The Gunman

The Gunman is a 2015 action thriller directed by Pierre Morel, adapted from Jean-Patrick Manchette's 1981 novel The Prone Gunman. Sean Penn plays Jim Terrier, a former mercenary who, in 2006, assassinated the mining minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the orders of multinational mining interests. Years after retiring from that life and trying to build a quiet future with his girlfriend Anne, Terrier discovers that a powerful private security company has sent hit squads to eliminate him and the people close to him. Forced back into the violence he tried to leave behind, he fights to survive and to protect Anne. The supporting cast includes Javier Bardem, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance and Jasmine Trinca. A co-production of France, the United States and Spain, the film was released in March 2015. It underperformed at the box office, earning far less than its budget, and was met with largely negative reviews from critics.