Hit Lady

Hit Lady

Year: 1974

Runtime: 72 mins

Language: English

Director: Tracy Keenan Wynn

ThrillerDrama

Angela de Vries, an LA contract killer who never misses, befriends a wealthy rancher at a Texas barbecue, takes him on a horseback ride, then shoots him, giving him a moment to reflect on his victims. She hopes it’s her last job, but her client orders another hit—a national union leader staged as an accident. While researching the target, Angela falls for an aspiring photographer and wonders if she can leave the assassin life for love.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Hit Lady (1974)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Hit Lady (1974). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Ranch party, Roarke's penthouse, Baine's lakeside resort, Doug's apartment, Cozumel hotel, Airport

The story unfolds across a rural ranch party setting and the opulent urban world of Roarke's penthouse. It then shifts to Baine's lakeside retreat, a contrast to the party’s glamour, before moving to Doug's apartment and finally a Cozumel hotel and airport as the plot accelerates toward its finale.

🏞️ Ranch party 🏢 Roarke's penthouse 🏝️ Lakeside resort

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:34

Main Characters – Hit Lady (1974)

Meet the key characters of Hit Lady (1974), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Angela de Vries (Yvette Mimieux)

A seductive assassin who hides her true profession behind an art-world persona. She methodically studies targets, using charm and wit as weapons. As she courts Baine, she begins to question the kill and Roarke’s control, ultimately crossing lines to reclaim her own fate, only to be betrayed at the end.

🔥 Seductive 🧠 Calculating 💔 Torn

Roarke (Clu Gulager)

A ruthless employer and master manipulator who runs a private network of hits. He pushes Angela toward one final contract to maintain power and keep her under his thumb. His opulent penthouse hides a cold, strategic mind, and he meets his end at Angela's hands.

🗝️ Controlling 🧠 Strategic 🔪 Ruthless

Jeffrey Baine (Joseph Campanella)

A union leader whose charm hides vulnerability, making him susceptible to Angela’s manipulation. He falls into a romance that is also a trap, and his apparent disappearance triggers suspicion and drives the plot toward its tragic conclusion.

🎯 Targeted ⭐ Leader 💔 Vulnerable

Eddie (Roy Jenson)

Roarke's security chief who diligently investigates Angela, seeking to protect Baine and uncover the truth. He uncovers Angela’s dossier and the extent of her deception, acting as a foil to the assassin’s increasingly compromised plans.

🔎 Investigative 🛡️ Loyal

Doug Reynolds (Dack Rambo)

Angela’s photographer boyfriend who wants to help her career but clashes over money. He is later revealed to be another of Roarke’s proteges, and his loyalties drive the final confrontation when he shoots Angela.

🎨 Artist 💘 Romantic 🕵️‍♂️ Revealer

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:34

Major Themes – Hit Lady (1974)

Explore the central themes of Hit Lady (1974), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕵️ Deception

Angela builds a convincing false identity to manipulate Baine and lure him into a fatal trap. The hunter becomes entangled in a web of lies that blurs moral lines. The film uses seduction and misdirection to advance the hit while masking a growing personal conflict.

🔒 Control

Roarke exerts tight control over Angela and the contract system, turning people into interchangeable assets. Angela’s dawning humanity threatens to disrupt the delicate power balance he maintains. The tension arises from surveillance, loyalty, and the fear of losing freedom.

❤️ Love vs Duty

Angela’s evolving feelings for Baine clash with her professional obligations, testing whether affection can override a planned assassination. Baine’s trust makes the romance dangerous and complicated, challenging Angela’s sense of duty. The relationship exposes the fragility of loyalty in a world built on manipulation.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:34

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Movies about assassins wanting to escape, like Hit Lady

Professionals who dream of a normal life but are trapped by their past.If you enjoyed Hit Lady's story of an assassin seeking freedom, you'll find similar tension in these movies. This list features thrillers and dramas about professionals trapped in a life of crime, yearning for a normal existence but facing impossible odds and devastating betrayals.

fatalisticdouble lifetrappedbetrayaltensemelancholicno escape

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a protagonist at the top of their lethal game who suddenly finds a reason to quit—often love, exhaustion, or a flicker of conscience. Their attempt to escape triggers a chain of events where their employers, past actions, or the very nature of their work closes in, proving that freedom is an illusion in a world built on secrets and violence.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped by their shared focus on the 'one last job' trope that goes wrong, the psychological weight of a double life, and the bleak, fatalistic theme that escape from a life of crime is ultimately impossible. They mix high-stakes action with heavy emotional drama.

Movies with cold betrayal and bleak endings like Hit Lady

Stories where trust is a weapon and hope leads to a trap.Fans of Hit Lady's fatalistic twist will appreciate these films. Discover similar stories where romance or friendship is a facade for a darker agenda, leading to shocking reveals and hopeless endings. These are tense, emotionally heavy viewings about deception and impossible situations.

sinisterdeceptionfatalisticparanoiadouble-edgedcoldhopeless

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a protagonist who believes they have found a lifeline—a new love, a chance at freedom, or a trustworthy ally. This hope becomes the central point of tension, as the audience or the protagonist slowly realizes this salvation is part of an elaborate trap, making the eventual betrayal more calculated and emotionally devastating.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their manipulation of audience and character hope, a pervasive mood of paranoia, and an unwavering commitment to a bleak, fatalistic conclusion. The emotional experience is defined by the crushing weight of a deception that reveals no escape was ever possible.

Unlock the Full Story of Hit Lady

Don't stop at just watching — explore Hit Lady in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Hit Lady is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Hit Lady Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Hit Lady, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Hit Lady Summary

Hit Lady Timeline

Track the full timeline of Hit Lady with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Hit Lady Timeline

Hit Lady Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Hit Lady that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Hit Lady Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Hit Lady

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Hit Lady: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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