The saying goes, only someone already dead isn’t afraid of dying. Don Siegel directed The Killers, with a screenplay by Gene L. Coon based on Ernest Hemingway's short story. It features Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Clu Gulager, John Cassavetes, Ronald Reagan, and Claude Akins. John Williams composed the music, and Richard L. Rawlings handled the cinematography. Hitmen Charlie (Marvin) and Lee (Gulager) enter a school for the blind and shoot motor mechanic teacher Johnny North (Cassavetes). He doesn’t put up a fight. This detail puzzles Charlie, who then begins trying to figure out why. It's hard to mention The Killers without thinking of the 1946 film by Robert Siodmak, which is considered one of the best examples of film noir. However, Siegel’s version—a reworking of the plot—is certainly worthy of being called a quintessential neo-noir. Originally intended as the first movie made specifically for television, NBC pulled the film due to its violence. The inclusion of a murder by sniper also put it in an awkward position following the assassination of John F. Kennedy. With Ronald Reagan making his final on-screen appearance before entering politics—and playing a villain, no less—the 1964 version of The Killers has some significant history attached to it. The film explores themes of betrayal, murder, and longing, presenting morally ambiguous characters within a well-built story told through flashbacks. Shot in bright, almost garish colors, it’s very different visually from Siodmak's film, but this choice is effective and striking, actually enhancing the shocking nature of Coon’s screenplay. It’s an intense movie where the violence feels impactful, and the ending has a dark core. The performances are generally strong. Marvin and Gulager’s pairing as hitmen is intentionally unusual in terms of personality, and they really drive the film forward—or rather, backward. Cassavetes does interesting work as the nervous Johnny, Akins is good portraying a friend helplessly watching Johnny lose control, and Dickinson brings heat to her role as a woman who meets a fatal end. Reagan feels uncomfortable playing a tough villain; it’s not surprising to later learn he didn't enjoy the part. It’s well-made neo-noir from someone who clearly knew how to do things right. 7.5/10

Source on TMDB