Thanks to its artistic design and its wide-ranging gameplay, the Hitman saga has established itself as one of the most iconic and able to pay homage to pop cinema, and in particular that of espionage, crime and action.
It is no coincidence that the inspiration for the first Hitman came to IO Interactive looking at the films of John Woo, one of the masters of Asian genre cinema (we were talking about in this special).
Today, to celebrate the release of Hitman 3, we recommend 5 films or authorial directors to explore in case you can't get out of your head Agent 47 not even once you get to the end credits.
Are you ready? Let's start.
Mission: Impossible
Released in 1996 and based on a beloved 60s spy series, Mission: Impossible by Brian DePalma could be suitable for all those who love the touch of Hitman black.
While certainly not as crude or morally ambiguous as the game series dedicated to 47, DePalma's film stages a beautiful spy thriller in which Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), a US spy, finds himself having to prove his innocence after being accused of betraying and helping to eliminate his unit during a covert operation in Prague.
Although the theme is only "bordering" with that of Hitman, as it does Mission: Impossible puts on stage a much more credible and realistic "world of espionage" than the one seen in 007, made up of moral ambiguity, double crosses, traitors and international organizations that go to war.
So if you are a lover of the more political fictional side of the IO Interactive franchise, this is fun spy-movie contaminated with Hitchcock thriller and Hollywood action will be right for you.
The 007s of Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan
Although very different character, 007 is undoubtedly one of the characters who helped shape the Hitman concept as regards the atmosphere of the game.
In particular, they are very close to the Hitman mood James Bond films produced between the 90s and 2000s, or those with protagonists Pierce Brosnan e Daniel Craig.
The former share many suggestions with Hitman, in particular for the constant references to a post-Soviet Russia prey to criminals and ex-men of the Red Army in disarray. A scenario in which even 47 has often moved, in particular in the second chapter of the classic series (remember the splendid levels set in St. Petersburg?).
As for 007 with Daniel Craing, the advice stems from the fact that the British actor's James Bond is probably the one who makes his fundamental characters the use of brute force and a cold and not very friendly appearance. Two characters that, if we think about it, also belong to Agent 47.
So if the 47 saga has bewitched you, there are many possibilities that the "Bondian" cinema of the last twenty years or so will give you some satisfaction.
John Woo's cinema
By letting go of Hitman's "spy" side, and embracing that “crime”, a very heartfelt cinephile advice is to recover the first films of John Woo, recognized as the king of made-in-Hong Kong genre cinema.
Always at ease between noir, pure action cinema and melodrama, first working in Asia and then in the United States Woo has shaped a collective imagination made of golden-hearted criminals battling evil gangsters, ruthless white-collar workers in business with even more evil bosses, and most of all, breathtaking shootings.
It goes without saying that many of these themes have also been transposed into Hitman. In both cases we find in fact an exploration of organized crime painted as very "cool", made up of criminals elegantly dressed and armed to the teeth intent on moving in gloomy and decadent cities.
In particular, John Woo's highly recommended are A better tomorrow, Hard Boiled e Face/Off. In particular, the latter is an over the top action with Nicholas Cage and John Travolta honored especially in the more psychedelic and “dreamlike” sequences of Hitman: Blood Money: those of the "funeral" of 47.
The Jackal
We come to a film that, although not wonderful (far from it), we decided to remember for its placing a cold and charismatic professional killer at the center of the story. The Jackal, directed in 1997 by Michael Caton-Jones, revolves around a ruthless and talented contract killer (a great Bruce Willis) with the aim of infiltrating the United States to carry out a murder on behalf of the Russian mafia.
To capture him, the United States government relies on one of only two people to know the identity of the killer, namely a former IRA terrorist played by Richard Gere.
As mentioned, The Jackal is certainly not a memorable film, indeed it is more remembered as a classic cassette film not too inspired.
However, if the 47 saga made you fall in love with the classic archetype of the "Elusive killer", then the interpretation that Bruce Willis gives of the antagonist / protagonist could be able to thrill you and convince you.
Collateral
The icing on the cake of this short overview can only be one of the most beautiful noir films of the 2000s, or Collateral di Michael Mann.
Built on an iron concept, that is the vicissitudes of a paid killer in charge of eliminating five witnesses of justice overnight and those of the unfortunate taxi driver who finds himself having to drive him, Collateral is an existential noir thriller in which Tom Cruise has managed to build the image of an extraordinary villain.
Lost between pure sociopathy and disillusionment, hers Vincent, angel of death in a suit and tie, is a sort of "Agent 47 but worse“, Which is contrasted by a Jamie Foxx very good, human and completely unable to stem the murderous fury.
The result is a film full of memorable moments, including yearbook jokes in the history of cinema, thrilling action scenes, elegant and experimental photography.
If Hitman won you over for the ambiguous, decadent crime atmospheres immersed in an ultra-technological and hyper-connected world but brutal at the same time, then Collateral might be for you.
Well, these are the five films or cinematic brands in our opinion that are closest to the Hitman "mood" and which ones fans of the IO series should give it a try.
These are not films with a plot very close to that of Hitman, but their combination of pulp atmospheres, plots based on international conspiracies and breathtaking shootings it could help someone survive even after Hitman 3 is finished.
Or, simply, to keep him company between one game session and another.
