Can a professional assassin find love while failing to kill his latest target?
In short: Victor Maynard is a reclusive hit-man burdened by his family legacy and a demanding mother. When he is hired to eliminate a clever con artist who swindled a billionaire, he finds himself unable to pull the trigger. Instead, he falls in love, sparking a chaotic and darkly comedic escape.
Released in 2010, the black comedy Wild Target is a reimagining of a 1993 French production of the same title. Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Lucinda Coxon, the story follows Victor Maynard, a middle-aged assassin struggling to uphold his family's reputation under the watchful eye of his mother, Louisa. The plot kicks off when a billionaire named Ferguson hires Victor to kill Rose, a con artist who sold him a counterfeit Rembrandt for £900,000.
Victor’s professional life unravels when he repeatedly fails to execute the contract, eventually choosing to protect Rose instead. Along the way, he encounters Tony, a young man he initially mistakes for a romantic interest but later adopts as an apprentice. As Ferguson grows impatient, he recruits a rival assassin named Hector Dixon to finish the job. The ensuing pursuit leads the trio from London to the quiet English countryside, where a booby-trapped heirloom gun ultimately decides their fate.
The film features a notable cast including Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt, and Rupert Grint. Despite the star power, the movie received mixed to negative critical reception, with reviewers often describing it as a disappointing farce that failed to utilize its cast effectively. Commercially, the project struggled, earning a worldwide total of $3.5 million against an $8.0 million budget. While the narrative concludes with Victor and Rose settling into a domestic life with their son, the final scene suggests that the family's lethal legacy is destined to continue into the next generation.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Wild Target
- Also: Wikidata — Wild Target · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Wild Target · CC0
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