The Killer

The Killer

Year: 1990

Runtime: 111 min

Language: English

Director: John Woo

ActionDramaThrillerCrime

A respected assassin’s career takes a dark turn when he makes a critical mistake, triggering a relentless pursuit by those who once employed him. While desperately trying to stay one step ahead of his former colleagues, he questions his own motivations and the brutal nature of his profession. The intense chase forces him to confront his past and fight for his survival in a gripping battle of wits and skill.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – The Killer (1990)

Trace every key event in The Killer (1990) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Finn hires Zee to hit the Marseille gang at a nightclub

Finn contracts Zee to kill the drug gang from Marseille who are partying in a local nightclub during Jenn's performance. Zee accepts the assignment and begins planning with Tessier, who provides disguises and keeps a goldfish for luck. The assignment kickstarts Zee's brutal night of operations.

Night Paris – local nightclub
2

Coco's arrest attempt ends in tragedy

Sey and Jax attempt to arrest Jenn's drug-dealing boyfriend Coco at the nightclub, but he escapes, injures Jax, and takes a hostage, forcing Sey to shoot him. The confrontation escalates the underworld violence surrounding Jenn's presence. Coco's death triggers the ensuing chaos tied to the heroin theft and killings.

Night Paris – nightclub
3

Zee wipes out the nightclub gang

Zee storms the club and eliminates the drug gang, ensuring there are no remaining threats in the immediate area. Jenn is knocked unconscious by a fall, which blinds her, yet Zee spares her as she believes Jenn is an uninvolved civilian. The carnage marks Zee as a feared figure in the underworld.

Night Paris – nightclub
4

Zee goes to the hospital to finish the job

Finn orders Zee to finish Jenn at the hospital where she is being kept. Zee disguises herself as a vice-consul from the US embassy to gain access to Jenn's room, but she still chooses to spare Jenn again, recognizing she is not a straightforward target. The hospital becomes the next battleground in the unfolding plan.

Hours later Paris – hospital
5

Sey uncovers Finn's heroin theft connection

Sey connects Gobert to a recent large heroin theft from Arabian prince Majeb Bin Faheem, but the investigation is hampered by wary superiors. It is revealed that Finn orchestrated the theft to corner the Paris drug market, tying the hospital plot to a larger criminal scheme. The corporate interests inside the police force complicate justice.

Later Police HQ
6

Jenn's hospital escape attempt and Zee's rescue

Finn's thugs launch an attempt to assassinate Jenn at the hospital, forcing Zee to intervene and take Jenn to safety. A chaotic shootout destroys parts of the hospital, killing staff and patients, and Zee and Sey briefly meet before Zee escapes with Jenn to her apartment. The escape cements an uneasy alliance against Finn.

Night Hospital; transition to Zee's apartment
7

Jenn reveals Zee's identity and the heroin theft

Jenn identifies Zee as the killer from the nightclub and reveals that she and Coco stole Bin Faheem's heroin shipment, sparking the chain of murders. Zee lies to Finn, claiming she has eliminated Jenn, but Finn eventually learns the truth, complicating Zee's loyalties. The revelation reorients Zee's priorities.

Following hospital events Zee's apartment
8

Zee is arrested, escapes, and Jenn is kidnapped

Sey has Zee arrested and interrogated, but she escapes custody; Finn subsequently kidnaps Jenn and uses Tessier as a bridge to coerce Zee. Tessier reveals that Finn coerced a cop to alert him whenever Zee makes contact, tightening Finn's grip on the situation. Zee's fugitive status pushes her toward a final confrontation with Finn.

After hospital events Police station; on the run
9

Gobert is killed and Finn frames Sey

Gobert demands Zee assassinate Bin Faheem for his failure, but Finn murders Gobert instead to consolidate power. Finn then schemes to frame Sey, forcing him into hiding, and tasks Zee with eliminating Sey to secure Jenn's freedom. The power play sets Finn against Zee and Sey alike.

Midpoint Finn's operation / Gobert's circle
10

Zee and Sey team up to bring Finn down

Zee realizes the setup when she spots Sey meeting Jax with an assassin waiting to kill her. She kills the assassin, exposes Jax as being on Finn's payroll, and decides to join forces with Sey to take Finn down. The alliance shifts the balance of power toward a final showdown.

Chase toward confrontation City streets / safe locations
11

The exchange of heroin at the abandoned church

Zee and Sey retrieve the stolen heroin and arrange an exchange for Jenn at an abandoned church. The meeting erupts into a violent confrontation between Zee, Sey, Finn, and Finn's assassins, culminating in the drugs being destroyed by an explosive set by Sey. Jenn's sight is recovered in the ensuing chaos.

Evening Abandoned church
12

Final showdown and a new path for Zee

Finn prepares to kill Zee, but she distracts him with a silly question, buying time for Sey to slip her a gun. Zee shoots Finn, ending his hold over the operation. Jenn is reunited with her mother, and Zee tells Sey she plans to change her life, sharing a bittersweet goodbye as the case closes.

Night Abandoned church / Finn's location

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 10:29

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