentile of all films

68th percentile among Action58th percentile among 1990s
52% rated it 7–1048% rated it 1–6

Critics 24% · Audience 51%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 4 noms overall

97th percentile

182K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Action96th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 47% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$60M
Opening weekend$15M
Domestic gross$55M
Worldwide gross$159M

Returned 2.7× its budget — 89th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slick, fast-paced 1990s action thriller built around a cat-and-mouse chase between a master-of-disguise assassin and the authorities.

Fans praised

  • Bruce Willis's cold and calculating assassin performance
  • Fast-paced, entertaining action-thriller with suspenseful cat-and-mouse chase
  • Willis's varied disguises and tradecraft sequences

Detractors panned

  • Plot riddled with implausible holes and illogical character decisions
  • Richard Gere's unconvincing Irish accent and wasted supporting cast
  • Over-the-top weaponry and unrealistic action set pieces

What stands out

ActingDivisive65

Willis compelling as cold assassin; Gere's accent widely panned; Poitier solid but underused

Pacing60

First half taut second half drags; final act picks up energy

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

Over-the-top Gatling gun sequences; some practical effects feel dated

TensionDivisive55

Intermittently suspenseful but undermined by plot absurdity

CharactersDivisive45

Jackal menacing but Gere's IRA hero feels tonally wrong; thin supporting roles

EndingDivisive45

Predictable final shootout; sudden rescue by Isabella feels contrived

Plot and storyDivisive35

Full of ludicrous conveniences, plot holes, and contrived leaps

Originality30

Derivative of superior 1973 original; generic action-thriller formula

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 11 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 14 points higher than users.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Jackal like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you satisfied. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingCold
Heaviest: late
Register
Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its cat-and-mouse thriller straight, with the assassin's cold professionalism and the hunters' grim determination driving the tension.
The rideThe film maintains a continuous tense thriller mood, with the heaviest action and stakes concentrated in the final assassination attempt and chase.
StructureTold linearly from both the pursuers' and the assassin's perspectives.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Satisfied.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsRousing · 10% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe defeat of the cold assassin and the hero's hard-won freedom leave a cathartic and rousing aftertaste.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

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).QuestMission
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · 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% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% (this title) · 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%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Mission: Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).

10% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

Why this archetypeThe plot is a cat-and-mouse chase as the FBI and a former IRA sniper hunt a professional assassin before he can assassinate a high-profile target.

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 filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • 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% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · 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

Justice · 13% of filmsRevenge · 4% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film pits a pursuit of justice by the FBI and a rogue agent against the personal revenge of a mobster and the hired assassin's professional detachment.
StanceThe film questions the nature of justice when pursued through extra-legal means while a sociopathic killer targets a public figure, but ultimately sees the system prevail.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score
SettingFBI and Russian MVD hunt an international assassin across Russia, Canada, and the United States.

Content guide

Is The Jackal okay for kids?

R

The Jackal is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (81/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at intense (75/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (36/100) and frightening material at intense (64/100). Overall it is heavier than 56% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 24 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland18
  • New ZealandR16
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil14
  • Argentina+13
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoC
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • PhilippinesR-18
  • Poland18
  • PortugalM/12
  • SingaporeM18
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 73% of all filmsHeavier than 56% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 67%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 21%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 64%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 35%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 54%

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

The reason to think twice is violence, language, and frightening material. 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 Jackal have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Jackal?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Bruce Willis
as The Jackal
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.
Richard Gere
as Declan Mulqueen
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.
Sidney Poitier
as Preston
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.
Diane Venora
as Valentina Koslova
J.K. Simmons
as Witherspoon
newcomer then · star now
Mathilda May
as Isabella
John Cunningham
as Donald Brown
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Jack Black
as Lamont
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Stephen Spinella
as Douglas
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tess Harper
as The First Lady

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Jackal?

Movies like The Jackal include John Wick (2014), The Day of the Jackal (1973) and The Double (2011). Of the 12 closest matches, half are political thrillers, and several are stories about hitmen.

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

4 of these 12 share its subject: revenge. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

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

388 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: hitman. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.