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 box office disappointment against its moderate budget of $40.0M, earning $13.6M globally (-66% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its compelling narrative 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) exemplifies strategically placed story structure, characteristic of Pierre Morel's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-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.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jim Terrier
Annie
Felix
Cox
Stanley
DuPont
Main Cast & Characters
Jim Terrier
Played by Sean Penn
A former black-ops assassin suffering from PTSD who must clear his name while being hunted by his former organization.
Annie
Played by Jasmine Trinca
Jim's former lover, a doctor who remained in the Congo after Jim disappeared, now married to his former colleague.
Felix
Played by Javier Bardem
Jim's former colleague and friend who married Annie after Jim left, hiding deep betrayal and involvement in the conspiracy.
Cox
Played by Mark Rylance
A ruthless corporate fixer and former colleague who orchestrates the hunt for Jim to cover up past crimes.
Stanley
Played by Ray Winstone
A businessman and former team member trying to survive as the conspiracy unravels around them.
DuPont
Played by Idris Elba
An Interpol agent investigating the murders and assassination connected to Jim's past.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Democratic Republic of Congo, 2006. Jim Terrier works as a security contractor for a mining company while secretly operating as a mercenary. He's in a relationship with Annie, an aid worker, living a double life of violence and love.. Of particular interest, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 14 minutes when Jim assassinates the Congolese mining minister as ordered. This irreversible act forces him to immediately flee the country, abandoning Annie without explanation and setting in motion events that will haunt him for years.. 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 29 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to After surviving the assassination attempt, Jim chooses to hunt down whoever is trying to kill him rather than hide. He travels to London to find his former handler Cox and begins investigating who ordered the hit on 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 Cox is murdered, and Jim learns that all the original team members are being systematically eliminated to protect a corporate conspiracy. The stakes escalate from personal survival to exposing a far-reaching cover-up involving powerful mining interests., 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, Annie is kidnapped by Felix and the mercenaries. Jim's neurological condition reaches a critical point, leaving him physically compromised. Stan's death weighs on him. He has lost everyone and everything, his body failing him at the worst possible moment., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 92 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Jim locates where Annie is being held at a bullfighting arena in Barcelona. Despite his condition, he commits fully to a rescue mission, accepting that he may die but choosing to use his violent skills one final time for redemption rather than profit., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Gunman's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. 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 5 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 Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Pierre Morel analyses, see Freelance, From Paris with Love and Taken.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Democratic Republic of Congo, 2006. Jim Terrier works as a security contractor for a mining company while secretly operating as a mercenary. He's in a relationship with Annie, an aid worker, living a double life of violence and love.
Theme
Felix warns Jim about the risks of their work, stating that their actions will follow them forever. The theme is established: you cannot escape the consequences of violence and moral compromise.
Worldbuilding
The world of private military contractors in conflict-torn Congo is established. Jim's team includes Felix, Stan, and Cox. Jim's relationship with Annie provides emotional stakes. The mining minister becomes a target due to his opposition to corporate interests.
Disruption
Jim assassinates the Congolese mining minister as ordered. This irreversible act forces him to immediately flee the country, abandoning Annie without explanation and setting in motion events that will haunt him for years.
Resistance
Eight years later, Jim has reinvented himself as an aid worker in the Congo, digging wells and trying to atone for his past. He suffers from headaches and memory issues. When armed men attack the aid compound trying to kill him, he realizes his past has caught up with him.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
After surviving the assassination attempt, Jim chooses to hunt down whoever is trying to kill him rather than hide. He travels to London to find his former handler Cox and begins investigating who ordered the hit on him.
Mirror World
Jim discovers that Annie is now married to Felix in Barcelona. This subplot represents what Jim lost through his violent choices and what he might regain through redemption. Annie becomes both motivation and moral compass.
Premise
Jim investigates the conspiracy, traveling from London to Barcelona to Gibraltar. He reconnects with old teammates, each meeting revealing more of the web of betrayal. His tactical skills are showcased as he outmaneuvers assassins while uncovering that his former employers are cleaning house.
Midpoint
Cox is murdered, and Jim learns that all the original team members are being systematically eliminated to protect a corporate conspiracy. The stakes escalate from personal survival to exposing a far-reaching cover-up involving powerful mining interests.
Opposition
The conspiracy closes in. Jim's medical condition worsens with seizures and memory gaps. Felix is revealed as a jealous collaborator with the assassins. Jim fights through multiple attempts on his life while Annie is caught in the crossfire. His old friend Stan is killed.
Collapse
Annie is kidnapped by Felix and the mercenaries. Jim's neurological condition reaches a critical point, leaving him physically compromised. Stan's death weighs on him. He has lost everyone and everything, his body failing him at the worst possible moment.
Crisis
Jim faces his physical deterioration and moral reckoning alone. He must confront that his violent past has destroyed the lives of those he cared about. The weight of guilt and failing health threaten to overwhelm him before he can save Annie.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Jim locates where Annie is being held at a bullfighting arena in Barcelona. Despite his condition, he commits fully to a rescue mission, accepting that he may die but choosing to use his violent skills one final time for redemption rather than profit.
Synthesis
The climactic confrontation unfolds at the Barcelona bullring. Jim systematically eliminates the mercenaries using the arena's architecture and his tactical expertise. He confronts Felix, who dies in the arena. Jim rescues Annie, finally completing his redemption through selfless action.
Transformation
Jim and Annie emerge from the arena together. Unlike the opening where Jim was a killer who abandoned Annie, he is now a protector who risked everything for her. His violent skills finally served love instead of profit, achieving the redemption he sought.