A Prayer for the Dying

A Prayer for the Dying

Year: 1987

Runtime: 107 mins

Language: English

Director: Mike Hodges

ActionThrillerCrimeDramaCrime

Freedom always comes at a price. IRA assassin Martin is spotted by a Catholic priest while carrying out a killing. A tentative friendship develops between Martin, the priest, and the priest’s young niece. However, Martin’s violent past and his former employers soon threaten all of their lives.

A Prayer for the Dying (1987) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at A Prayer for the Dying (1987) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the gritty underbelly of London, a city that hums with both anonymity and hidden histories, a former IRA operative seeks a fragile freedom that has always demanded a price. Martin carries the weight of a violent past he swore to abandon, moving through the streets with a restless eye toward a future that feels just out of reach. The atmosphere is tense and rain‑slicked, a place where old loyalties linger like ghosts and the promise of a fresh start is constantly tested by the shadows that trail him.

An unexpected encounter with a compassionate Catholic priest draws Father Michael into Martin’s uneasy world. When the priest witnesses a moment that could betray the latter’s desperate quest for peace, a tentative bond forms, rooted in the simple act of confession and the quiet strength of faith. Within the modest walls of the church lives Anna, the priest’s young, blind niece, whose presence adds both vulnerability and an unspoken hope that life can be seen in ways beyond sight. Their tentative friendship becomes a delicate sanctuary, offering Martin a glimpse of redemption amid the clamor of his former life.

Yet the city does not easily let old sins slip away. The very people who once commanded Martin’s loyalty now inch closer, their intentions murky and threatening, reminding him that the past is never far behind. As loyalties shift and unseen forces converge, the fragile peace Martin has found hangs by a thread, leaving him to wrestle with the question of whether true freedom can ever be bought, or if it must be earned through confronting the darkness that follows him.

Last Updated: December 04, 2025 at 15:36

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about assassins seeking redemption like A Prayer for the Dying

A violent protagonist seeks absolution while hunted by their former life.If you liked the story of a guilt-ridden hitman in A Prayer for the Dying, you'll find similar tension in these films. This list features crime dramas and thrillers where a violent protagonist seeks peace and redemption while being hunted by the life they're trying to escape.

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Narrative Summary

These stories follow a linear, often fast-paced trajectory where a character's attempt to escape their criminal identity triggers a crisis. The central conflict is both external, with former allies becoming hunters, and internal, as the protagonist grapples with the moral weight of their actions. The climax often involves a final, violent confrontation that serves as a form of spiritual reckoning.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this group share a high-intensity, dark tone driven by moral conflict and the desperate pursuit of redemption. They combine fast-paced action and thriller elements with a heavy emotional core, leading to endings that are bittersweet or bleak, resolving the character's spiritual arc, often at great personal cost.

Tense moral thrillers with heavy stakes like A Prayer for the Dying

Relentless thrillers where characters face impossible ethical choices under pressure.Fans of the relentless tension and ethical quandaries in A Prayer for the Dying will appreciate these films. This collection features high-stakes crime and drama movies where characters are trapped in situations that force them to confront grave moral choices under extreme pressure.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves an ordinary person or a compromised individual becoming entangled in a dangerous situation, often involving organized crime or political violence. The plot unfolds rapidly, presenting a series of escalating crises where every choice has severe repercussions. The focus is on survival amidst a landscape of corruption and violence, testing the character's morality to its limit.

Why These Movies?

This thread unites films with a consistently high level of tension, a dark and anxious mood, and a straightforward, fast-paced narrative. The shared experience is one of sustained suspense and heavy emotional weight, as viewers are pulled into stories where survival and morality are intimately and dangerously linked.

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A Prayer for the Dying Summary

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A Prayer for the Dying Summary

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A Prayer for the Dying Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in A Prayer for the Dying

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Characters, Settings & Themes in A Prayer for the Dying

More About A Prayer for the Dying

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