The Professional

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2:28

The Professional

R

1994

1h 55m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Crime

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

66 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is only 12 years old, but is already familiar with the dark side of life: her abusive father stores drugs for corrupt police officers, and her mother neglects her. Léon (Jean Reno), who lives down the hall, tends to his houseplants and works as a hired hitman for mobster Tony (Danny Aiello). When her family is murdered by crooked DEA agent Stansfield (Gary Oldman), Mathilda joins forces with a reluctant Léon to learn his deadly trade and avenge her family's deaths.

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Critics Consensus

Pivoting on the unusual relationship between seasoned hitman and his 12-year-old apprentice -- a breakout turn by young Natalie Portman -- Luc Besson's Léon is a stylish and oddly affecting thriller.

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Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

11/11/2019

4/5

Luc Besson's first English-language hit is, like much of the Frenchman's work, less than subtle, yet it is stylish, disturbing and weirdly moving.

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Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

06/04/2014

Leave it to french writer-director Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita) to put a kinky twist on Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbucks.

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

06/04/2014

3/4

Ultimately, like La Femme Nikita, there may be less here than meets the eye. But what does meet the eye is pretty darn thrilling.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jun 16

2.5/4

Gary Oldman’s unbearably hammy turn ranks as perhaps the worst performance of his career.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

07/06/2024

7/10

As an action thriller, often stylized with violence and irony, never loses its pulse or sense of intrigue as it explores the urban tale about the professional killer who protects the orphan girl in the corrupt streets of New York. [Full review in Spanish]

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

06/29/2024

4/5

‘…Leon: The Professional is notable for a trio of iconic performances from Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman, the latter setting a gold standard for manic villainy that’s rarely been bettered…’

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Megan C.

@TexIcana 7h

Both Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman overact in this movie understandably to counterbalance Jean Reno's character, yet those performances are distracting in a plot big enough for a short film.

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GeForce N

@RT74027076 May 18

In a word, a masterpiece

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Stephen G.

@Mangaloverx999x May 10

One of my favorite movies of all time. I saw this when I was lik 7 or 8 yea my dad let me watch movies like this with him. I loved it even at that point. One of Natalie Portman and Gary Goldmans best performances.

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liam Q

@RT28690339 Apr 29

The best scene was when she got that loaf of bread from the store. The attention to NYC detail is amazing. I remember seeing that in theaters in 1994 and thinking "sheeeeiiit".

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Ronnie M

@spuncake Mar 29

This movie was very uncomfortable to watch...Why would you have a child making sexual advances to a grown man in any movie? Left a bad taste in my mouth.....ridiculous

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Marios K

@RT04753237 Mar 15

Léon: The Professional is deeply frustrating because the writing and tone are creepy and all over the place. The Mathilda/Léon dynamic is uncomfortable and forced: a 12-year-old saying she’s in love with a man in his 40s, asking for a kiss, getting intimate and close to Léon’s face, and wearing inappropriate clothing makes the story feel incredibly wrong, unrealistic, and weird. The villain calling in an absurdly huge SWAT team for a single apartment block just to catch one man has no real justification, and the transitions between action, drama, and emotional scenes are jarring. That said, the acting is phenomenal: Gary Oldman is unhinged and unforgettable, Jean Reno is perfectly stoic, and Natalie Portman’s debut at 12 is criminally impressive, full of raw emotion. Extraordinary performances cannot save a movie whose writing and tone are so inconsistent, making it impossible to fully enjoy.

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Luc Besson

Director

Jean Reno

Léon

Gary Oldman

Stansfield

Natalie Portman

Mathilda

Danny Aiello

Tony

Peter Appel

Malky

The Professional: Official Clip - I Love You

2:09

The Professional: Official Clip - From Mathilda

2:09

The Professional: Official Clip - Everyone!

2:11

The Professional: Official Clip - Hostage Exchange

2:12

The Professional: Official Clip - Bodyguard Takedown

2:10

The Professional: Official Clip - Sniper Lessons

2:06

The Professional: Official Clip - Do You Like Life, Sweetheart?

1:55

The Professional: Official Clip - One Minute Past

2:10

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Transformers: Actors In Disguise

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Leon: The Professional: Trailer 1

2:28

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Synopsis

Mathilda (Natalie Portman) is only 12 years old, but is already familiar with the dark side of life: her abusive father stores drugs for corrupt police officers, and her mother neglects her. Léon (Jean Reno), who lives down the hall, tends to his houseplants and works as a hired hitman for mobster Tony (Danny Aiello). When her family is murdered by crooked DEA agent Stansfield (Gary Oldman), Mathilda joins forces with a reluctant Léon to learn his deadly trade and avenge her family's deaths.

Director: Luc Besson
Screenwriter: Luc Besson
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Columbia TriStar Home Video
Production Co: Gaumont, Gaumont International, Les Films du Dauphin
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 18, 1994, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.0M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Surround, SDDS, Dolby Digital