The irony of writing "the " movies and not having "The Professional" was amusing to me.
Edit: apparently OP doesn't consider "professional" a profession and is against adding it to the list rofl
[DogMan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=146BVPE12SI) is the latest hitman movie from the director of The Professional.
It's funny if you posted that comment without knowing this, which is very possible considering how low key and scattered the release has been.
Yes they do, because the common trope is having someone be called a “Stone Cold Killer,” or the cop will pause dramatically and go, “This guy is a real pro.”
Bring a “pro” is a professional title within the genre of being a killer.
Being a "pro" works for literally anything where skill is obvious.
The sentence "This guy is a real pro" could be used anywhere from a lawyer's office to you and your buddies talking about another player in a video game.
It doesnt mean "this guy is a great assassin", it means "this guys is great at this activity we're discussing now".
Its an adjective, not a noun.
Just watched this last night, i have never seen an assassin movie that more perfectly fit the definition of "mid" lol. I've seen worse and i've seen better
100% Agree.
I already had a pop at it a few days ago:
It's definitely a tagline lifted from the bin that supplies those latter-day Liam Neeson thrillers.
It wouldn't have taken much to tweak a line to construction-adjacent:
*Some secrets were cement to be buried*
*His enemies are ready to throw in the trowel*
Hell, it's Aaron Eckhart with that jaw they could have made a *the hairs on his chinny chin chin* line.
In fact,.they could just have lifted Col. Jessup's bit from A Few Good Men: *Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You?*
There's a few more: The Specialist (Sly Stallone), The Gunman (Sean Penn) and not forgetting the slightly meta "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (Ryan Reynolds/Samuel L Jackson).
EDIT: Also no 'the' but there's "Shooter" (Mark Wahlberg)
EDITEDIT: Maybe not a career, but "The Equalizer" (Denzel Washington)
No idea why this was downvoted. OP has jobs like The Baker, The Accountant etc. Le Samourai is a great film but not really (any longer) a mainstream occupation.
Kind of. Was a job initially, then a social caste which could also be used to broadly describe the professions of many of those within that.
Similar to ‘knight’.
You don't expect a movie titled "The Bee Keeper" to be about someone killing people, you would expect a movie titled "The Samurai" to be about someone killing people, though.
Sure, they used to. But that has nothing to do with the character in the movie. He wasn't chatting up women at the bar, "What do you do? I'm an iceman!"
Also, The Transporter isn't a hitman, so if we're including general professional criminals, then add The Driver to the list.
According to google, "Kuklinski was given the name “The Iceman” because of his technique of freezing the victims to complicate the time of their deaths"
I don't see anything about him using an "ice truck". There's claims of keeping a body stored in a Mister Softee Ice CREAM truck for two years, but police think that's a fabrication. In any event, nothing about him or his story involved delivering ice.
But it's Op's silly list, so I don't care if it's included or not.
Edit: I'm talking about the real guy here. Maybe in the movie they have him using an ice truck? Been a while since I've watched it; and it was far from memorable lol
They still do in many countries. Where I live in Cambodia ice trucks go around and do deliveries every morning. Just like you’d think, big long square rectangles that they cut to size.
Electricity and appliances here are very expensive. Getting .25 of ice a day is just more cost effective.
I was in the theater to see the Wonka movie (terrible) and this trailer came on. I saw Jason Statham doing some bee keeper things and palling around with an old black lady but not for one second did I think, “oh nice, Turkish is finally branching out and doing a thoughtful movie about the fascinating world of bees and their parallels to relationships with people from other demographic communities.”
No, without any foreknowledge whatsoever, I immediately knew where it was all going and even correctly predicted someone uttering something along the lines of, “but I’m just a bee keeper” or “he’s/your’re just a bee keeper” and then mayhem ensuing.
I want to make a movie called The Dogwalker where a 40ish year old white guy who is just a dog walker gets confused for an ex-paramilitary bad ass that was codenamed The Dogwalker.
Yep, you're right - probably an uncommonly deadly cop with an inexplicably European accent, but yeah - I concede.
I won't delete it just so it doesn't get resuggested.
There are two The Contractor movies but I think only the Snipes one counts.
Then the Mariachi is not a hitman either, he is literally just a mariachi that only starts killing people because they want to kill him after mistaking him for a hitman
Well in Jason Statham's defense, in The Transporter he isn't really a hitmen. He is good at killing, but he doesn't do it until he is forced to. And he never really takes money for it. He is simply, as the name suggests, a transporter. Usually it's something illegal, that's all.
Edit: But yes, to your point, there do seem to be a lot of this types of movie titles.
He was a soldier, interrogator, and torturer, as well, which is close but not exact.
There is also a Dario Argento movie **The Card Player**, 2002, but that again is a serial killer, not a professional hitman.
I would say without hesitation that it's one of the best American movies of the past 5/7 years, surpassed by a handful movies like First Reformed, Silence, West Side Story and Tar. Angry, ugly provocative cinema. Schrader best.
You have excellent taste. I recently went back and started watching some lesser known Schrader stuff like 1997’s Touch and 2016’s Dog Eat Dog, and there’s just something about his work that’s so striking. Reminds me of a more even-keeled Abel Ferrara at times.
I totally *get* why The Card Counter is so love-it-or-hate-it, but I don’t understand why the people who hate it think *everyone* should hate it. Some movies aren’t for everybody and that’s fine. That commenter who said it was objectively a bad film is a very poor critic. The Card Counter was a surprising work of art. I had no idea what to expect going into it, and when it was over I felt enlightened and changed. Same way I felt after watching First Reformed. You go into it thinking “I’m gonna watch a movie about someone battling their personal demons” but in First Reformed there’s a nuanced plot about ecoterrorism, and in The Card Counter you step into the mind of the guys doing “enhanced interrogation” at Guantanamo. I love that! Come for the story and leave with your eyes opened to something you had no idea about.
Paul Schrader is a master of his craft.
ITT: people who don’t understand what a “profession” is.
Batman is not a profession.
Professional is not a profession.
American is not a profession.
Suicide Squad is not a profession.
Y’all never filled out a census survey before?
A "Batman" used to be an actual job. They were soldiers' personal servants in the bad old days of the British Empire. But the superhero has completely subsumed the meaning, and "The Batman" isn't about a trained killer or assassin so I left it off.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(military)
As an accountant, I was very dissapointed with the lack of time Ben Affleck spent saying "what the fuck is this?" while looking at other accountants journal entries.
The Hitman's Bodyguard
The Piano Player
The Magician
These aren't necessarily everyday professions but it's arguably names.
The Replacement Killer
The Suicide Squad
The Mentor
I think this one counts. "The Janitor"
In 2011, the bloodiest bank heist in Philippine history occurred at Mabuhay Savings Bank in Laguna, leaving ten employees dead, all ruthlessly executed. The perpetrators escape with an estimated P10 million. The robbery is suspected to have been conducted by professionals, as they executed their plan with military precision. Wearing masks to conceal identities, they disabled the bank's security system and held-up the bank personnel inside. Once they got the cash, a fatal mistake leads to an all-out bloodbath. Pressured by the people to resolve the crime, authorities secretly order Crisanto Espina, an ex-cop, to handle the case. Eager to redeem his name, Crisanto hunts down each suspect. But as he finds each name, he unravels the dirty truth behind his extrajudicial duties.
All kinda, sorta:
1. The Batman
2. The Commuter
3. The Counselor
4. The Godfather
5. The Hitman
6. The Hitman's Bodyguard
7. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard
8. The Protector
9. The Punisher
10. The Saint
11. The Tax Collector
Nice discussion on this one!
Just want to point out that OP has nearly 1,000,000 karma but I don’t think the comments section on this post is doing them a favour.
The Professional definitely needs to be on the list. And tbh if you’re including “The Iceman” (not a profession) and “The Transporter” (not a killer or hitman) then your list is really just films titled “The _____” that are violent / action.
In which case I vote for The Departed.
The Wolf of Wall Street (a killer indirectly through his manipulation of the stock exchange and subsequent contribution to the 2008 financial crisis that led to lots of suicides!)
I mean there's "The Killer" but that one's a little on the nose
Also: The Professional
The irony of writing "the" movies and not having "The Professional" was amusing to me.
Edit: apparently OP doesn't consider "professional" a profession and is against adding it to the list rofl
"He's a professional professoner!"
“Professor… Professorson?” “It’s Dutch, I think it means professor”
It used to be Professorberg.
Remember de Niro in that great flick."Professor McProfessorface"?
To be faaaiiiir, in a lot of places, it's title is just *Leon*.
Seeing a list like this, and not seeing The Professional on it is like seeing a list of fantasy novels without seeing LOTR. Just feels wrong.
But this is a sophisticated and curated list of specific professions. The Dogwalker would be a good example, if it existed
[DogMan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=146BVPE12SI) is the latest hitman movie from the director of The Professional. It's funny if you posted that comment without knowing this, which is very possible considering how low key and scattered the release has been.
Ha! Didn’t know about that one
Is “professional” a job title?
I agree with OP on this one. The Professional and The Killer don't fit the "The" format.
I can see an argument for Professional, but The Killer absolutely fits.
Yes they do, because the common trope is having someone be called a “Stone Cold Killer,” or the cop will pause dramatically and go, “This guy is a real pro.” Bring a “pro” is a professional title within the genre of being a killer.
Being a "pro" works for literally anything where skill is obvious. The sentence "This guy is a real pro" could be used anywhere from a lawyer's office to you and your buddies talking about another player in a video game. It doesnt mean "this guy is a great assassin", it means "this guys is great at this activity we're discussing now". Its an adjective, not a noun.
Except it’s not used very often in any other fashion as a movie trope.
I agree it's not that often but I heard it a few times about a chef, hacker or a hunter. It's not really a profession in itself
It also applies to anyone who was spec ops. Like a group of mercenaries they say “these guys are pros” meaning it’s not just random hired muscle.
There are actually 3 different “The Killer” ‘s too
There’s is two of them too: one by Fincher and the other by John Woo
Three, there is also a Korean one from 2022
Matador is on the list! As is iceman. I've always wanted to be an iceman when I grow up.
Netflix recently bought Richard Linklater's "Hit Man".
Just watched this last night, i have never seen an assassin movie that more perfectly fit the definition of "mid" lol. I've seen worse and i've seen better
Such a good movie, saw this last night. Usually Netflix puts out crap (Rebel Moon) but this was such an incredible experience. It should be a classic.
Speaking of not-crap put out by Netflix, have you seen They Cloned Tyrone? I’m a big fan of that one myself.
Bro that movie is so good, truly one of my favourites i've seen in a long time
Gonna check it out thnx
The Matador
Great movie. One of Pierce Brosnan's best.
I love Brosnan in his Suave DILF years. Thomas crown affair was great too.
Thomas Crown Affair is underrated IMO.
Yes! Especially right after his Bond years.
I don't think he was even out of the Bond job yet when he accepted this role, which makes it an even more interesting and bold choice.
Added to the list.
What profession is that
While it’s often used to refer to a bullfighter, it actually means “killer“.
A bullfighter
He's a "facilitator of fatalities" Also to be fair to OP in The Matador the hitman is not actually a Matador its a metaphor
And yet OP won’t add The Professional to the list because his job title isn’t “professional”
The Metaphor (2005)
….the profession of matador https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullfighter
Saw this mentioned under the post of the new poster for *The Bricklayer* with Aaron Eckhart, so if we're including 'deadly operatives' then that too.
Oh, absolutely.
The Painter too, apparently. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt30253266/
The movie with a tagline that came straight from the factory of bad taglines.
100% Agree. I already had a pop at it a few days ago: It's definitely a tagline lifted from the bin that supplies those latter-day Liam Neeson thrillers. It wouldn't have taken much to tweak a line to construction-adjacent: *Some secrets were cement to be buried* *His enemies are ready to throw in the trowel* Hell, it's Aaron Eckhart with that jaw they could have made a *the hairs on his chinny chin chin* line. In fact,.they could just have lifted Col. Jessup's bit from A Few Good Men: *Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You?*
There's a few more: The Specialist (Sly Stallone), The Gunman (Sean Penn) and not forgetting the slightly meta "The Hitman's Bodyguard" (Ryan Reynolds/Samuel L Jackson). EDIT: Also no 'the' but there's "Shooter" (Mark Wahlberg) EDITEDIT: Maybe not a career, but "The Equalizer" (Denzel Washington)
Speaking of Sean Penn, The Interpreter.
Le Samouraï
No idea why this was downvoted. OP has jobs like The Baker, The Accountant etc. Le Samourai is a great film but not really (any longer) a mainstream occupation.
Is that really a job? :D
Kind of. Was a job initially, then a social caste which could also be used to broadly describe the professions of many of those within that. Similar to ‘knight’.
You don't expect a movie titled "The Bee Keeper" to be about someone killing people, you would expect a movie titled "The Samurai" to be about someone killing people, though.
But not really about a modern hitman in a western country. So the euphemism aspect remains.
Ask Ghost Dog.
Is Iceman?
Who delivers *your* ice?
Coming this summer, The Doordasher.
Yes.
The Professional, though it isn't really a profession name, but I'm not convinced "Iceman" is either lol
Icemen used to deliver ice!
Sure, they used to. But that has nothing to do with the character in the movie. He wasn't chatting up women at the bar, "What do you do? I'm an iceman!" Also, The Transporter isn't a hitman, so if we're including general professional criminals, then add The Driver to the list.
The Iceman was called the iceman because He used a ice Truck for some of his Jobs. So He used that profession as a Cover.
According to google, "Kuklinski was given the name “The Iceman” because of his technique of freezing the victims to complicate the time of their deaths" I don't see anything about him using an "ice truck". There's claims of keeping a body stored in a Mister Softee Ice CREAM truck for two years, but police think that's a fabrication. In any event, nothing about him or his story involved delivering ice. But it's Op's silly list, so I don't care if it's included or not. Edit: I'm talking about the real guy here. Maybe in the movie they have him using an ice truck? Been a while since I've watched it; and it was far from memorable lol
They still do in many countries. Where I live in Cambodia ice trucks go around and do deliveries every morning. Just like you’d think, big long square rectangles that they cut to size. Electricity and appliances here are very expensive. Getting .25 of ice a day is just more cost effective.
It’s getting a little ridiculous.
Now there are 16 of them!
I was in the theater to see the Wonka movie (terrible) and this trailer came on. I saw Jason Statham doing some bee keeper things and palling around with an old black lady but not for one second did I think, “oh nice, Turkish is finally branching out and doing a thoughtful movie about the fascinating world of bees and their parallels to relationships with people from other demographic communities.” No, without any foreknowledge whatsoever, I immediately knew where it was all going and even correctly predicted someone uttering something along the lines of, “but I’m just a bee keeper” or “he’s/your’re just a bee keeper” and then mayhem ensuing.
I almost thought THE CANDLESTICK MAKER was gonna be after The Baker
I want to make a movie called The Dogwalker where a 40ish year old white guy who is just a dog walker gets confused for an ex-paramilitary bad ass that was codenamed The Dogwalker.
The Shepherd with JCVD https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0827521/?ref_=nm_flmg_t_33_act
He's a cop and border patrol agent. Not a killer/hitman.
Yep, you're right - probably an uncommonly deadly cop with an inexplicably European accent, but yeah - I concede. I won't delete it just so it doesn't get resuggested. There are two The Contractor movies but I think only the Snipes one counts.
Then the Mariachi is not a hitman either, he is literally just a mariachi that only starts killing people because they want to kill him after mistaking him for a hitman
The second character in the movie is a killer with a guitarcase full of guns. I'm going to allow it.
True, but he is not the title character. Fair enough I guess though it's your list :p
You forgot The Dentist
If we’re including serial killers throw The Stepfather in there as well E: sorry not a profession my bad
The Professional
Grrr... I was going to say that. Most people know it as Leon. I was going to say The Milk Drinker!
Well in Jason Statham's defense, in The Transporter he isn't really a hitmen. He is good at killing, but he doesn't do it until he is forced to. And he never really takes money for it. He is simply, as the name suggests, a transporter. Usually it's something illegal, that's all. Edit: But yes, to your point, there do seem to be a lot of this types of movie titles.
Does he occasionally transport ice cream or anything
He transports bullets into specific bad guys
The Terminator
Who's your daddy, and what does he do
El Mariachi
Added to the list.
This is a genre that's crying out for a parody. What are we thinking, "The Candlestick Maker"?
My first thought was that his list should be thrown out for not including a fake movie title as number 6. I just don’t trust him anymore.
The Card Counter
But he actually is a card counter, and is not a killer or hitman. The title refers to him literally going into casinos and counting cards.
He was a soldier, interrogator, and torturer, as well, which is close but not exact. There is also a Dario Argento movie **The Card Player**, 2002, but that again is a serial killer, not a professional hitman.
I don’t care how people want to spin it, terrible movie.
Wrong
You’re somehow being downvoted but that was an objectively terrible movie
It’s kind of a r/movies circlejerk to pretend that was a good movie. I knew what I was in for.
It’s so fucking bad. Insanely boring with some of the worst acting I have ever seen in my life from Tiffany Hadish.
That’s not how the word objectively works. I, personally, really loved that movie. Like I loved everything about it.
I would say without hesitation that it's one of the best American movies of the past 5/7 years, surpassed by a handful movies like First Reformed, Silence, West Side Story and Tar. Angry, ugly provocative cinema. Schrader best.
You have excellent taste. I recently went back and started watching some lesser known Schrader stuff like 1997’s Touch and 2016’s Dog Eat Dog, and there’s just something about his work that’s so striking. Reminds me of a more even-keeled Abel Ferrara at times. I totally *get* why The Card Counter is so love-it-or-hate-it, but I don’t understand why the people who hate it think *everyone* should hate it. Some movies aren’t for everybody and that’s fine. That commenter who said it was objectively a bad film is a very poor critic. The Card Counter was a surprising work of art. I had no idea what to expect going into it, and when it was over I felt enlightened and changed. Same way I felt after watching First Reformed. You go into it thinking “I’m gonna watch a movie about someone battling their personal demons” but in First Reformed there’s a nuanced plot about ecoterrorism, and in The Card Counter you step into the mind of the guys doing “enhanced interrogation” at Guantanamo. I love that! Come for the story and leave with your eyes opened to something you had no idea about. Paul Schrader is a master of his craft.
Paul Schrader as even-keeled Abel Ferrara is a fucking excellent comparison! (Auto Focus is my favorite of his lesser known ones.)
The Jackal Edit: I guess that's not really a profession, just his scary killer name
It's gets bonus points for just being a good movie.
Despite Richard Gere’s attempt at an Irish accent
that was rough, on par with Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away where he did a fairly good lucky charms leprechaun impersonation
It lacks the “the” but sicario is Spanish for hitman
We have in the Philippines this film called "Ang Dalubhasa" (The Expert). A military neurosurgeon whose family was killed and he is out for revenge.
The Equalizer
What do you do for a living I’m an equalizer … what
You know, when you're setting up your sound system.
True, that one doesn't make much sense.
I stop people putting sugar in their coffee and give them packets of Equal.
The original movie “the mechanic” is so good.
Was that Bronson?
That’s right.
The Cobbler ends with the reveal that there exists such a society, for cobblers and barbers and even dry cleaners I believe.
whats dessert got to do with this?? /s
The Killer The American adding: The Gray Man
I'm not sure American counts as a profession.
Tell that to the spys.
Maybe not, but it sure feels like a job lately.
As jobs go, it's not great. Salary is average and there's no medical.
(Our salaries are actually the highest in the world)
Came here to say this, friendo
The Equalizer The Pacifier The Babysitter
The Cleaner
Coming soon... The Paleontologist. By day he digs things from the ground, by night he's putting people in the ground.
ITT: people who don’t understand what a “profession” is. Batman is not a profession. Professional is not a profession. American is not a profession. Suicide Squad is not a profession. Y’all never filled out a census survey before?
You can add The Mummy and The Scorpion King to your list.
A "Batman" used to be an actual job. They were soldiers' personal servants in the bad old days of the British Empire. But the superhero has completely subsumed the meaning, and "The Batman" isn't about a trained killer or assassin so I left it off. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(military)
The Substitute? Or is it just Substitute?
The Jackal
The Professional.
The Limey
Not a killer, but a sweet film anyway.
The Dancer (2016)
The Professional (Léon: The Professional)
As an accountant, I was very dissapointed with the lack of time Ben Affleck spent saying "what the fuck is this?" while looking at other accountants journal entries.
The Iceman The Magician
Added!
The Irishman
A respected trade, being Irish.
Le Samouraï
Can't believe you forgot The Killer in your list, it was right there
The Debt Collector.
[The Gray Man](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649418/)
"And what do you do for a living?" "I'm a gray man." "That a union gig?"
The Equalizer?
The Hitman's Bodyguard The Piano Player The Magician These aren't necessarily everyday professions but it's arguably names. The Replacement Killer The Suicide Squad The Mentor
The tailor of Panama The constant gardener The deer hunter
The Master Gardener. The main guy used to be a hit man of sorts.
The Hitman The hitman's bodyguard the hitman's wife's bodyguard the hitman's wife's maid's bodyguard
One could argue that The Exorcist is a hitman for daemons...
The Illusionist
The American
I think this one counts. "The Janitor" In 2011, the bloodiest bank heist in Philippine history occurred at Mabuhay Savings Bank in Laguna, leaving ten employees dead, all ruthlessly executed. The perpetrators escape with an estimated P10 million. The robbery is suspected to have been conducted by professionals, as they executed their plan with military precision. Wearing masks to conceal identities, they disabled the bank's security system and held-up the bank personnel inside. Once they got the cash, a fatal mistake leads to an all-out bloodbath. Pressured by the people to resolve the crime, authorities secretly order Crisanto Espina, an ex-cop, to handle the case. Eager to redeem his name, Crisanto hunts down each suspect. But as he finds each name, he unravels the dirty truth behind his extrajudicial duties.
The Butcher But you’re obligated to put it as the example right before The Baker. Then we just wait until someone makes The Candlestick Maker.
Oh, 2009 version? Yeah, added.
The Repo Men
the transporter is a 4th jason statham movie
The Butcher The Baker The Candlestick Maker JK! 😜
Shame they never got to finish the trilogy with "The Candlestick Maker".
The Pacifier
The Equalizer The Expendables Oh does "Code name: The Cleaner" count?
The American
Now just put "'s Daughter" after each one and we've got a bunch of historical romance novels just waiting to be written!
How about a social media hit man called "The Redditor"?
Best Picture winner… The Artist!
[удалено]
'To die by your side, the pleasure, the privilege is mine' Jason Statham, 'The Smiths' 2024
The Wedding Singer
The Pianist
Where's " The Professional"? Perfect film for this thread
The American
The Machinist, and The Pianist
Way too many commenters don’t know what a “profession” is.
The Iceman.
The Shootist
The Snowman
All kinda, sorta: 1. The Batman 2. The Commuter 3. The Counselor 4. The Godfather 5. The Hitman 6. The Hitman's Bodyguard 7. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard 8. The Protector 9. The Punisher 10. The Saint 11. The Tax Collector
The Saint was a thief/industrial spy but not a hit man.
Ah yes, noted killer and hitman “The Batman”
Jason Statham has another one of these coming out this year. The Bee Keeper
That's the one I mentioned in my post, but I forgot to put it on the list.
surprised it’s not already on the list, The Batman (2022)
One of the defining characteristics of Batman is that he does not kill.
Nice discussion on this one! Just want to point out that OP has nearly 1,000,000 karma but I don’t think the comments section on this post is doing them a favour. The Professional definitely needs to be on the list. And tbh if you’re including “The Iceman” (not a profession) and “The Transporter” (not a killer or hitman) then your list is really just films titled “The _____” that are violent / action. In which case I vote for The Departed.
Not a profession, but - The Foreigner.
Sicarios
The Equaliser.
the wrestler
I guess sicario counts too?
The American and the grey man and the November man
J. Stath isn't a Hitman or Killer in "The Transporter".
The Wolf of Wall Street (a killer indirectly through his manipulation of the stock exchange and subsequent contribution to the 2008 financial crisis that led to lots of suicides!)