With less than a month before it leaves Netflix, now is the time to catch up with the underrated Samuel L. Jackson buddy-cop movie The Hitman’s Bodyguard. The entertaining semi-spoof, co-starring Ryan Reynolds in a satirical riff on the 1992 Kevin Costner hit The Bodyguard, lives and dies with the droll banter traded effortlessly between the two movie stars.
The action comedy lampoon was met with enough fanfare and financial success to warrant a sequel, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, which is also available on Netflix for a limited time. Although the sequel nearly sullied the reputation of the original, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is a wildly amusing take on the buddy-cop genre that gives the great Samuel L. Jackson a rare opportunity to flex his comedic acting chops. See it now on Netflix while you still can.
What Is ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ About?
Directed by Patrick Hughes from a screenplay by Tom O’Connor, The Hitman’s Bodyguard is an underrated buddy action comedy released in August 2017. The story centers on Michael Bryce (Reynolds), a disgraced bodyguard reeling over the ruthless assassination of a high-profile client two years prior. Bryce gets an opportunity to revive his career and restore his rep when tasked with protecting Darius Kincaid (Jackson), a world-renowned assassin testifying in court against Belarusian dictator Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman).
Part of Darius’ testimony agreement against Dukhovich includes the release of his wife, Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek), from a prison in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Bryce’s ex-girlfriend and leading Interpol agent, Amelia Roussel (Elodie Yung), escorts the duo through treacherous terrain abroad as Duhkovich’s soldiers try to stop them with relentless gunfire. An ambush wipes out Kincaid’s security detail, leaving Amelia to recruit Bryce for protection as the trio moves from The Hague to Amsterdam.
The plot thickens when Kincaid reveals he was responsible for killing Bryce’s client two years ago. The unwitting betrayal sets up the comedic dynamic of the movie, which leans into the classic, odd couple of cops who argue to no end before becoming lovable buddies. The bickering, bantering humor is unsurprisingly in Reynolds’ wheelhouse, with Jackson’s hysterical comedic timing being the most amusing revelation. Fans of his need to check out one of his rare comedy performances, especially while it’s still available on Netflix.
How ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ Spoofs Kevin Costner’s ‘The Bodyguard’
For the uninitiated, The Bodyguard is a 1992 romantic action thriller pairing Kevin Costner with Whitney Houston. Costner plays a former U.S. Secret Service member assigned to protect a budding pop singer played by Houston. Despite being the second-highest-grossing movie of 1992, earning over $411 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), The Bodyguard was met with widespread ridicule from critics for being far too melodramatic, way too serious, and showcasing nearly zero romantic chemistry between Costner and Houston.
Without knowing about The Bodyguard‘s absurd deficiencies, it’s hard to fully appreciate how effectively The Hitman’s Bodyguard skewers the original’s cheesy clichés. Yet, right down to the near-identical poster featuring Ryan Reynolds holding Samuel L. Jackson in his arms like Costner did for Whitney Houston, the aim was clear: take a mega-popular romantic thriller with a negative stigma and turn it into a farcical parody.
The first attempt succeeded, earning $183 million in global ticket sales, a 6.9 IMDb rating, and a 67% Rotten Tomatoes Popcorn Meter score. Beyond the playful chemistry between Jackson and Reynolds, the movie is most entertaining when it toys with buddy-cop conventions, poking fun at the genre’s overused tropes and lending a sprawling international air of intrigue that transcends a mere parody of The Bodyguard.
Alas, the second attempt faltered, with Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard grossing $70 million globally and boasting a 6.1 IMDb rating and 25% Tomato Meter Score. Both movies will remain on Netflix through August 31, 2025. That gives Samuel L. Jackson fans less than one month to see one of his funniest and most unheralded comedic performances in a legendary career that includes over 200 credits.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard may not reinvent the buddy-cop-action subgenre, but it does provide Samuel L. Jackson a scarce opportunity to flash his comedic aplomb. Ryan Reynolds proves to be the perfect comic foil for Jackson, with fans of both sure to get hearty chuckles and a few genuine belly laughs before The Hitman’s Bodyguard leaves Netflix after August 31, 2025.
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