Film

Proud Mary

Name: Proud Mary
Genre: Thriller, Action, Crime
Released: 2018
Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Jahi Di'Allo Winston, Danny Glover, Billy Brown, Neal McDonough

A Boston hitwoman's carefully compartmentalized life fractures when a botched job puts her in contact with a young boy she can't walk away from. Taraji P. Henson carries this brisk action-thriller with real warmth, elevating a familiar redemption premise into something that actually feels like it matters. It's comfort-food cinema with surprising emotional weight.

TMDb rating

2.8

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you like lean, pulpy crime yarns where a stylish, grim lead carries a gritty Boston underworld, and you don't mind a movie that plays its genre rules with a straight face.

Skip it if the plot runs on familiar tracks and the tone lurches between grit and cartoonish violence, so if you want a tightly plotted thriller, the rough edges will grate.

What it asks of you: Brisk at under ninety minutes, it keeps its violence and sentiment moving, so there is little room for slow reflection.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

John Wick2014

The archetype: a professional killer drawn back into violence by circumstance and conscience. Keanu Reeves at his most focused, beautiful action choreography, and a world-building that rewards attention. This is what elevated the assassin-with-a-heart story.

But Three-film commitment if you get hooked. The later sequels lose the elegant simplicity of the first one, and watching them all at once can feel repetitive.

Atomic Blonde2017

Charlize Theron as a spy-assassin in 1980s Berlin, juggling cover identities and real danger. Stunning action sequences, a killer soundtrack, and genuine style. Theron does the physical and emotional work simultaneously.

But The plot is a bit of a maze and sometimes obscures itself trying to be clever. You're here for Theron and the fights, not narrative clarity.

Hanna2011

A young girl raised as a weapon by her father enters the real world. Saoirse Ronan is extraordinary, the premise is genuinely unsettling, and Joe Wright's direction gives it an almost fairy-tale quality. Hits the same redemption-through-relationship beats, but with real darkness underneath.

But Slower and stranger than most action films. If you want constant movement, this meditative approach might feel slack.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Proud Mary

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Moonlight2016

Both films center on characters constrained by circumstance and geography, and both argue—quietly, in Moonlight's case, more directly in Proud Mary—that connection to another person is the only thing that breaks the cycle.

A three-act portrait of a Black man's life in Miami, structured around the people who try to protect and hurt him. Whisper-quiet where Proud Mary is loud, but it shares the same emotional architecture: how we survive, who we owe, and whether love can ever be simple. Barry Jenkins' direction is a masterclass in visual storytelling. It will stay with you.

But Deliberately slow, almost poetic. If you're coming for action and catharsis, this is the opposite: it asks you to sit quietly with sadness and ambiguity. Some find that pace frustrating.

The Protégé2021

Maggie Q as an assassin mentored by Samuel L. Jackson, forced to reckon with her past when a client betrays her trust. Sharp, stylish, and packed with the kind of action that requires precision. Q carries it with quiet intensity.

But Predictable plot beats and a twist that doesn't quite land. You've seen these beats before, and the film doesn't reinvent them.

Haywire2011

Gina Carano as a black-ops contractor framed and hunted by her own agency. Steven Soderbergh directs with cool minimalism, the action is crisp, and Carano's physicality is a genuine asset, not a gimmick. Efficient and intelligent.

But The plot is functional rather than gripping, and the emotional stakes stay thin. It's more interested in clean geometry than character depth.

The Old Guard2020

Charlize Theron again, leading a team of immortal mercenaries bound by code and history. Netflix does what it does well: big action, reliable performances, and a story that respects its characters' inner lives. Genuinely fun.

But The concept is cooler than the execution. Familiar action beats played competently but without much innovation or surprise.

Red Sparrow2018

Jennifer Lawrence as a Russian intelligence officer trained as a honeypot agent, navigating a world where loyalty is worthless. Dark, twisty, and gorgeously shot. Lawrence disappears into a role that asks her to be cold, calculating, and human all at once.

But Slow burn that some will read as boring. The sexual content is used tactically and can feel exploitative, depending on your tolerance.

Peppermint2018

Jennifer Garner as a mother turned vigilante after the murder of her daughter goes unsolved. Raw and vengeful in a way that doesn't soften its protagonist. Garner commits fully, and the film has a pulpy, cathartic energy.

But The execution is rough and the plotting has holes. It's competent rather than polished, and that roughness doesn't always work in its favor.

The Villainess2017

A South Korean action film about a female assassin trying to live a normal life while her past closes in. Stunning fight choreography, neon-soaked visuals, and a protagonist who is genuinely complicated. Action as art.

But Non-linear narrative structure can be confusing, especially in a film with subtitles. You'll need to stay sharp and may want to rewatch.

You Were Never Really Here2017

Both start with a professional mission that ruptures when a child enters the equation. But where Proud Mary finds warmth, Ramsay's film suggests that trauma and protectiveness are locked in an insoluble knot. Opposite tones, same core conflict.

Joaquin Phoenix as a traumatized fixer hired to rescue a trafficked girl. Lynne Ramsay's direction is fragmented and hallucinatory; the film gets inside a broken mind. It's brutal, visual, and operating at a frequency most thrillers don't touch. Genuinely disturbing in the best way.

But Very violent and increasingly abstract. If you need plot clarity and linear storytelling, this will frustrate you. It prioritizes mood and psychology over coherence.

The Florida Project2017

Both films are fundamentally about adults trying to create safety and meaning for children they didn't expect to care for. Proud Mary's thriller framework meets The Florida Project's neorealist heart: how do you save someone when the system is designed to fail them both?

Sean Baker's film about a six-year-old girl living in a motel with her struggling mother, seen mostly from the child's perspective. Shot in natural light, largely improvised, it finds dignity and joy in precarious circumstances. Willem Dafoe is extraordinary. It's a film about systems and survival, but told with such warmth and humor that it never becomes a lecture.

But Minimal plot, maximum observation. Adults behave badly in small ways, and the film doesn't resolve anything. If you need narrative closure and dramatic payoff, you'll find this frustrating.