I Hired a Contract Killer

Henri Boulanger learns he has been laid off from his London waterworks job, effective immediately, as privatization sweeps the industry and foreigners are the first to go. The sudden loss detonates his sense of stability and leaves him isolated in a city that suddenly feels hostile. He must face unemployment without a support network.

Despair drives Henri to consider ending his life, a plan he tries to execute twice but fails. He attempts hanging and then gassing himself in the oven, both dramatic misfires that underline his hopelessness. The near-tragedy marks a turning point, forcing him to seek something else to hold on to.

While reading the newspaper, Henri spots a story about contract killers and decides to hire them. He pawns a watch to raise funds and goes to the Honolulu Bar to meet the killers, who agree to take the job within two weeks. They warn him to contact them if he changes his mind, though he insists he won't.

On the spur of the moment, Henri leaves a note on his door saying he’s gone to the pub opposite. At the pub, he meets Margaret, a flowerseller, and they strike up an instant connection. They plan to meet again, giving Henri a sliver of hope amid the bleakness.

The assassin manages to break into Henri's flat, prompting Henri to escape. He resolves to visit Margaret afterwards, shifting his focus from dying to a possible new life. The break-in confirms the immediate danger that still pursues him.

At Margaret's, Henri confesses that he has fallen in love, changing his mind about the planned murder-for-hire. Margaret urges him to cancel the order and goes to Henri's flat to collect his belongings, thinking she is safe because the killer doesn't know her. The exchange deepens their bond while the stalker remains at large.

Henri learns the Honolulu Bar has been demolished and the killer begins tailing Margaret on her way back to her own flat. He does not follow her into the lift, and instead returns to his own life, coughing up blood as a sign of his illness. The killer’s presence still haunts them both.

The killer forces his way into Margaret's flat, threatening her to wait for Henri's return. Margaret resists and manages to knock him unconscious, allowing Henri and Margaret to flee and rent a hotel room. They share a rare, intimate moment, confirming they want to press on together despite the danger.

The killer—now outwardly recovered—is told by a doctor that he has a form of cancer with one to two months to live, but he still plans to kill Henri. The diagnosis intensifies the killer's resolve, turning their cat-and-mouse game into a race against time. The threat remains very real.

Henri wakes in the hotel and, after a sequence of events, follows the killer's associates to a jeweller's. A struggle erupts and a shot kills the jeweller; the thieves stuff the gun into Henri's hands and flee, forcing him to dispose of the weapon to avoid suspicion. This event drags Henri deeper into danger and frames him in the eyes of the law.

Police arrest the two jewel thieves while pawning the jewellery, and Henri is declared innocent. The relief is tempered by the killer's continued pursuit and the pending confrontation. Henri now faces a direct threat that could end his life at any moment.

During the final confrontation, the killer bursts into the burger place to finish the job while Henri tries to evacuate with his employer. The killer shoots himself rather than die at Henri's hands, ending the immediate danger. Henri exits into the street and is narrowly missed by a taxi driven by Margaret.

Some time later, Henri's employer—the restaurant owner who has kept him employed—stands by a window in the restaurant, smoking and cleaning his glasses. The closing image hints at a fragile equilibrium returning to life, with Henri and Margaret's future left uncertain. The film ends on a quiet, unresolved note about what comes next for them.