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Assassins

Assassins

In the shadows of life. In the business of death. One man found a reason to live.

1995133 minRMidcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Director
Richard Donner
Starring
Sylvester Stallone, Antonio Banderas, Julianne Moore, Anatoli Davydov

Assassin Robert Rath arrives at a funeral to kill a prominent mobster, only to witness a rival hired gun complete the job for him -- with grisly results. Horrified by the murder of innocent bystanders, Rath decides to take one last job and then return to civilian life. But finding his way out of the world of contract killing grows ever more dangerous as Rath falls for his female target and becomes a marked man himself.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Assassins?

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

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Assassins?

Assassins earns 7 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

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

Reception

Is Assassins worth watching?

Assassins' Midcredits score is the 53rd percentile of all films, from 127K ratings across 4 sources. 49% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

53rd percentile

Better received than 53% of films

69th percentile among Action56th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)53rd
Approval (how many liked it)51st

62 /100

53rd percentile of all films

69th percentile among Action57th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

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

49% liked it

51st percentile of all films

65th percentile among Action53rd percentile among 1990s
49% rated it 7–1051% rated it 1–6

Critics 18% · Audience 45%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 1 noms overall

95th percentile

127K ratings across platforms

91st percentile among Action93rd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$9.4M
Domestic gross$30M
Worldwide gross$30M

Returned 0.6× its budget — 72nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slick 90s action thriller about two rival assassins, with stylish direction and a memorable Banderas performance, but suffers from a bloated runtime and a messy story.

Fans praised

  • Cat-and-mouse chemistry between Stallone and Banderas
  • Precise, controlled gunfights with silenced weapons
  • Strong suspense and high stakes throughout

Detractors panned

  • Overlong runtime with padded scenes
  • Convoluted plot with implausible twists
  • Stallone's flat, sleepwalking performance

What stands out

TensionDivisive72

High-stakes cat-and-mouse with measured, suspenseful sequences

AtmosphereDivisive70

Menacing, dreamlike tone with constant sense of danger

ActingDivisive68

Banderas electric and scene-stealing; Stallone stiff and low-energy

CharactersDivisive60

Bain a charismatic psycho, Rath a weary veteran, but thinly written

Effects and spectacleDivisive60

Practical explosives and stunts; some dated CGI

Plot and storyDivisive45

Convoluted cat-and-mouse with logic holes and contrived twists

Originality40

Derivative of The Specialist and other hitman thrillers

PacingDivisive35

Overlong at 132 minutes with sluggish middle section

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 17 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Assassins like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you satisfied.

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

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseCold
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Hardboiled · 1% of films: Terse, unsentimental, noir-inflected.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its violent world with a gravity and weariness, never undercutting the tension.
The rideThe rivalry suggests sustained tension that peaks in the final confrontation.
StructureThe narrative unfolds chronologically, following the duel between the assassins.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Satisfied.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film offers a cathartic final confrontation and a quiet sense of closure for the weary protagonist.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous 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).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · 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%: 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. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeThe story is a cat-and-mouse rivalry between a veteran assassin seeking retirement and a younger, reckless competitor who wants to claim the top spot.

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 filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% (this title) · 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%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsAmbition · 7% of filmsMortality · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeA veteran hit-man seeks meaning beyond killing, while an ambitious newcomer embodies a ruthless drive for success.
StanceThe film questions whether the hit-man life offers any real purpose or satisfaction, contrasting two versions of ambition.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Mark Mancina
SettingThe international underworld of contract killers, with hits across multiple cities.
MusicSynth-and-orchestra score typical of mid-90s action thrillers.

Content guide

Is Assassins okay for kids?

R

Assassins is rated R: “Rated R for violence and language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (84/100), sexual content at mild (16/100), language at intense (76/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (23/100) and frightening material at intense (69/100). Overall it is heavier than 60% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • FranceU
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil16
  • Czechia15+
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyVM14
  • Netherlands12
  • SK15
  • Spain18
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 76% of all filmsHeavier than 60% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 72%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 9%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 67%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 8%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 62%

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 Assassins have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Assassins?

Cast

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

Sylvester Stallone
as Robert Rath
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.
Antonio Banderas
as Miguel Bain
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Julianne Moore
as Electra
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Anatoli Davydov
as Nicolai Tashlinkov
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Muse Watson
as Ketcham
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Steve Kahan
as Alan Branch
Kelly Rowan
as Jennifer, Electra's Neighbor
Reed Diamond
as Bob
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Kai Wulff
as Remy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Kerry Skalsky
as Buyer with Remy
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Assassins?

The closest match to Assassins is 16 Blocks (2006); both are films by Richard Donner.

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

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Assassins?

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