Cinema’s greatest assassins are cool, aloof, cunning, ruthless, stealthy, vengeful, and sometimes confused about their true identity. Some are lone wolves for hire, others are in the employ of criminal organizations or governments that would rather not know they exist.
To determine the best assassin movies, 24/7 Tempo developed an index of movies using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of January 2023, weighting all ratings equally. (Documentaries were not considered.) Directorial and cast credits are from IMDb.
Twelve of the 50 movies on our list are James Bond films. Though 007 has a license to kill, he’s doing so in the service of Her Majesty, and not as an independent assassin. Many of the actual assassins in the Bond films are as famous as the gadgets he uses to thwart them, among them Oddjob (“Goldfinger”), Rosa Klebb (“From Russia With Love”), Jaws (“The Spy Who Loved Me”), and May Day (“A View to a Kill”). (See which Bond movies number among the 30 best spy films of all time.)
Director Quentin Tarantino has three films on the list with two “Kill Bill” movies (with Uma Thurman as The Bride) and “Pulp Fiction,” featuring buddy killers Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson).
Click here to see the best assassination movies of all time
Keanu Reeves starred as hitman John Wick in three stylishly violent films listed here, directed or co-directed by Chad Stahelski, and there are three action-packed thrillers in the Bourne franchise on the list, starring Matt Damon as a CIA assassin suffering from dissociative amnesia.
Not all the assassin movies are white-knuckle thrill rides. “The Matador,” starring Pierce Brosnan, and “In Bruges,” with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, are black comedies. “Grosse Pointe Blank” starred rom-com king John Cusack as a hitman romancing his high school prom date. (Real-life assassination is hardly a laughing matter, of course. These are some famous assassinations in American history.)
50. The Matador (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (44,599 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 65% (73,714 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (156 reviews)
> Directed by: Richard Shepard
> Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Greg Kinnear, Hope Davis
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49. The Living Daylights (1987)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (92,941 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 66% (53,955 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: John Glen
> Starring: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo, Jeroen Krabbé
48. The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
> IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (76,551 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (62,368 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 70% (56 reviews)
> Directed by: Renny Harlin
> Starring: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Yvonne Zima
47. The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (107,870 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 63% (68,456 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (211 reviews)
> Directed by: Jonathan Demme
> Starring: Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep
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46. The Equalizer (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (349,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (91,457 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 60% (203 reviews)
> Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
> Starring: Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz
45. Atomic Blonde (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (184,515 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (34,758 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (364 reviews)
> Directed by: David Leitch
> Starring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman
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44. You Only Live Twice (1967)
> IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (102,993 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 68% (57,782 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (51 reviews)
> Directed by: Lewis Gilbert
> Starring: Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama
43. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (85,212 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (51,566 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (53 reviews)
> Directed by: Peter R. Hunt
> Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas
42. RED (2010)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (298,515 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (136,260 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (212 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Schwentke
> Starring: Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman
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41. Prizzi’s Honor (1985)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (23,756 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 62% (7,930 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (37 reviews)
> Directed by: John Huston
> Starring: Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Robert Loggia
40. Lucky Number Slevin (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (305,841 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (336,882 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 52% (153 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul McGuigan
> Starring: Josh Hartnett, Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman
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39. The Killers (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (7,777 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 71% (4,114 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (25 reviews)
> Directed by: Don Siegel
> Starring: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes
38. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (86,322 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 75% (58,874 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (165 reviews)
> Directed by: George Clooney
> Starring: Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney
37. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (102,721 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (61,127 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Lewis Gilbert
> Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens
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36. Thunderball (1965)
> IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (111,293 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (63,340 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (51 reviews)
> Directed by: Terence Young
> Starring: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi
35. GoldenEye (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (245,610 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (285,758 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (79 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Campbell
> Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco
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34. Black Widow (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (354,330 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 79% (446 reviews)
> Directed by: Cate Shortland
> Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour
33. Munich (2005)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (219,261 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (330,282 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 78% (211 reviews)
> Directed by: Steven Spielberg
> Starring: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Marie-Josée Croze
32. Blast of Silence (1961)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (3,958 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (809 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (15 reviews)
> Directed by: Allen Baron
> Starring: Allen Baron, Molly McCarthy, Larry Tucker
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31. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (91,308 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (73,067 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (72 reviews)
> Directed by: George Armitage
> Starring: John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd
30. John Wick (2014)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (576,949 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (84,099 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (219 reviews)
> Directed by: Chad Stahelski & David Leitch
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Alfie Allen
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29. No Time to Die (2021)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (359,361 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (416 reviews)
> Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga
> Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek
28. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (88,496 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (47,061 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (100 reviews)
> Directed by: Jim Jarmusch
> Starring: Forest Whitaker, Henry Silva, John Tormey
27. Road to Perdition (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (257,017 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (188,984 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (214 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Rob Maxey
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26. The American Friend (1977)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (16,895 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (2,500 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 91% (23 reviews)
> Directed by: Wim Wenders
> Starring: Dennis Hopper, Bruno Ganz, Lisa Kreuzner
25. Collateral (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (379,479 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (364,423 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (237 reviews)
> Directed by: Michael Mann
> Starring: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith
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24. Nikita (1990)
> IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (73,025 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (50,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (45 reviews)
> Directed by: Luc Besson
> Starring: Anne Parillaud, Marc Duret, Patrick Fontana
23. Dr. No (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (156,015 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (111,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Terence Young
> Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Bernard Lee
22. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (1,046,208 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (32,558,003 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 85% (238 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
> Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Daryl Hannah
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21. This Gun for Hire (1942)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (8,874 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 81% (2,416 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (17 reviews)
> Directed by: Frank Tuttle
> Starring: Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Robert Preston
20. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (305,453 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (39,210 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (353 reviews)
> Directed by: Chad Stahelski
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane
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19. Looper (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (550,438 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 82% (180,475 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (269 reviews)
> Directed by: Rian Johnson
> Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt
18. John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (393,871 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (57,056 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (277 reviews)
> Directed by: Chad Stahelski
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ian McShane
17. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (446,431 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (708,891 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 82% (197 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Greengrass
> Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Joan Allen
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16. In Bruges (2008)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (402,967 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (112,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (200 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin McDonagh
> Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds
15. From Russia with Love (1963)
> IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (125,534 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (93,624 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: Terence Young
> Starring: Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya
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14. Sicario (2015)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (394,471 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 85% (68,050 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (279 reviews)
> Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
> Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro
13. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (713,748 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (841,697 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (244 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
> Starring: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael Madsen
12. Skyfall (2012)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (648,708 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (374,338 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (381 reviews)
> Directed by: Sam Mendes
> Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris
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11. The Bourne Identity (2002)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (523,907 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 93% (965,745 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (192 reviews)
> Directed by: Doug Liman
> Starring: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper
10. The Day Of The Jackal (1973)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (41,709 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (5,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 90% (31 reviews)
> Directed by: Fred Zinnemann
> Starring: Edward Fox, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair
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9. Fallen Angels (1995)
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (41,538 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (22 reviews)
> Directed by: Wong Kar-Wai
> Starring: Leon Lai, Michelle Reis, Takeshi Kaneshiro
8. No Country for Old Men (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (900,943 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (399,547 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 93% (288 reviews)
> Directed by: Joel & Ethan Coen
> Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin
7. Casino Royale (2006)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (601,654 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (703,961 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (259 reviews)
> Directed by: Martin Campbell
> Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench
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6. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (616,488 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (1,922,847 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (269 reviews)
> Directed by: Paul Greengrass
> Starring: Matt Damon, Edgar RamÃrez, Joan Allen
5. Goldfinger (1964)
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (176,275 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (100,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 99% (68 reviews)
> Directed by: Guy Hamilton
> Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman
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4. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
> IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (73,496 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (31,403 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 97% (60 reviews)
> Directed by: John Frankenheimer
> Starring: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh
3. The Killer (1989)
> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (48,969 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 92% (25,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 98% (41 reviews)
> Directed by: John Woo
> Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh
2. Le Samouraï (1967)
> IMDb user rating: 8.0/10 (52,470 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (10,000 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (33 reviews)
> Directed by: Jean-Pierre Melville
> Starring: Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon
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1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
> IMDb user rating: 8.9/10 (1,909,111 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 96% (1,128,444 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 92% (108 reviews)
> Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
> Starring: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson
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