User reviews

Seem to have seen many almost the same films over the past few years. Assassin with military background falling foul of her employers who turn on her. The only difference with this one was there is almost no story, why are people being killed, why turn on such a good operative. I would have walked out but it was raining

This movie follows an assassin (Chastain) with a morality complex, alcohol and family problems, and questioning her own purpose. She is faced with her employers decision that she is now a liability and needs to be "closed".

Really the story isn't bad, but there is a looming overall question of how we got to this point that is only vaguely mentioned. The story moves along quick only giving the viewer enough plot not to question it. Not bad action. Chastain holds her own. Worth a go.

This film is centred on Ava Faulkner, an assassin with addiction problems and a desire to know why her victims are being targeted. This latter quirk bothers her employers. Duke, her direct superior and father figure wants to protect her but others, higher up, believe she is a liability. After an operation goes wrong due to faulty intelligence she suspects that her employers want her dead. Duke tries to persuade her that she is just being paranoid. If that weren't enough there are problems with her family; her ex-boyfriend Michael, who is now her sister's fiancé, has gambling problems which have led to large debts.

I thought this started well and was intrigued by Ava's life as an assassin... I assumed that the plot would eventually lead to who her employers were and what their motives were. Instead it led to the unnecessary subplot involving Michael; this felt a distraction from the main story, as if the makers thought they had an hour's worth of material and needed to pad the film out to an hour and a half. It is a pity they didn't pad it with a bit more action connected to the main plot as what we got there was exciting and well-choreographed; the fights had an impressively physical feel to them. There are of course plenty of clichés but that goes with the genre. Jessica Chastain gives an impressive performance as Ava and John Malkovich and Colin Farrell are solid as Duke and antagonist Simon respectively. Geena Davis is fun as Ava's mother, although her presence made me think of her lead in 'The Long Kiss Goodnight'; a superior female lead action film. Overall it passes the time well enough if you are a fan of the genre but is hardly a must see.

The first 30 minutes were really promising. Good action, suspenseful vibe, great acting... but as soon as one of the secondary character Michael appears, everything flops. Not only because of his insecure and awkwardly mediocre acting, which reminded me of some cheap drama or love story soap opera... but because he represents an entry point into Ava's past. A boring past which has nothing to add to the story or her character.

So if we crop off all the family stuff and stick to the action... then it could be a solid 7. In stead it is a poor 6.

Worth mentioning: Jessica Chastain and John Malkovich performances are great. Colin Farrell somehow sticks to his (good) average, but who really disappoints is Geena Davis. Her approach personally felt to me like "Let's make it clear - I'll say some words, get the money and leave."

Jessica Chastain plays an international hit-woman. John Malkovich is her handler. It sounds like a Luc Besson thriller in the making. It's not. This is a ludicrously hard-to-believe story with soap-opera level writing and stiff performances all around. Everyone has a haunted past... infidelities... alcoholism... gambling addiction... cliché after cliché. At no point did anyone convince me of their character. This feels like the first draft in a college freshman's scriptwriting class.

Ava is one of those films that is enjoyable, but will quickly be forgotten. It doesn't have any major or glaring flaws, but equally it doesn't have anything extra special that makes it stand out.

I absolutely love Jessica Chastain as an actress, and so she was the highlight for me. I thought she brought a good performance to a character who, despite not being too developed, had enough to maintain my interest.

The story felt very familiar. If you're into the action genre, you won't find anything ground breaking here. That's not to say it wasn't enjoyable. It was fun to watch, it just hasn't left a lasting impression on me.

In terms of the action, once again it was exciting, but it wasn't anything new. There were some pretty decent set pieces and some good fight choreography, and the action was well paced throughout.

Ultimately I'm happy I watched Ava. It kept me entertained for an hour and a half, and at the end of the day isn't that why we watch films?

I like Chastain as an actor bit this is not her genre. This film felt very cheap. The story dull, the direction amateur and the action scenes were really really bad. You could see the fight scenes coming from a mile away. The poor story telling was so bad that the excuses to have a fight we're incredibly lame.

I can't explain why so many top actors took part in this cheese fest. I got goose bumps as they had to blurt out their awful lines. The whole thing just felt B-Roll amateur. Not recommended.

The 1 and 2 star reviews are just ridiculously harsh, I've seen worser films that ppl rave about like they are some film connoisseur...it's a decent action flick...a bit like a female version of John wick but a bit more gritty...cuz let's be honest the John wick story lines are hardly riveting just lots of bullets but they still made 3 of them. She's a decent actress & does a pretty awesome job of being bad ass but not in your hair/make up always perfect cliche kinda way. If you wanna watch a simple story line, with a good bit of fighting & a steady 1hr30 entertainment then just give it a watch & ignore the absurdly harsh reviews on here

I could write and explain the how absurdity bad this movie is - from absolutely incoherent storylines, to fights that are so edited and cut, that they are impossible to understand - but I'm just gonna put this as clear as possible: Don't waste your time.

Oh, by the way, a secret assassin's organization would have operatives that are, let's say, good at their job?

Andwhoever the choreographer for the "fight sequences" was, he/she was definitely not a vet, or even a martial arts fighter with understanding of how a REAL fight flows.

Here's to you Colin Farrell, and you Glock with a REFLEX SIGHT and ridiculous suppressor. You stealthy, sneaky, sneaky assassin's.

Take this test: Did/do you like Geena Davis in The Long Kiss Goodnight? Zoe Saldana in Colombiana? Blake Lively in The Rhythm Section? Anne Parillaud in (La Femme) Nikita? Angelina Jolie in Salt? Gina Carano in Haywire? If you said "yes" to three or more of these, then I suggest you give this a try - because I think you will understand it and appreciate it, more than the troglodytes who've given it such a low rating. Oh, and a quick side note: the quiz beginning with "did/do" is just a reflection of my personal belief that the movies we love exist simultaneously in two dimensions of time; like any work of art, they can't only be referred to in the past tense. Peace!

Thanks a lot folks! Came to IMDB for help and what did I get? Ying and yang reviews, I took a chance and I proceed with caution but was pleasantly surprised with this film as I didn't expect much, but it is watchable.

No real reason for this movie to be made.100% predictable,no likeable characters,no one to root for,chastain kicks ass just about everyone but does not seem strong or body trained,the whole thing is laughable.she also does not possess the star power to like her regardless.boring and stupid.

How and why would you take a hit-man (hit-"person" to be politically correct) genre that's been done so many times before, screw it up, AND turn it into a soap opera?

I mean this whole Michael thing is straight out of "Days of Our Lives". Why not create a heartfelt conflict between the sisters and their mom, instead of just seemingly-random cast Common as Michael. Like my heading says, a 5th grader could've written (and directed) this better. I get that actor/trying-to-become-a-writer Matthew Newton is a newb, but to have such an all-star talent line-up, you'd think he would've at least had a seasoned writer proofread the script to avoid embarrassment. His screenplay was riddled with plot and technical issues, it was convoluted, and borderline laughable. Only in the last approx. 15 mins did it grab and hold my attention.

To make matters worse, actor/trying-to-become-a-director Tate Taylor failed miserably in directing his cast, and certain scenes were horribly directed. Don't get me started on the lame action scenes. Right from the start, Jessica Chastain was unconvincing as an assassin, and I know in front of a seasoned director, she would've nailed it. Even A-list actors need direction in scenes. With Taylor, her fight scenes were phony, as was her character.

I feel really bad for the A-listers having this mess on their resume. This type of filmmaking is more suited for the Steven Seagal and Bruce Willis has-been B-movie type actors. Now, watch seasoned filmmaker Luc Besson's "Anna", who cast (as a lead!) never-heard-of amateur actress (in her first-ever acting role) Sasha Luss, and his writing, directing and action scenes will blow your mind, especially compared to this mess! The moral of this story here is, don't blow your money on A-list actors in hopes they will make your film a success; instead, put that money towards film school, then cast a Sasha Luss type newb actor, and you'll have a better chance for a successful film. It's a very generous 6/10 from me - mostly out of pity for the A-listers.

Ava Starts AWESOME with great international spy assassin action, though it fast lost heat, getting to the level of a soap opera drama with unbelievable amount of tears that i could not like.

It should have stayed on track with action, but no.

Still, i can admire the effort and above all the all-star cast, that includes the always beautiful Joan Chen, as well as old time fave John Malkovich who fought pretty good when his time came.

Jessica Chastain in her main character role as well as her nemesis Colin Farrell also did a good work, as expected from them.

The cast even includes two Oscar winners: rapper Common and the forever gorgeous Geena Davis, who at 64 even looked more elegant and stylish than the much younger Chastain during the scene where the two women played cards.

So, as you can infer, cast is not a problem. Problem (in my eyes) was the plot that did make this flick and all action thriller. Because the tears and the telenovela subplot deflate the excitement, preventing the film to reach an awesome peak that would have made it truly memorable. That - sadly - did not happen.

Nevertheless, the Ava is acceptable, probably the best in offer in cinemas right now. I'd say it'd be worth of your bucks and time.

An assassin becomes marked for death by her black ops organization after questioning orders and breaking protocol.

"Ava" brings the action and espionage elements of a classic spy thriller blended with family-based drama. The mixture of the two isn't always seamless but it doesn't make the film any less entertaining. Chastain is great as the lead with her opportunity to participate in the genre, bringing the charisma and star power that saves the day for Ava. Otherwise, it's an unimaginative plot with less thrill and many clichés. Ava's atmosphere is due entirely to its compelling action sequences and strong supporting performances... Farrell did a great job and there's a wonderfully acted scene between Geena Davis and Chastain towards the end.

This was a terrible movie. There's just no good points in it. The whole thing is a mess. The storyline is all over the place.

Assassin films are a genre to themselves at the moment. This one has the full on assassin 'industry' structure of John Wick, but never reaches those heady heights.

Chastain and Malkovich turn in good performances and Colin Farrell doesn't do a bad job either.

The human element of this film centres around Ava returning to her home and family who have all changed significantly since she left, but this emotion pit is an element of the film that doesn't work so well, although Gena Davis still puts in a good performance there.

The sub plot around a bizzare love triangle never really does anything but slow the film down and the gambling issue alone could have provided what was needed without all the additional angst.

It's certainly not a bad action film. The fight scenes are well choreographed and don't resort to Matrix style martial arts, and the characters slow down as the fight continues which is something a lot of action films get wrong.

It doesn't do anything new for the assassin genre but its not the worst film in it. If you're looking for a decent popcorn film, you could do better; but you could also do a lot worse.

I don't know any assassins & hope to never meet one - if you know what I mean. There are plenty of reviews already so I'll just add what I thought was refreshing about the film & what I thought could've been better. Most films about assassins - Bourne, Wick, and Atomic Blonde come to mind - depict them as somewhat aloof and mysterious. This film grounds our assassin as someone closer to a real person. A human being with proper foibles who exists among other imperfect people.

It's a smaller budget film but the cast is killer (pun intended). Seemed like it was shot fairly quickly but the actual performances are proper top shelf.

Ideally the action needed to appear less "choreographed". Just as it depicts Eve as a real person, the fights, too, should have been more "warts n all". Felt like I was watching two different movies: gritty American family drama and then a European espionage thriller or Jane Bond 007. This movie tried to bridge the two genres & that's what I enjoyed most about it.

1st half builds some momentum but 2nd half doesn't live up to expectations. Acting is good and good OTT watch.

Violent and nail-biting film dealing with a killer-for-hire carries out its missions relentlessly , but subsequently taking place a bloody revenge . Stirring as well as non-stop action movie stars a lethally attractive and incredibly efficient woman in her dangerous line of work , she's called Ava (Jessica Chastian) , she is a hired killer who pulls off his relentless missions to perfection , but she is beginning to develop a conscience . Ava is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe specializing in high profile hits , under orders his mentor (John Malkovich) . After a brilliantly exciting opening in a thrilling operation executed by the contract killer , things go wrong , then her family is theatened and she is again forced into action. Ava lets guilt get in the way of closing her assignments , attracting unwanted attention by breaking protocol . When a job goes dangerously awry she is forced to fight for her own survival .As it concentrates on the painful vendetta , as she search for revenge to protect her pregnant sister (Jess Weixler) and her boyfriend (Common) who are being pursued . She is plunged into a highly dangerous game of vendetta and deception , where things are not always what they appear to be .Kill. Or Be Killed !. His assignment : kill !.

This moving picture contains thrills , unstoppable action , betrayal , fighting , pursuits and lots of deaths , it has a high body count. Interesting but messy screenplay by Matthew Newton with plenty of surprises twists and turns . There are echoes here of many other action movies and behind the deceits , plot twists and manipulation is essentially a simple yarn with touches of soap opera .The film is built around this cold killer engaged in dirty works that ever other murderers won't touch . The flick contemplates the old themes of trust , family , friendship , vengeance , treason , grisly violence , humiliation and redemption . The set pieces such as relentless pursuits , shootouts , impressive as well as violent fights are all magnificent , as are so many secondary scenes .This is a bone-chilling picture in which our main starring Jessica Chastian gives an acceptable acting as the taciturn lone wolf and cold-blooded assassin , she plays an outlandish , bizarre role ; a tough woman who having beaten her alcohol and substance dependence becomes more and more, unsettling and unstable , until the final redemption . The whole movie revolves around this peculiar character , Ava , finely played by Jessica Chastain who produced as well , she already had a background in martial arts which enabled him to perform his own fight sequences . Support cast is frankly well , such as : John Malkovich as her grizzled mentor of death and father figure , an aged Geena Davis as her sick mother , Common , Jess Weixler , Ioan Gruffudd , Diana Silvers , Joan Chen and Colin Farrell as another merciless hitman .

It displays a thrilling and appropriate musical score by Bear McCreary. As well as colorful and adequate cinematography by cameraman Stephen Goldblatt . The motion picture was regular but professionally directed by Tate Taylor , though it has its ups and downs . Tate Taylor frequently casts Octavia Spencer and Allison Janney . And he has directed 3 actresses to Oscar nominations, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and Octavia Spencer, all in The Help (2011). Spencer won her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Tate is an actor , producer and director known for Breaking News in Yuba County , Ma (2019), I Feel Good: the story of James Brown (2014), The Help (2011) , The girl on the train (2016) , Winter's Bone (2010) , Pretty Ugly People (2007) , Wannabe (2005) , among others . Rating : 5.5/10 . Mediocre but passable.

Female assassin on the run, history of brutal kills, ex military, etc...the list goes on n there r many similar movies. But when u make a movie on a bad ass female assassin pls dont put family melodrama n cliches aft cliches. The hand to hand combat is not choreographed well, the film is devoid of tension n suspense n the worst is the piece of cake assasination plan. Jessica Chastain aint convincing as an assassin. As a fan of Colin Farrell, i got disappointed. Well, he is in good shape but the footage is very less. So ther is a scene wher the character of Chastain is narrating her alcohol abuse n childhood stuff in a group therapy and jus when poor Tony's turn came to share, the camera cut off, how selfish man. Gena Davis played an assassin in Long Kiss Goodnight n sad to see her in bad condition, very old n with those plastic surgery lips. The woman who played Chastain's sis (she was ther in Teeth n It) has a very chubby face n poor ol John Malkovich talking as if he is wheezing but he does get to kick some ass.

Not sure i agree with the bad reviews. Good acting,Good fight scenes, Watchable roles by solid actors. Bit short and sweet straight to the point movie. Seen a lot worse with huge budgets. Worth your time in my opinion. Defo gets better as it moves along.

Enjoy.