The Bang Trailer Proves Hollywood Still Can't Quit the Hitman Trope
The first time a hitman stared into a mirror, questioning his life of violence, it was profound. By the hundredth time? Not so much. The trailer for Bang—starring Jack Kesy as the titular assassin and Peter Weller as his unforgiving boss—plays like a greatest-hits album of genre tropes we've long worn out. A near-death experience sparks redemption? Check. A crime syndicate that won't let him walk away? Obviously. A gravelly voice growling, “Once a killer, now the mark”? Sigh.
Director Wych Kaosayananda (whose filmography includes the infamous Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever) isn't reinventing the wheel here. If anything, Bang feels like a relic—a straight-to-VOD time capsule of early 2000s DTV action flicks, complete with dim lighting, generic shootouts, and a hero who broods more than he speaks. The most surprising thing about it? That Saban Films bothered with a theatrical rollout at all (limited, sure, but still).
Why This Feels Like Déjà Vu
Hitman fatigue isn't new, but Bang doesn't even try to sidestep it. Compare it to recent takes like The Killer (Fincher's icy precision) or Nobody (Odenkirk's midlife rage)—films that at least played with the formula. Here, the beats are so familiar you could mouth the dialogue before it's spoken. Even the casting feels safe: Kesy (The Strain, Deadpool 2) excels at scowling intensity, but when's the last time Peter Weller's steely gravitas wasn't wasted on a one-note villain?
The Real Question: Who's This For?
The trailer's YouTube comments tell the story: “Looks decent for a lazy Sunday.” “Why does this exist?” It's the kind of film that slips into the algorithm unnoticed, watched by insomniacs and completionists. Kaosayananda has a cult following for his hyper-stylized, low-budget chaos (One Night in Bangkok had its moments), but Bang's muted palette and tired script suggest even he's on autopilot.
The Verdict
Bang drops July 11 in theaters and on VOD. Unless you're a die-hard Weller completist or crave background noise for folding laundry, this one's easy to skip. The hitman genre needs a bullet to the head—or at least a creative jolt. This isn't it.
Final Thought:
Hollywood keeps making these because someone keeps watching. Maybe it's time to retire the trope before the hitman does.
