The Cops & Robbers Movie Bracket

It’s been awhile, but The Halftime Snack is back with another Movie Bracket. In the past we’ve covered Monster Movies, Animated Movies, Teen Movies, and Sports Movies. This time, movies about cops, robbers, spies, and assassins will be duking it out to see which crime flick reigns supreme. 

A few details on how the bracket was built:

1. Sixty-four movies were selected, ranked, and broken down into four regions - Cops, Robbers, Spies, and Assassins

2. Some movies fit in multiple regions (particularly cops and robbers), so we did our best to place these movies in regions that best captured their essence. For instance, we felt Point Break was a better representation of a Bank Robbing movie than a Cop movie 

3. We differentiated Spies and Assassins by whether they work for a legit government agency (spy) or they work for criminals, rogue/underground government agencies, or are self-employed (assassin)

4. No supernatural, fantasy, or Sci-Fi movies were selected for this bracket. Many of these movies are fantastical, but still could potentially happen in the real world 

5. With the exception of a few, these movies are primarily from the last 40 years because we’re a bunch of dumb dumb millennials who haven’t rewatched a ton of older films

You can advance movies by voting on them in head-to-head polls on the @TheHalftimesnack’s daily story feed on Instagram.

Cops

(1) Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Directed by: Martin Brest  - A street savvy, salt-of-the-earth Detroit cop travels to Beverly Hills to pursue a murder investigation, order room service, visit posh country clubs, and blow a lot of shit up. A culture clash we can all get behind. 

(16) Tango & Cash (1989) Directed by: Andrei Konchalovsky - A couple polar opposite Beverly Hills cops are framed for murder. In the clink, the rivals are forced to team up, break out of prison, and exonerate themselves… And yes, they blow a lot of shit up.

Two classic 80’s cop movies go head to head in the first round. Will the fast talking, fish-out-of-water Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy - Beverly Hills Cop) get the upper hand on the no nonsense cop duo of Ray Tango (Sylvester Stallone) and Gabe Cash (Kurt Russell)? 

(8) Hot Fuzz (2007) Directed by: Edgar Wright - Scenic England countryside, gruesome murders and a bumbling police force; it’s everything you could want in a (cop) movie. And if you’re wondering if it has some quippy action movie one-liners, wonder no more… ironically, but it still counts! 

(9) 21 Jump Street (2012) Directed by: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller - Bumbling twenty-something cops go undercover as high school students and quickly find out woke, suburban teens ain’t nothing to fuck with. 

The buddy cop trope has had as long a shelf life as a Twinkie for good reason, and yet both of these movies still make it feel fresh. In an era where comedy was king, these movies shone brightly and still fit seamlessly in this bracket. Now we just need to answer the questions, who’s funnier and/or who’s better at action, the Brits or the Yanks?

(5) Speed (1994) Directed by: Jan de Bont - I like to imagine the pitch for Speed involved highlighting a bombsquad stud (Keanu Reeves) who’s trying to track down a psychotic pyrotechnic mastermind (Dennis Hopper) before he kills innocent lives (Sandra Bullock) all while speeding through LA… on top of the bomb! (*Whisper quietly and quickly “which happens to be a city bus”). Hard to imagine that movie not being greenlit within seconds. 

 (12) Se7en (1995) Directed by: David Fincher - The pitch for Se7en probably took some coercion, especially when it includes the beautiful babies Brad Pitt and Gweneth Paltrow almost entirely in dim lighting and dirty rain. But somehow the dark dreary movie is undeniably “cool” in a morbid, grotesque, mysterious kind of way. It’s best just to trust Fincher and his vision, and whatever you do, do not open his presents. 

Two quintessential mid-90s cop movies that couldn’t be more contrasting if they tried. Like siblings with the same genes but one wears flannel and tunes out to Pearl Jam while the other is in a leather jacket and head banging to White Snake. Will the fun, sparky Speed out pace the gloomy, moody Se7en?  

(4) Rush Hour (1998) Directed by: Brett Ratner - The unlikeliest of buddy cops team up to culture clash and kick some ass. If nothing else, this movie introduced most of America to Jackie Chan and most of white America to Chris Tucker, and for that, we are forever in its debt. 

(13) Super Troopers (2001) Directed by: Jay Chandrasekhar - At one time, the comedy troupe Broken Lizard owned significant real estate in the college, stoner culture; and that was a pretty good time. Their hit 2001 movie about imbecilic state troopers created the foundation for that real estate. 

This is a battle between the ridiculous and the ludicrous. It’s ridiculously dumb (fun) state troopers vs ludicrous collaboration between the FBI and Hong Kong police. It’s difficult to imagine there was much research provided in the development of either film. Fortunately, they diverted that research energy toward the entertainment department.   

(6) Training Day (2001) Directed by: Antoine Fuqua - Best Actor winner Denzel Washington is probably all the description this movie needs. In a time when Denzel was “peak Denzel”, Training Day is his absolute pinnacle. Ethan Hawke also plays a great counter to Denzel’s corrupt Narco cop. 

(11) The French Connection (1971) Directed by: William Friedkin - With protagonists named Popeye and Cloudy in pursuit of wealthy French heroin smugglers, it’s no wonder this film won five academy awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Gene Hackman), and Best Director. The stark contrast of scenic France where the antagonists reside and a dark, gritty New York where our protagonists reside is filmmaking at its finest. 

Best Actor winners go head to head in the first round in what looks like a classic good cop vs bad cop battle royale. However, on deeper investigation it’s really a battle between a good-ish cop being a not-so-good cop (Hackman) vs a bad cop being a really bad cop (Washington). So really, who’s the best bad cop? 

(3) The Departed (2006) Directed by: Martin Scorsese - Is this Scorsese’s masterpiece? No, but the history books might indicate otherwise. It’s his only film to earn him a Best Director Oscar and it also received Oscars for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing. It’s a masterful film with dynamic characters, a gritty and griping Boston underworld, and tremendous acting throughout. Nearly a masterpiece… but that rat at the end, perhaps a bit too on-the-nose.

(14) LA Confidential (1997) Directed by: Curtis Hanson - A respected movie that, if not for Titanic, would have gone down as one of the best of the decade. L.A. Confidential was nominated for NINE Oscars, winning just two - Best Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay. All of its other Noms went to Titanic… ALL! Luckily, this neo-noir corrupt cop thriller still stands out as one of the best cop movies of all time. 

There’s more than a handful of similarities between these two films, which makes this a very interesting first round matchup. Voters will have to ask themselves, do they prefer the fake glitz and glamor of ‘50s Hollywood or do they prefer the more openly hostile streets of post-911 Boston?

(7) Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) Directed by: Richard Donner - Lethal Weapon is a great introduction to our polar opposite buddy cop duo, but LW2 takes the series to the next level with bigger action sequences, Joe Pesci, exploding toilets, and an all-time villain. The Nazi will forever be the greatest villain, but racist Afrikaner South Africans are a close second. On top of that, these are South Africans with DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY!

(10) Bad Boys (1995) Directed by: Michael Bay - There was a brief moment in history when Martin Lawrence was top billed over Will Smith, this was that moment. Martin Lawrence was at his peak and a young television star/rapper was just getting introduced to the silver screen. Regardless of who’s name appears first on the cast list, this buddy cop duo worked.

A couple of the coolest buddy cops will duke it out in this first round battle. Peripherally, these movies are very similar. Similar vibe, similar action, even similar settings; however, there is one clear contrast between the two which will likely sway voters toward their preference... Old cops aging out of their prime OR young hot shots trying to make a name for themselves. 

(2) Die Hard (1988) Directed by: John McTiernan - Die Hard wears a lot of hats: Christmas movie, One Man Army movie, and Cop movie to name a few. But above all the sub-genre pigeon hole-ing, Die Hard revolutionized and expanded the action movie. If this movie was made a couple years earlier, it would have likely starred a roided out Stallone or Schwarzenegger. Instead, Bruce Willis busted down the door that had been preventing the “every man” from starring as a badass action figure. 

(15) End of Watch (2012) Directed by: David Ayer - A glimpse into a day-in-the-life of a police officer, but of course it’s no ordinary day. It would be too simple to wrangle this film under the umbrella of a “Buddy Cop” movie because the friendship is more real and intimate than anything else under that umbrella. A movie all should see, but keep some tissues handy.

Two movies that expand the genre separated by 24 years. No matter who wins this head-to-head, it’s reassuring to know that the cop movie has legs to carry on for at least another 20 years thanks in part to these two movies redefining what the people want to see. 

Robbers

(1) Ocean’s Eleven (2001) Directed by: Steven Soderbergh - Arguably the coolest movie ever made. It’s got the hippest cast, the glitziest set, the snappiest writing, and the sexiest con. Every ounce of this movie is saturated with cool.

(16) Entrapment (1999) Directed by: Jon Amiel - In the late-90s, there weren’t many sexier than Catherine Zeta-Jones or more debonaire than Sean Connery. These two had so much gravity, they almost made us believe a conman and an investigator with a 39 year age gap could fall in love… almost. 

There are few things sexier than stealing from the rich. Both Ocean’s Eleven and Entrapment capture the heat of the crime and double down with even hotter criminals. Now it’s up to us to decide which has more substance beneath the simmering surface. 

(8) Hell or High Water (2016) Directed by: David MacKenzie - West Texas can be a pretty desolate, unwelcoming setting. And, the exposed landscape is probably not the ideal location to string together a series of armed robberies. However, gritty West Texas provides the perfect backdrop to this dark, modern day Western. 

(9) Drive (2011) Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn - Hollywood is typically associated with glitz and glam, but Drive highlights its seedy underbelly. It’s vibrant, but it’s dangerous, like a piñata filled with rusty nails. And the eerie almost otherworldly soundtrack doubles down on its vibe.   

Two indie gems with big stars, great soundtracks, and cult followings. Very little separates these two great crime dramas, both are expertly written, directed, and acted. The difference will be a preference in aesthetic: The neo-noir(ish) Drive vs. the neo-western Hell or High Water.

(5) Inside Man (2006) Directed by: Spike Lee - Letting the audience halfway in on the heist isn’t a novel approach in heist movies, but Inside Man still had us guessing at every turn.  It’s a testament to great writing and directing, and it doesn’t hurt having stellar acting to lean on (Denzel, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Clive Owen, and more). Also, if you want the audience to root for the robbers (SPOILER), make the the man getting robbed a Nazi. 

(12) Logan Lucky (2017) Directed by: Steven Soderbergh - One of Soderbergh’s more under the radar movies might be his best since Ocean’s Eleven. But don’t think Logan Lucky is anything like Danny and the Boys. Instead of Vegas we have North Carolina and instead of classy gents we’ve got dim-witted (but charming) red-necks. 

This is a fun first round matchup of two movies on opposite ends of the same teeter-totter .We’ve got urban vs. rural, silky vs. gritty, jazz vs. honky-tonk. This’ll be a clash for the ages. 

(4) Point Break (1991) Directed by: Katheryn Bigelow - This movie dances along the edge of Cop Movie and Robber Movie. On the one hand, you have the main character (Keanu) as an undercover F. B. I. Agent(!), but on the other hand, you’ve got a squad of radical, surf boarding, philosophers who fund their extreme sport obsessions with a little bank robbing. We ultimately sided with the bank robbers.

(13) Baby Driver (2017) Directed by: Edgar Wright - Unfortunately, not a single baby is driving throughout the whole movie. Fortunately, Baby Driver makes up for its lack of babies with awesome car chases, a great soundtrack, and a stellar cast (minus Spacey).

A couple undeniably cool movies with all-star casts and big name directors meeting in the first round. Point Break has a bit more experience, but Baby Driver is just as flashy and fun. This head-to-head will be closer than the rankings suggest.

(6) Catch Me If You Can (2002) Directed by: Steven Spielberg - The confidence man, the swindler, the grifter, the cheat, the hustler… the con boy? Based on a true story, Catch Me If You Can illuminates the reality that conning is an ageless game… as long as you have the charm and charisma of a young Leonardo Dicapprio. 

(11) Jackie Brown (1997) Directed by: Quentin Tarantino - The best con artists are the most unlikely con artists. This morbidly engrossing movie is one big journey of trying to figure out who’s screwing over who. 

The big heist movie dominates this region, but these two classics prove that not all “Robber Movies” involve a 5+ person crew and a giant vault. A single man or woman with a dangerous amount of confidence can make out big as well. Should be fun to see how the winner of this matchup progresses.  

(3) Heat (1995) Directed by: Michael Mann - This movie captured a glorious moment in Hollywood history when we got peak “loud Pacino” and peak “subtle De Niro”. Needless to say, their performances are top notch and help illuminate the symbiosis of criminal and cop. Heat also highlights that both the cop and the criminal share an unhealthy addiction to their profession. The action is the juice. 

(14) The Sting (1973) Directed by: George Roy Hill - Conning can be a risky game. Conning a mob boss is a game of suicide. But if you need to do it, add so many twists and mirror tricks that the mob boss (and the audience) can’t see what’s coming.  

The classic bank heist goes up against the classic long con. Two very different types of “Robber Movie”, but with the similar theme that this “game” is addicting. It’s less about the money and more about the power. 

(7) Fast Five (2011) Directed by: Justin Lin - The fifth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise is a loud, over the top heist movie and it’s really really fun. For example, it may be the only bank heist in which the getaway cars are actually doing the heisting. Whenever this franchise begins to show signs of lag, they slam the NOS booster, which in Fast Five included Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and filming in Rio de Janeiro. You can’t have a bad time watching this movie. 

(10) The Italian Job (2003) Directed by: F. Gary Gray - Imagine a movie so cool it made the mini cooper one of the most popular cars in the world for more than a decade. The Italian Job could’ve been a mess (maybe should’ve been a mess), but bitchin’ set pieces, fun characters, and electric chemistry helped infiltrate this movie into our hearts and our bank accounts.   

This should be a very fun first round match with fast, loud, (kinda) dumb movies squaring off. If the Robbers region wasn’t so loaded, these two movies both could’ve had deep tourney runs. Instead, only one will have a chance. 

(2) The Town (2010) Directed by: Ben Affleck - It’s hard to believe, but there was nearly a 10 year period from 2000 to 2009 where Affleck was striking out at nearly every plate appearance (See Pearl Harbor, Daredevil, Gigli, Paycheck, Man About Town). So what do you do when you have the yips? You have to restructure your game, which in Affleck’s case meant directing. The Town, his second full length feature, showcases what we love most about Affleck: a smart but dark script, a gritty but colorful Boston, and a loveable fuckup lead character played by Ben himself.

(15) Out of Sight (1998) Directed by: Steven Soderbergh - It’s a game of cat and mouse but cat and mouse are kind of/sort of in love with each other. Can attraction overcome moral obligation/duty?... If the attraction involves George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez in their prime, it’s got a very good chance. 

A matchup of dark and dangerous vs. fun and flirty, but these two films do have a bit in common. Both are exceptionally smart and well written, and both deal with the subject line of falling for the enemy. 

Spies

(1) Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie - Somehow as Ethan Hunt gets older, he still manages to take it to the next level… a helicopter dogfight in the Himalayas! With the M:I franchise, we can continually count on the coolest tech and special effects, but Fallout also hits us with heart and vulnerability. 

(16) Haywire (2011) Directed by: Steven Soderbergh - Despite having a prolific director and all-star cast recognizable solely by surname (Fassbender, McGregor, Tatum, Banderas, Paxton), this movie still somehow slid under the radar. But don’t sleep on Haywire, those who’ve seen it know, it can hang with the best of them. 

Ensemble casts duke it out in this first round matchup. Odds are the crew with greater chemistry (M:I) will outlast the collection of stars working for the first time together (Haywire). However, you can never count out great coaching, and Soderbergh is one of the best.

(8) Enemy of the State (1998) Directed by: Tony Scott - The study is still out, but all evidence points to this film being the leading cause of paranoia in older Millennials. At the time, Enemy of the State seemed a little far-fetched, but now we can see it was ahead of its time. 

(9) The Man from U.N.C.L.E (2015) Directed by: Guy Ritchie - One of the sexiest spy thrillers that doesn’t have “Bond” in the title, The Man from U.N.C.L.E is a throwback to 60s era espionage films but with a modern day budget. Tune in for the action, stay for the fashion. 

This will be an edge of your seat kind of fight. On one hand, we’ve got Will Smith in Enemy of the State that absolutely slaps. But on the other hand, we’ve got Armie Hammer in U.N.C.L.E that’s not afraid to bite back. 

(5) Atomic Blonde (2017) Directed by: David Leitch - If it wasn’t official after Mad Max Fury Road, it is now, Charlize Theron is a bonafide action star. Atomic Blonde provides Theron the opportunity to kickass while looking fly and rocking out to 80s new wave. Top marks for entertainment.  

(12) Munich (2005) Directed by: Steven Spielberg - This movie hits a little deeper than most in this bracket. Munich is based on the true story about Operation Wrath of God, the Israeli government's secret retaliation against the Palestine Liberation Organization after the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics. There’s an intensity about this movie that can be easy to shy away from, but it’s an immensely rewarding watch for those who persevere. 

It’s rare that a Spielberg film could enter the tournament as an underdog, but that speaks to the strength of this Spy region. These two movies have very different vibes, so the outcome will likely depend on the mood of the audience… essentially, a classic 12 v. 5 matchup. 

(4) True Lies (1994) Directed by: James Cameron - In-between Terminator 2 and Titanic, James Cameron wrote and directed a spy action comedy movie. No surprise, it’s immensely entertaining and allows Schwarzenegger to stretch to his acting capacity with a little comedy mixed into the action. But fear not, despite smarter and better writing, it doesn’t skimp on Arnold one-liners. 

(13) Charlie’s Angels (2000) Directed by: McG - It’s not often Bill Murray is outshined in a movie, but Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu are burning retinas in this film. This movie triples down on the cheesy/corny aspects of the Charlie’s Angels television series, but it’s fun as hell. 

Comedy, action, secret identities, these two spy thrillers are competing with a lot of the same ingredients. Will the voters prefer a beefy super-burrito or three cheesy taquitos?

(6) Goldfinger (1964) Directed by: Guy Hamilton - It’s not the first James Bond, but it is the first great one. We likely have Goldfinger to thank (or curse) for all the Bond films that followed. It was also the mold for what we see today: cool gadgets, exotic locales, tongue-in-cheek humor, and fun henchmen (Oddjob!) and sidekicks (Pussy Galore!). Goldfinger walked so all the other movies in this region could run. 

(11) Clear and Present Danger (1994) Directed by: Phillip Noyce - Jack Ryan is not your typical spy. He’s more comfortable behind a desk than behind a gun, but when forced into the field, Ryan can hold his own. It’s as much counter-intelligence and problem solving as it is rocket launchers and shoot outs. 

Both films have left their mark on the spy movie genre shaping it into what we see today, and their characters James Bond and Jack Ryan live on. Should be a fun battle. 

(3) Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Directed by: Jay Roach - Parody at its finest… and most flamboyantly ridiculous. But don’t be mistaken, this movie is not unintelligent like that of the Naked Gun franchise. Instead, Austin Powers is endearingly naïve. 

(14) Burn After Reading (2008) Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen - A (dark) comedy of errors. This movie is the manifestation of Murphy’s Law, anything that could go wrong does go wrong. The Coen Brothers have an incomparable knack of getting the most ridiculous performances out of the finest actors, and for that we are forever in their debt.

Slapstick comedy meets dark comedy in this first round matchup. There’s a world in which Burn After Reading outlasts Austin Powers, but it’s unlikely that Ivy League alumni circa 2006-2012 will be contributing many votes to this bracket.

(7) Sicario (2015) Directed by: Denis Villenueve - Sicario is Spanish for “hitman”, but this movie is all about the FBI and CIA special agents portrayed by Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin infiltrating the Mexican Drug Cartel. It’s beautifully dark and exceptionally hard-edged. No punches were pulled. 

(10) Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) Directed by Brad Bird - Yes, that Brad Bird! Bird, better known in the animated world for writing and directing classics like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille, brought his expertise and aesthetics to live action and he stuck the landing. It’s ultra stylish, blisteringly fast-paced, and loaded with amazing set pieces. We need more animators like Bird to take the leap to live action.

A blockbuster hit vs. an indie darling, this should be interesting. Ghost Protocol grossed nearly 700 million dollars and was the 5th highest grossing film of 2011. Sicario grossed $85 million and finished third in its opening weekend to The Martian and Hotel Transylvania 2. And yet, this battle will probably be decided by a buzzer beater. 

(2) Skyfall (2012) Directed by: Sam Mendes - The Daniel Craig Bond isn’t as much the slick, carefree spy of the past. He’s vulnerable and troubled and has fewer quips… and it’s taken Bond to the next level. Skyfall may be Bond in his rawest form and it’s equally exhilarating and frightening. It also features one of the best Bond villains of all time, the ex-MI6 agent turned cyberterrorist Raoul Silva. 

(15) Three Days of the Condor (1975) Directed by: Sydney Pollack - Going out to lunch on a workday may save your life. At least it did for bookish CIA analyst Joe Turner, who returned from his lunch break to find his co-workers murdered and now has to try to outsmart and apprehend the culprits.

A matchup that features spies trying to overcome their own shortcomings just as much as they’re trying to overcome the enemy. These are two smart, layered spy movies that also excel in entertaining the audience.

Assassins

(1) Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) Directed by: Quentin Tarantino - When faced with the unthinkable and agonizing task of revenge, the hardest thing one can do is take the first step, and sometimes even before that, one must wiggle that big toe. But once those legs are moving, there’s absolutely fucking nothing that can stand in the way, not even a Japanese school girl swinging a mace. 

(16) La Femme Nikita (1990) Directed by: Luc Besson - Second chances aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. Sometimes the government turns you into a sleeper agent and forces you to kill upon demand. Still, beats life behind bars as long as you can survive the day-to-day. 

In another world, La Femme (The Woman or Wife) vs The Bride might describe the evolution of personality or opinion as a woman’s relationship with their significant other matures… But not here. Here, we have two badass bombshells duking it out to determine hired killing supremacy.  

(8) Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) Directed by: George Armitage - If you’re looking for a mix between Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion and John Wick, look no further! But really, this is a fun and witty dark rom-com with a great cast and a killer score from former Clash frontman Joe Strummer to accompany the electric punk rock/new wave soundtrack.

(9) The Whole Nine Yards (2000) Directed by: Jonathan Lynn - The key to being an elite hitman is to have an elite hitman nickname, Jimmy “the Tulip” Tudeski is the gold standard. The Whole Nine Yards captures Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, and Michael Clarke Duncan in their prime, needless to say, this movie’s a ton of fun. 

The dark comedy is having a strong showing in the Assassin Region, and here we have two of the best meeting up in the first round. This should be a very tight 8-9 battle. 

(5) No Country for Old Men (2007) Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen - This movie is all about the coin-flipping, captive-bolt pistol wielding, bob coiffed hitman Anton Chigurh. Upon description, Chigurh sounds like one of the goofier bond villains, but Javier Bardem plays the character with such gripping and intense realism, you’re more immersed than distracted by his quirks. 

(12) Unforgiven (1992) Directed by: Clint Eastwood - The assassin is usually a young man’s (or woman’s) game, but Clint Eastwood turned that trend on its head with the Best Picture (and Director) winning Unforgiven. It’s about a retired and aging hitman who ditches his failing farm for one last bounty - “The Senior Gun-Slinger”, “The Geriatric Judge”, “The Tired Triggerman”.

A couple Westerns facing off in the first round, and it’s safe to say, we’re expecting a shootout. Both movies are loaded with star power in front and behind the camera, and it paid off with four Oscar wins for each. Doesn’t seem fair that one will be eliminated early in the tourney, but as the saying goes, there ain’t no rest for the wicked. 

(4) John Wick (2014) Directed by: Chad Stahelski - John Wick (and its sequels) is essentially one giant action scene. There’s very little dialog or character building, and honestly, we don’t need it. Mobsters kill dog, man kills mobsters. Simple and pure! It also doesn’t hurt that it’s edge-of-your-seat fun throughout. On top of it all, John Wick resurrected Keanu who hadn’t had a commercial and critical hit since 2005’s Constantine, and for that we are forever grateful. 

(13) Collateral (2004) Directed by: Michael Mann - It’s an exceedingly rare sighting to see Tom Cruise playing the villain. He’s dark, he’s dangerous, he’s confident, he’s relentless, and God I wish we could see him do this more often! Cruise could carry this movie on his own, but he doesn’t have to, Jamie Foxx gives one of his best performances of his impressive career. 

A cool, calculating assassin meets a cool, calculating assassin in this first round matchup. However, these two movies are on vastly different trajectories. In one case, you have a guy gaining back his control, and in the other, you have a guy losing it. 

(6) In Bruges (2008) Directed by: Martin McDonagh - Potentially the funniest movie in this bracket stars Colin Farrell who (at the time) was an overexposed-action-star of such movies as Phone Booth, S.W.A.T., and Miami Vice; and Brendan Gleeson who (at the time) was best known for his dramatic roles in Braveheart, Michael Collins, Gangs of New York, and (of course) Harry Potter. But it turns out, these actors can act. Their portrayal of two Irish hitmen laying low in the quiet Belgian town of Bruges is exceptionally funny and deep sea dark. 

(11) Leon: The Professional (1994) Directed by: Luc Besson - This movie puts our morals through a yoga class, stretching them to their limits. A hitman “cleaner” raising a young girl whose parents are murdered by a corrupt DEA agent. Sounds sweet, until he trains her to be a cleaner as well. Jean Reno (Leon) and young Natalie Portman are terrific in this movie, but Gary Oldman at his most magnificently psychotic steals the show. 

This matchup gives us some dudes who do bad things but are kind of good guys. We’re both rooting for them, but also conflicted with the people they are or once were. It’s a win-win/lose-lose first round battle. 

(3) Pulp Fiction (1994) Directed by: Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction tells a number of intertwining stories of crime in Los Angeles, but the gravitational force of this movie pulls toward hitmen Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson). Their dynamic adds a ridiculously wild-joy to a genre that had only been grim, cold, and serious before. 

(14) Desperado (1995) Directed by: Robert Rodriguez - Desperado is the sequel to the ultra-low budget ($7,000) phenomena El Mariachi. With a budget 1,000X greater than El Mariachi, Rodriguez made Desperado a thrilling, gun-slinging, extravaganza. He also helped introduce the world to Antonio Banderas (his first lead Hollywood role) and Salma Hayek (her Hollywood breakthrough).  

Once upon a time, the two directors of these movies were the hottest young things around. Tarantino has aged like a fine wine with hit movie after hit movie. Meanwhile, Rodriguez has aged like a glass of warm, pasteurized milk directing FIVE Spy Kids movies, a couple Sin City movies, and a handful of television shows. But this is a battle of the mid-90s and it’s a much more evenly matched shootout. 

(7) Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) Directed by: Doug Liman - Whether or not you’ve seen this movie, everyone knows Mr. & Mrs. Smith is the genesis of “Brangelina”. And for those of us who have seen this movie, we know that it works so well because of “Brangelina”. The chemistry between the two is exploding-colonial-style-suburban-home hot! 

(10) Nobody (2021) Directed by: Ilya Naishuller - This movie snuck up on a lot of people despite a kickass cast: Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, The Addams Family), Connie Nielsen (Gladiator, Wonder Woman), and RZA (Wu-Tang). But it only makes sense for a movie about a mild-mannered family man who returns to his dangerous former life as a hitman, to be a sneaky hit.

Rocking the suburbs, just like Mr. & Ms. Smith and Mr. Nobody did. Do not underestimate these two movies. They may have an eggshell white exterior, but beneath the surface, they’re absolutely prismatic.

(2) The Bourne Identity (2002) Directed by: Doug Liman - There’s not much more satisfying than discovering you have hidden talents. It’s why we love superhero origin movies, The Matrix, The Bourne Identity, etc. etc. On top of that, Jason Bourne is an assassin we have no trouble rooting for. He has a conscience, he’s trying to get out of the game. His primary incentive is not money or revenge, Bourne is fighting for his freedom. 

(15) American Ultra (2015) Directed by: Nima Nourizadeh - A pot-head, loser afraid to leave his hometown sounds like a pretty good premise, but it gets better. He’s actually a secret government program’s sleeper agent who’s memory has been wiped and then reactivated. American Ultra adds a unique twist to the genre, and what really sets this movie apart from the others is the left-field casting. Jesse Eisenberg plays our stoner, master assassin and he’s joined on screen with a handful of other (primarily comedic) movie and television names like Kristen Stewart, Connie Britton, Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, and Tony Hale to name a few. 

This is a fun first round matchup between “Jason Bourne” and essentially “stoner Jason Bourne”. The Bourne Identity will likely run away with this one, but if you haven’t seen American Ultra, it’s definitely worth a watch.