The Gunman
A sniper on a mercenary assassination team, working for an unknown client, kills the minister of mines of the Congo. Terrier's (Sean Penn's) successful kill shot forces him to go into hiding to protect himself and the members of the team from retribution. This includes abruptly abandoning his girlfriend who has no idea what is going on. The assassination, paid for by a foreign mining company, triggers wide spread chaos and death in an already inflamed Congo. Terrier returns to the Congo years later working for an NGO, but eventually finds himself to be the target of a paid hit squad somehow connected to the ministers assassination. This leads to immediate deaths and the endangerment of the people working around him, and forces him back into hiding. In trying to discover who has put a price on his head, he begins to reconnect to the members of his old assassination team, including his old girlfriend. Always aware there is no path to redemption for his crimes, he is also periodically incapacitated by a type of accumulated and evolving physical brain damage caused by the hard knocks of his occupation. Unexpectedly, given the time that has elapsed, his reconnection to his old assassination team exposes additional intrigues with immediate deadly consequences. All of his years spent in hiding, have merely delayed the twisted end game that now enfolds.
The film commercial failure against its mid-range budget of $40.0M, earning $13.6M globally (-66% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its unconventional structure within the action genre.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Gunman (2015) showcases meticulously timed narrative architecture, characteristic of Pierre Morel's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 55 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.2, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jim Terrier works as a security contractor in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006, living a dangerous life while in love with Annie, a doctor working with an NGO. His ordinary world is violent but stable, with clear relationships and purpose.. The analysis reveals that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Jim successfully assassinates the Mining Minister of the Congo, a kill that will have massive political and economic ramifications. He is immediately forced to leave the country and abandon Annie without explanation, shattering his life.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 28 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Armed men attack Jim at his work site, attempting to kill him. He fights them off but realizes his past has caught up with him. He makes the active choice to leave his quiet life and hunt down whoever is trying to kill him., moving from reaction to action.
At 58 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Structural examination shows that this crucial beat Jim discovers that Cox, his former friend and now Annie's husband, is part of the conspiracy to kill him. The stakes escalate dramatically - this isn't just about survival, but about betrayal by someone he trusted. A false defeat as the conspiracy goes deeper than expected., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 86 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Cox kidnaps Annie and corners Jim. Jim's mentor figure Stanley is killed. Jim is wounded, his condition deteriorating, and he's lost everything - his health, his friends, and now Annie is in the hands of his enemy. This is his darkest moment with a clear whiff of death., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 92 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Jim infiltrates the bullfighting arena and confronts Cox and the conspirators. Intense action sequence where Jim uses both his tactical skills and his willingness to sacrifice himself. He kills Cox, saves Annie, and exposes the conspiracy, bringing the corporate villains to justice., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Gunman's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The Gunman against these established plot points, we can identify how Pierre Morel utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Gunman within the action genre.
Pierre Morel's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Pierre Morel films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Gunman represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Pierre Morel filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Pierre Morel analyses, see Freelance, Taken and From Paris with Love.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jim Terrier works as a security contractor in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006, living a dangerous life while in love with Annie, a doctor working with an NGO. His ordinary world is violent but stable, with clear relationships and purpose.
Theme
Felix, Jim's colleague, makes a comment about actions having consequences and how the past never stays buried. This establishes the film's theme: you cannot escape the consequences of your violent past.
Worldbuilding
We learn Jim is part of a team of mercenaries working for a mining company. He has a relationship with Annie, but his boss Cox also has feelings for her. The political situation in the Congo is volatile, and Jim receives a covert assassination assignment.
Disruption
Jim successfully assassinates the Mining Minister of the Congo, a kill that will have massive political and economic ramifications. He is immediately forced to leave the country and abandon Annie without explanation, shattering his life.
Resistance
Eight years later, Jim lives quietly doing NGO work in Africa, trying to atone for his past. He suffers from neurological issues and PTSD. He debates whether he can ever escape his former life and reconnect with Annie.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Armed men attack Jim at his work site, attempting to kill him. He fights them off but realizes his past has caught up with him. He makes the active choice to leave his quiet life and hunt down whoever is trying to kill him.
Mirror World
Jim reconnects with Annie, now married to Cox (his former team leader). This relationship subplot represents what Jim wants but cannot have - a normal life and love - because of the violent choices he made. Annie embodies the life he sacrificed.
Premise
Jim investigates who wants him dead, tracking down his former team members. Action sequences in London, Barcelona, and across Europe deliver the thriller premise. He discovers his teammates are being systematically killed, and someone is covering up the Congo operation.
Midpoint
Jim discovers that Cox, his former friend and now Annie's husband, is part of the conspiracy to kill him. The stakes escalate dramatically - this isn't just about survival, but about betrayal by someone he trusted. A false defeat as the conspiracy goes deeper than expected.
Opposition
Cox and his allies actively hunt Jim while Jim tries to protect Annie. Jim's neurological condition worsens, compromising him in fights. The corporate and government conspiracy is revealed - powerful people profit from the assassination and will kill to keep it secret.
Collapse
Cox kidnaps Annie and corners Jim. Jim's mentor figure Stanley is killed. Jim is wounded, his condition deteriorating, and he's lost everything - his health, his friends, and now Annie is in the hands of his enemy. This is his darkest moment with a clear whiff of death.
Crisis
Jim processes his losses and faces the reality that he may die from his condition or the final confrontation. He contemplates whether redemption is possible for someone with his past, but realizes he must act to save Annie regardless of the cost.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Jim infiltrates the bullfighting arena and confronts Cox and the conspirators. Intense action sequence where Jim uses both his tactical skills and his willingness to sacrifice himself. He kills Cox, saves Annie, and exposes the conspiracy, bringing the corporate villains to justice.