Despite their prominence in just about any media genre, hitmen, in reality, are rare to come by. Most people would never dream of harming, if not outright killing, another human being, and for those who do, it’s often a situation brought on by the most extreme of circumstances. To do such a thing as a profession takes a special kind of mindset that disregards thoughts and feelings for cold hard cash. Because of this, not everyone is cut out to be a hitman. In the upcoming Lionsgate filmOne Day as a Lion, Scott Caan will learn that lesson in an escalating series of unfortunate events.
Directed by John Swab and written by Caan himself,One Day as a Lionis described by Swab as a film “where story is secondary to the characters.” Films likeThe Big Lebowskishow that, even if the surrounding story isn’t all that amazing, its characters can more than make up for whatever shortcomings surround them. Seeing as howOne Day as a Lionis touted as a tribute to the Coen brothers, we can hopefully expect a similar level of quality. Until the film comes out in theaters, this is everything we know aboutOne Day as a Lion.
One Day as a Lion: The Plot
The plot synopsis provided by Lionsgate is as follows:
“One Day as a Lionis the story of Jackie Powers (Scott Caan), a nice guy but a lousy hit man, who’s sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons) but only pisses him off. Fleeing the scene, Jackie takes bored waitress Lola as a hostage. When Jackie reveals he needs money to get his son out of jail, Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, a thug sent to kill him is sleeping with Jackie’s ex. Also starring Frank Grillo, this crime-comedy is a witty homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers.”
It’s always a dangerous proposition to compare yourself to Tarantino or the Coen brothers, butbased onOne Day as a Lion’strailer, the comparisons aren’t without merit. It’s revealed that Jackie’s motivation for becoming a hitman is one we can all easily relate to, and there’s a sense of tension slowly building throughout Jackie’s journey. With each passing day, emotions run a little higher, and time slowly ticks away. But, despite everything, Jackie keeps a personable demeanor throughout.
Related:10 Essential Moments In Quentin Tarantino Movies, Ranked
What’s especially nice is the color strewn throughout the trailer. Oftentimes, an R-rated thriller tends to rely more on drab lighting and intense shadows to help sell the seriousness of the story. Beingset in the southwest, it’s only natural for bright light and even brighter colors to pop out in the desert heat. In contrast to the deliberately subdued interior shots, it’ll be refreshing to see such a vibrant color palette hit the big and small screens later in the year.
One Day as a Lion: The Cast
The lead role of our inept hitman, Jackie Powers, will be played by Scott Caan. Those who love theOcean’strilogy of heist films may recognizeCaan as Turk Maloy, who played a prominent role in each entry as an automotive specialist. If you enjoyed theHawaii Five-0reboot, you might also recognize Caan as the new Danny Williams. If you weren’t aware, this isn’t the first time Caan wrote a film while also starring as its lead. BothDallas 362andThe Dog Problemshow that Caan is more than capable of doing both, hopefully equating to a terrific performance inOne Day as a Lion.
Opposing Jackie as the cocky, fiscally irresponsible cowboy debtor, Walter Boggs, is J.K. Simmons. A man who needs no introduction, Simmons is synonymous with theSpider-Manfranchise as J. Jonah Jameson andWhiplash’smonstrous Fletcher. Simmons always manages to crafta compelling villain performancewhenever he’s put to the task, even going back as far as HBO’s 1997 seriesOz.It might be chuckle-worthy at first to see a modern-day cowboy cause such a ruckus, but underneath the ten-gallon hat is someone not to be messed with.
Related:No Country for Old Men Ending, Explained: The Universe is Chaos
Frank Grillo is also headlining the cast as Pauly Russo, the crime lord to whom Boggs owes his debts. A man of many talents, Grillo hasperformed in just about every genreyou can think of, including intense action films likeThe Purge: AnarchyandThe Grey,emotional dramas likeWarriorandDonnybrook, and various crime films likeEnd of WatchandEdge of Darkness. Needless to say, Grillo is no stranger to the mature setting ofOne Day as a Lion.
Othercast members you may expect to seeinOne Day as a Lioninclude Marianne Rendón (Imposters,In the Dark), Taryn Manning (Orange is the New Black), George Carroll (The Town, Killing Them Softly), and Virginia Madsen (Candyman, Sideways).
Release Date
One Day as a Lionwill release theatrically, on-demand, and digitally on Apr. 7.
One Day as a Lion: Everything Else
John Swab has previously collaborated with Frank Grillo for the filmBody Brokers, a horrifying examination of fraudulent rehabilitation centers, andIda Red, a western crossed with an intense thriller. In addition to these, Swab also directed the truck-stop slasherCandy Land, the crime filmLittle Dixie, and the traumatic coming-of-age filmRun with the Hunted.
