Wild Target 2010

In a life defined by precision and detachment, Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) has mastered the art of taking lives with ruthless efficiency. As the latest generation in a long line of professional assassins, he has honed his skills through years of experience, carrying out each assignment with calculated speed and unyielding conviction. Yet, on one fateful afternoon, Victor’s actions are momentarily tempered by an unexpected display of compassion as he spares the life of Roger, a colorful parrot, and decides to gift him to his formidable mother, Louisa (Eileen Atkins), who has been both his housemate and the driving force behind his family’s deadly legacy. In celebration of Victor’s 55th birthday, Louisa presents him with a leather-bound tome containing newspaper clippings of each of his kills, from the earliest to the most recent, leaving blank pages for future conquests. Her parting words are tinged with concern, however, as she wonders aloud why her son has yet to produce an heir, alluding to the possibility that Victor’s avowed masculinity might be nothing more than a carefully crafted facade.

Meanwhile, Rose (Emily Blunt) is a master thief with a flair for the dramatic and a talent for deception. Her most recent caper involves swindling Ferguson (Rupert Everett) out of £900,000 by selling him a fake Rembrandt painting created by her friend in the Restoration Department of the National Gallery. When Ferguson discovers the ruse and hires Victor Maynard to take care of Rose, our assassin takes on the assignment with his trademark aplomb. Tracking Rose down, Victor misses several opportunities to eliminate her, accidentally claiming the life of an innocent bystander in a market stall’s changing room along the way. His pursuit of Rose leads him to a balcony overlooking her hotel room, where he attempts to take her out through the window, only to be foiled by the arrival of the doorman. Undeterred, Victor sets up a surveillance system to keep tabs on Rose, but his vigil is ultimately derailed when he falls asleep amidst the cacophony of her nocturnal activities. Awakening just in time to see Rose departing the hotel room, Victor seizes the opportunity to take aim, only to hesitate once more, his usually unwavering resolve momentarily compromised by a flicker of uncertainty.

As Victor’s mother, Louisa, seethes with indignation over his missed mark, she proposes a novel solution: Victor should apologize to his employer and offer to complete the hit pro bono. Undeterred by her unorthodox suggestion, Victor sets out to locate Rose in a dimly lit parking garage, where he discovers another ruthless assassin poised to strike. With lightning-quick reflexes, Victor takes down the would-be killer, only to find himself face-to-face with Mike (Gregor Fisher), a cunning hitman hiding in the backseat of Rose’s Mini. The ensuing scuffle results in Mike being left wounded on the garage floor.

As they flee the scene, Victor and Rose are met with yet another unexpected twist: Tony (Rupert Grint), a scrappy young homeless man, intervenes just in time to save them from Mike’s deadly intentions. Impressed by Tony’s bravery, Victor begins to see potential in the novice marksman, considering the possibility of taking him under his wing. However, he ultimately decides to send Tony on his way and continues his pursuit of Rose with her protection services. For a hefty sum of 30,000 pounds per week, she agrees to keep Victor safe from harm, unaware that he’s merely a private detective.

As they settle into the luxurious confines of a high-end hotel, Victor and Rose inadvertently find themselves sharing a floor with none other than Ferguson, their nemesis. Unbeknownst to them, Ferguson has hired Dixon (Martin Freeman), a deadly operative rumored to be second only to Maynard in skill, to eliminate Rose and take out his enemies. The trio narrowly avoids several close calls as they navigate the hotel’s corridors.

Meanwhile, Mike, who doubles as Ferguson’s bodyguard, uncovers their hiding spot after discovering a pair of boots that Rose had pilfered from her deceased partner. In a tense showdown, Tony is attacked in the bathroom and left struggling for air in a filled bathtub by Mike. However, Tony manages to turn the tables and inadvertently shoots off Mike’s ear before the trio makes their daring escape.

As they flee the hotel, Ferguson and Mike pursue them through the streets of London in a heart-pumping high-speed chase that culminates in Mike losing control and crashing, sending both him and his pursuers to the hospital.

As they venture onto Maynard’s rustic farm, nestled deep within the countryside, Tony finds himself taken under the wing of his new mentor in the art of private detective work. The atmosphere is tranquil, punctuated only by the presence of Snowy, Maynard’s feline companion, and the peculiar sight of furniture shrink-wrapped in plastic. One evening, Rose falls prey to Louisa’s wrath, a reunion that leaves unresolved tensions simmering beneath the surface. As the dust settles, Tony, Rose, and Maynard begin their journey towards an unlikely camaraderie.

As Victor celebrates his birthday with the group, the air is filled with warmth and camaraderie. Meanwhile, a subtle yet palpable undercurrent of sexual ambiguity simmers between Tony and Maynard, though it ultimately gives way to Victor’s blossoming romance with Rose. This newfound connection seems to have a profound effect on Victor, as he sheds his reserved demeanor and reveals a more carefree side by liberating his furniture from its plastic prisons.

However, this period of tranquility is short-lived, as Rose’s curiosity gets the better of her. She delves into Victor’s private realm, uncovering secrets and surprises that threaten to upend their relationships. Her discoveries include the leather-bound book once belonging to Victor’s mother, which reveals a shocking truth: she was the target of an assassination plot. Furthermore, Rose stumbles upon Victor’s father’s vintage Broomhandle Mauser and takes possession of it for her own protection.

With her trust shattered and feelings hurt, Rose abandons Victor’s home, returning to the National Gallery only to find her friend met with a gruesome fate at the hands of Dixon and his accomplice, Fabian (Geoff Bell). Tony, Victor, and Rose soon regroup at Victor’s residence, where they find themselves pitted against Louisa once more. In a stunning turn of events, Fabian meets his demise at Louisa’s hands, courtesy of a machine gun.

As the dust settles, Dixon seizes the opportunity to exact revenge upon Victor, withdrawing an old pistol and firing it in his direction. The blast sends the bolt hurtling towards Victor’s skull, leaving him motionless. In a somber mood, Tony, Rose, and the gravely injured Victor bury their adversaries in the backyard before returning to their lives.

Three years pass, and Victor and Rose are now a loving couple, blessed with a young son named Angel. Tony has taken up residence alongside them, and on one sunny morning, he ventures outside to inquire about the whereabouts of Snowy, only to be met with an unsettling discovery: their innocent-looking young son, Angel, is tenderly patting down the soil, eerily reminiscent of his parents’ earlier actions. As Victor gazes upon this tableau with pride, it’s as if the cycle of life and death has come full circle.