Bryan Mills, a former government operative, is trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter Kim. After reluctantly agreeing with his ex-wife to let Kim go to Paris on vacation with a friend, his worst nightmare comes true. While on the phone with his daughter shortly after she arrives in Paris, she and her friend are abducted by a gang of human traffickers. Working against the clock, Bryan relies on his extensive training and skills to track down the ruthless gang that abducted her and launch a one-man war to rescue his daughter.
Acting
Neeson's voice drop during 'particular set of skills' — instant meme canon.
Direction
Morel's frantic handheld chaos somehow never obscures the brutality.
Writing
Luc Besson's lean, nasty script: setup, abduction, 35 kills, credits.
Director
Pierre Morel
Liam Neeson
Bryan Mills
Maggie Grace
Kim Mills
Famke Janssen
Lenore St. John
Olivier Rabourdin
Jean-Claude Pitrel
Leland Orser
Sam Gilroy
Jon Gries
Mark Casey
David Warshofsky
Bernie Harris
Holly Valance
Sheerah
Gérard Watkins
Patrice Saint-Clair
Arben Bajraktaraj
Marko Hoxha
Xander Berkeley
Stuart St. John
Katie Cassidy
Amanda
Radivoje Bukvić
Anton
Nicolas Giraud
Peter
Jalil Naciri
Ali
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The famous phone speech was rewritten by Neeson himself in one night. Besson originally wanted a longer scene; Neeson insisted on cold, clipped menace.
This film single-handedly extended Neeson's action career by 15+ years and spawned an entire subgenre of 'geriaction' movies starring 50+ actors as unlikely killers.
FR
