Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Eliminators (2016) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Eliminators (2016) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2016 · 95 mins · English
Directed by
James Nunn
Starring
Scott Adkins, James Cosmo, Lee Charles, Euan Macnaughton, Ellie Goffe, Mem Ferda

A former US Federal Agent is forced out of hiding when his London home is mistakenly targeted, resulting in multiple deaths. Now hunted by a deadly assassin sent from Europe, he must protect his daughters while evading those who have tracked him down. The agent must use his skills to ensure their safety and confront the escalating threat.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Characters explained (10)
  3. 3 Where & when it takes place
  4. 4 Themes & meaning (3)
  5. 5 Character & meaning questions
  6. 6 Movie threads
  7. 7 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Eliminators (2016)

Where can you watch Eliminators? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

10 main characters · contains spoilers

Eliminators Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Eliminators (2016), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Thomas McKenzie (Thomas Parker) – played by Scott Adkins

    Former U.S. federal agent living under witness protection in London with his eight-year-old daughter Carly. He fights to outrun Cooper's forces while navigating the blur between his old life and the protection that keeps them safe. His willingness to resort to brutal violence under pressure demonstrates the costs of protecting a loved one.

    • 🧭 Protagonist
    • 🥊 fighter
    • 🕶️ steady
  • Carly Parker

    played by Lily Ann Stubbs

    Thomas's eight-year-old daughter, raised under protection and exposed to constant danger. Her safety is the central motivation for Thomas's actions, and her innocence contrasts with the violence around them. She becomes a symbol of what Thomas is fighting to shield.

    • 👶 Child
    • 🛡️ Protected
    • 💖 Innocence
  • Charles Cooper

    played by James Cosmo

    American arms dealer and mastermind behind the conflict. He wants Carly returned so he can groom her as his successor in the arms trade, showing a ruthless, strategic mindset. His brutality pushes Thomas to exceed limits to keep his family safe.

    • 💰 Boss
    • 🗡️ Ruthless
    • 🧠 Calculating
  • George Edwards

    played by Stephen Marcus

    A deadly British hitman hired by Cooper, known for his relentless pursuit and lethal efficiency. He serves as a persistent obstacle to Thomas, using sharp instincts and physical prowess to close gaps. His presence heightens the film's tension as the chase intensifies.

    • 🔪 Assassin
    • 🧭 Persistent
    • 🥊 Dangerous
  • Bishop Edwards

    played by Stuart Bennett

    Alias of the same hitman, a high-tech, cunning operative who can hack or outsmart surveillance when needed. He orchestrates chases from the shadows and tracks Thomas with his car’s systems, making the pursuit feel relentless.

    • 🧠 Sleek
    • 🛡️ Dangerous
    • 🕶️ Calculating
  • Ray Monroe

    played by Daniel Caltagirone

    Thomas's old friend who travels from the U.S. to help sort out the witness protection status and assist Carly's safety. He brings a pragmatic, supportive energy to the mission, even as danger intensifies.

    • 🤝 Ally
    • 🧭 Ally
    • 🧰 Resourceful
  • Stacey

    played by Ty Glaser

    The guardian assigned to Carly at Kavendish Place. She acts with concern for the girl's safety but becomes an obstacle to the earlier protective plan when violence erupts. Her role highlights the fragility of child protection in a criminal storm.

    • 👩‍👧 Guardian
    • 🛡️ Caretaker
    • 🕊️ Fragile
  • Hannah

    played by Olivia Mace

    Cooper's assistant who is drawn into the deadly conflict and is killed during Cooper's confrontation with the protectors. Her involvement demonstrates Cooper's reach and the cost paid by those close to him.

    • 🧩 Antagonist
    • 💀 Trajectory
    • 🗝️ Link
  • Gail Callister

    U.S. Embassy colleague who coordinates protection efforts and is involved in the witness protection process. She appears briefly at key moments to support the mission.

    • 🗺️ Diplomatic
    • 🛡️ Support
    • 🧭 Coord
  • Nurse

    played by Ellie Goffe

    The nurse who tends to Thomas in hospital and along the way, reflecting the fragility of victims in the brutal conflict. Her presence marks a brief moment of care amid the violence.

    • 🏥 Medical
    • 🩺 Care
    • 🧸 Calm

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:53

Was this helpful?

Setting

Where and When Does Eliminators Take Place?

The setting of Eliminators (2016): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Location

London, Kavendish Place

Most of the action unfolds in London, with the pair living under witness protection. The home and Kavendish Place become focal points as Cooper's men close in. The storyline moves through the city's streets, including moments on the Thames, at a cable car terminal, and around the docks, underscoring an urban battleground.

  • 🌆 Urban
  • 🧭 Thriller
  • 👨‍👧 Family

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:53

Was this helpful?

3 major themes

Eliminators Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Eliminators (2016) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Family

    Thomas's bond with his daughter drives the plot, with his protective instincts shaping every decision. The film shows how love can justify violent acts and put both of them at constant risk. Carly's safety anchors the narrative and adds emotional stakes to the action.

  • Revenge

    Cooper's vendetta against Thomas sets the pursuit in motion, unleashing a cycle of brutal confrontations. The killers close in as each retaliation spurs new violence, escalating the danger. The theme probes the moral cost of revenge and who pays the price when vengeance spirals out of control.

  • Identity

    Thomas operates under multiple identities—Thomas McKenzie and Martin Parker—to survive witness protection. The tension between past and present life highlights how cover stories shape choices and trust. Surveillance, aliases, and undercover tactics reveal how fragile personal identity can be in a crime-filled world.

Last updated: October 04, 2025 at 07:53

Was this helpful?

Character & theme questions

Eliminators Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Eliminators (2016): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is Eliminators set?

Most of the action takes place in London, specifically around the Kavendish Place area where Thomas and his daughter live under witness protection. The urban setting becomes a battleground, with key scenes unfolding on the streets, along the Thames, at a cable car terminal, and around the docks.

  • london
  • kavendish place
  • setting
  • urban
Q2

Why does Thomas live under an alias in the movie?

Thomas McKenzie, a former US federal agent, is living under witness protection in London under the alias Martin Parker. His real identity is Thomas McKenzie, but he must hide behind multiple identities to survive after turning against his former life. The film explores how cover stories and aliases shape his choices and trust, reflecting the fragility of personal identity in a dangerous world.

  • thomas mckenzie
  • martin parker
  • witness protection
  • alias
  • identity
Q3

Why does Charles Cooper want Carly?

Charles Cooper, an American arms dealer, wants Carly returned because he intends to groom her as his successor in the arms trade. This reveals Cooper's ruthless, strategic mindset, he sees the young girl not as a child but as a future asset in his criminal enterprise.

  • charles cooper
  • carly
  • arms dealer
  • succession
  • grooming
Q4

What role does family play in Eliminators?

Family is the central driving force of the film. Thomas's bond with his daughter Carly anchors the entire narrative, his protective instincts shape every decision he makes. The theme explores how love can justify violent acts and put both father and daughter at constant risk. Carly's safety represents the emotional stakes that fuel all the action.

  • family
  • thomas
  • carly
  • father daughter
  • protection
Q5

Who is George Edwards in Eliminators?

George Edwards is a deadly British hitman hired by Cooper to track down Thomas and Carly. Known for his relentless pursuit and lethal efficiency, he uses sharp instincts and physical prowess to close in on his targets. He also operates under the alias Bishop Edwards, a high-tech operative who can hack surveillance systems and orchestrate chases from the shadows, making the pursuit feel inescapable.

  • george edwards
  • bishop edwards
  • hitman
  • killer
  • cooper
Q6

What does the theme of revenge explore in Eliminators?

The revenge theme centers on Cooper's vendetta against Thomas, which sets the entire pursuit in motion. As Thomas retaliates against Cooper's forces, each response triggers new violence, escalating the danger further. The film probes the moral cost of revenge and questions who ultimately pays the price when vengeance spirals out of control.

  • revenge
  • cooper
  • cycle
  • violence
  • escalation
Q7

Who is Ray Monroe and what is his role?

Ray Monroe is Thomas's old friend who travels from the United States to help sort out the witness protection status and assist with keeping Carly safe. He brings a pragmatic, supportive energy to the mission, providing backup as the danger intensifies around them.

  • ray monroe
  • friend
  • support
  • witness protection
Q8

How does the Identity theme function in Eliminators?

The Identity theme explores how Thomas operates under multiple names, Thomas McKenzie and Martin Parker, to survive witness protection. The tension between his past life as a federal agent and his present existence under protection highlights how fragile personal identity becomes in a crime-filled world. Surveillance, aliases, and undercover tactics all reinforce this theme of shifting identities.

  • identity
  • alias
  • surveillance
  • cover
  • thomas mckenzie
Q9

What is Stacey's role in the story?

Stacey is the guardian assigned to protect Carly at Kavendish Place. She acts with genuine concern for the girl's safety but becomes an obstacle to the protective plan when violence erupts around them. Her role highlights the fragility of child protection in the middle of a dangerous criminal conflict.

  • stacey
  • guardian
  • carly
  • kavendish place
  • protection
Q10

What is Carly's significance in Eliminators?

Carly is Thomas's eight-year-old daughter, raised under witness protection and constantly exposed to danger. Her safety is the central motivation for all of Thomas's actions. Her innocence starkly contrasts with the violence surrounding her, making her a symbol of what Thomas is fighting to shield, a normal life threatened by his dangerous past.

  • carly
  • daughter
  • thomas
  • innocence
  • symbol

Movie threads

More Movies Like Eliminators, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Eliminators tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Protective Parent Action Thrillers Like Eliminators

Desperate parents pushed to their violent limits to protect their children from ruthless threats. If you liked the desperate, high-stakes action of Eliminators, you'll find similar tension in these movies about parents protecting their children. This list features films with a protective father or mother figure, relentless pacing, and explosive confrontations against assassins or criminal organizations threatening their family.

  • protective
  • desperate
  • relentless
  • brutal
  • anxious
  • high-stakes
  • Tone: tense, desperate, brutal
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative follows a linear, high-stakes chase. A hidden past or hidden identity of the parent is exposed, immediately putting their family in grave danger. The parent must use their specialized skills—often from a former life as an agent or soldier—to outmaneuver a persistent, skilled hunter, moving from one desperate defensive action to a final, decisive offensive to ensure their child's safety.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread are grouped by the powerful, unifying theme of parental protection. They share a relentless, FAST pace, HIGH intensity action, and a consistently TENSE tone. The emotional core is the father-daughter or parent-child bond, which elevates the stakes beyond simple survival, creating a cohesive experience of desperate, violent guardianship.

Relentless Cat-and-Mouse Chase Thrillers Similar to Eliminators

A high-speed pursuit where the hunter becomes the hunted in a deadly game of survival. For viewers who enjoyed the fast-paced, high-tension chase in Eliminators, this collection features similar movies about a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. These thrillers focus on a skilled hunter relentlessly pursuing a target, leading to a series of explosive action sequences and desperate survival tactics in an urban environment.

  • tense
  • relentless
  • anxious
  • high-speed
  • brutal
  • desperate
  • Tone: tense, anxious, brutal
  • Pacing: fast, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot is a straightforward, linear escalation of pursuit. A single, triggering event sets a deadly assassin on the protagonist's trail. The story unfolds as a series of escalating encounters—ambushes, escapes, and confrontations—in various urban settings. The narrative drive is simple: evade, survive, and ultimately confront the hunter to end the threat.

Why they belong together: These movies are unified by their core structure: a relentless, FAST-paced chase narrative. They share a HIGH intensity level and a dominantly TENSE tone, creating a cohesive feeling of being hunted. The similarity lies in the rhythm of the plot—constant movement, immediate danger, and a clear, external threat that must be neutralized.

Every angle

Eliminators (2016) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Eliminators in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app