Joe, portrayed by Nicolas Cage, is a highly skilled freelance assassin who adheres firmly to his personal code of conduct. He remains isolated from the world around him, meticulously avoiding any social interactions beyond his professional obligations. Joe chooses tranquil locations to carry out his work, steering clear of personal connections with his handlers and never asking questions. He is disciplined to the core, always prepared with an escape plan and a routine to ensure he leaves no trace behind after his jobs.
Traditionally, Joe employs young pickpockets or minor criminals to assist him, but he follows a sinister practice of eliminating them after each assignment to dodge any potential identification. He operates under various aliases, ensuring that there are intermediaries between himself and the individuals who hire him. With an obsession for punctuality, Joe carries a watch to execute hits with precision, carefully visualizing each target. Despite the lucrative nature of his work, it demands unwavering discipline.
After executing a hit in Prague, where he eliminates a mob informant in police custody using a sniper rifle, Joe then travels to Bangkok. Here, he embarks on a final assignment for the notorious local crime lord Surat (Nirattisai Kaljaruek), whose presence he never directly encounters. Planning to retire with the earnings from this last job, Joe gains temporary lodging in a secluded mansion for utmost privacy.
In Bangkok, Joe strikes an agreement with a local pickpocket named Kong, whom he witnesses deftly stealing from tourists. Kong, possessing only basic English skills, becomes Joe's intermediary, with the stipulation that no direct meeting with the gang will take place. Joe compensates him generously, promising a month’s worth of tasks. Contracts for hits are passed to Kong via Aom (Panward Hemmanee), a nightclub dancer, where he presents a very specific marked currency note to receive details of each job.
Joe's first assassination occurs in a dramatic fashion, executed from a motorcycle where he takes out all occupants of a car at a traffic light using a MAC-11. His rapport with Kong deepens, particularly after Kong survives an attack by muggers while delivering a briefcase. Although initially unsettling for Joe, who briefly plans to eliminate Kong, he recognizes a part of himself in the younger man and instead chooses to mentor him in self-defense techniques.
When Joe learns about his next target, a rival crime boss involved in human trafficking, he swiftly conducts another execution, resorting to drowning in the target’s own pool. His path crosses with Fon, a deaf-mute pharmacist, who captures his attention during a visit to obtain medicine for an injury sustained during his previous job. A fleeting connection develops when Joe invites her to dinner, though this bond is shattered by violence when he kills two assailants right in front of her, leaving Fon traumatized and unable to reconcile their relationship.
As the third target’s execution nears, Joe becomes aware that the gang is attempting to trace him through Kong, leading to a tense moment where he warns them away. In a thrilling yet chaotic sequence at the Damnoen Saduak floating market, Joe manages to neutralize his target despite a close call. Prior to his final hit, he seeks closure with Fon, who is hesitant but eventually chases after him, hinting at unresolved feelings.
His ultimate target, the Prime Minister of Thailand, someone hailed as a hero yet obstructive to Surat's operations, raises doubts within Joe. At the pivotal moment of execution, he hesitates, becoming instantly exposed and forced to flee into a frenzied crowd. With the gang retaliating, they capture Aom and Kong, putting their lives at stake. As Joe fights off assailants in an explosive showdown at his residence, he faces a dilemma: escape unscathed or save Kong.
Choosing the latter, Joe infiltrates the gang's stronghold, showcasing his lethal skills and rescuing both Kong and Aom from imminent death. In a dramatic climax, Joe confronts Surat and his crew; as the police close in, he faces a grim final choice. With a single bullet left, he barricades himself with Surat, and in a tragic twist, Joe makes the fateful decision to end both their lives with a pull of the trigger.
