The Big Hit (2020) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Melvin Smiley is the film's protagonist, a contract killer working for mob boss Paris. He operates with a working-class mentality and struggles to balance his criminal profession with his personal relationships, constantly trying to keep his two worlds from colliding.

• melvin smiley
• contract killer
• protagonist
• mobster

Paris is the mob boss and godfather who drives the operation. He maintains control through a mix of charisma and brutality, expecting absolute loyalty from his crew. His involvement intensifies the kidnapping plot and sets the pursuit in motion.

• paris
• mob boss
• godfather
• crime boss

The Dual Life theme explores how Melvin's career as a contract killer conflicts with his efforts to maintain romantic relationships. His struggle to keep his public persona separate from his private actions creates the film's core conflict, examining identity and loyalty.

• dual life
• identity
• loyalty
• melvin

The Forbidden Romance theme centers on the growing feelings between Keiko Nishi and Melvin. Their unexpected bond develops during the kidnapping situation, offering humanity amid violence while complicating their loyalties and threatening both their worlds.

• forbidden romance
• keiko
• melvin
• relationship

Keiko Nishi is the teenage daughter of electronics magnate Jiro Nishi, who is kidnapped for ransom. During her captivity, she forms an unexpected bond with Melvin, becoming a catalyst for decisions that test character boundaries and offering him humanity amid violence.

• keiko nishi
• kidnap victim
• jiro nishi
• ransom

The Violence & Crime theme examines how quickly calculated risks spiral into deadly violence. The film shows the costs of criminal life on perpetrators and their loved ones, with power, money, and revenge driving the plot toward confrontation.

• violence
• crime
• criminal life
• costs

The film is set in a modern, crime-saturated urban environment where corporate power and street violence intersect. The city serves as a backdrop for tense kidnappings, family drama, and clandestine alliances among mobsters and hitmen, with everyday life unfolding against dinners, a video store, and high-stakes confrontations.

• urban setting
• city
• contemporary
• crime

Melvin's two demanding relationships are with Chantel and Pam. Chantel resents his dangerous work and the secrecy it requires, controlling where he goes and how he spends money. Pam represents warmth and social normalcy, remaining largely unaware of his criminal life until his lies unravel during the kidnapping ordeal.

• chantel
• pam
• melvin
• girlfriend

Cisco is a volatile member of Melvin's hit team who pushes for quick results and personal gain. As the investigation closes in, he becomes increasingly dangerous and willing to betray others to protect his share of the payoff, triggering the cascade of betrayals and deadly confrontations.

• cisco
• hitman
• volatile
• betrayal

Jiro Nishi is a bankrupt yet powerful electronics magnate whose wealth funds his interests and safety network. He coolly evaluates threats during the crisis and uses his resources to navigate the situation, embodying the clash between wealth, influence, and family loyalty.

• jiro nishi
• electronics
• magnate
• wealth

Crunch is a steady, taciturn member of the hit squad who follows orders and maintains composure under pressure. He represents the professional side of the operation, ensuring plans stay on track even as chaos erupts, while privately grappling with the morality of their work.

• crunch
• hitman
• professional
• moral conflict

Melvin's crew includes Cisco, Crunch, Vince, and Gump. Cisco is volatile and pushy for quick gains. Crunch is the calm, professional operator. Vince enjoys the thrill and pressures Melvin for decisive action. Gump provides brute force but is killed in the chaos, highlighting the mortality inherent in criminal life.

• crew
• mob team
• cisco
• crunch
• vince
• gump