You know that feeling when you're watching a movie and you can't tell if it wants you to cry or just laugh at how absurd the explosions are? That’s basically the vibe of the 3 days to kill movie. Released back in 2014, it feels like a fever dream cooked up by someone who watched Taken and then immediately binged a 90s family sitcom. It’s weird. It’s loud. Honestly, it’s kinda charming in a "how did this get made?" sort of way.
Kevin Costner plays Ethan Renner. He's a veteran CIA hitman who finds out he has terminal brain cancer. Rough start, right? The agency basically gives him a "thanks for your service" and kicks him to the curb. So, he heads to Paris to reconnect with his estranged daughter, Zooey (played by a young Hailee Steinfeld), and his ex-wife. He just wants to be a dad before he kicks the bucket. But then Amber Heard shows up in a series of increasingly wild wigs and offers him an experimental cure. The catch? He has to kill a couple of international terrorists while babysitting his rebellious teenager.
The Weird Tonal Whiplash of 3 Days to Kill
Most critics absolutely hated this movie when it came out. They called it a "toxic stew" and a "mess." I get why. One minute, Ethan is brutally interrogating a guy in a trunk. The next, he’s taking a phone call from Zooey because she doesn't know how to cook spaghetti sauce. He actually hands the phone to the guy he's torturing so the criminal can explain the recipe to his daughter.
It’s ridiculous.
But that’s also why people still talk about the 3 days to kill movie on streaming platforms today. It doesn't follow the "gritty spy" rules. Directed by McG—the guy behind the Charlie's Angels movies—it has this glossy, hyper-kinetic energy. It’s written by Luc Besson, who is the king of "Euro-trash" action. If you've seen The Professional or The Fifth Element, you know Besson loves mixing high-stakes violence with really specific, quirky character beats.
👉 See also: New Movies in Theatre: What Most People Get Wrong About This Month's Picks
Why Kevin Costner Actually Works Here
Costner was in the middle of a career resurgence when this dropped. He’d just done Man of Steel and was leaning into his "rugged older guy" era. In this film, he looks exhausted. Like, genuinely tired of life. This works perfectly for a character who is literally dying of cancer.
He brings a certain groundedness to the insanity. When he's teaching his daughter how to ride a purple bicycle—yes, a purple bicycle is a major plot point—you actually believe he cares. It's the "heart" that reviewers usually hate but audiences actually enjoy. He’s not a superhero. He gets dizzy. He has to drink vodka to keep his experimental medicine from making him hallucinate. It's a bizarre weakness for an action hero, but it keeps things interesting.
What Everyone Misses About the Plot
People usually describe the 3 days to kill movie as a generic thriller. It’s not. If you look closely, it’s actually a satire of the genre.
- The Villains: They have names like "The Wolf" and "The Albino." It’s so cliché it has to be intentional.
- The Handler: Amber Heard’s character, Vivi Delay, is less of a person and more of a walking plot device. She shows up in leather outfits, drives fast cars, and speaks in riddles.
- The Squatters: There's a whole subplot about an African family squatting in Ethan’s Paris apartment. Under French law, he can’t kick them out during the winter. It’s a weirdly specific detail that adds a layer of "domestic chaos" to his life as a spy.
The movie isn't trying to be The Bourne Identity. It’s trying to be a live-action cartoon. When Ethan captures a limo driver to get info, he ends up giving the guy parenting advice. It’s those small, human moments that make the film stand out from the sea of Liam Neeson clones that were flooding theaters at the time.
✨ Don't miss: A Simple Favor Blake Lively: Why Emily Nelson Is Still the Ultimate Screen Mystery
Filming the Chaos in Paris
Paris is a character in itself here. McG didn't just use green screens; they shot on location at the Place de la Concorde and the Hotel Jugoslavija in Belgrade for some of the earlier scenes. There's a car chase through the narrow streets of Paris that is actually pretty well-directed. It’s inspired by classic French filmmaking but with that loud, American "boom" factor.
Interestingly, the crew filmed at the Cité du Cinéma, which is Luc Besson’s massive studio complex just outside Paris. You can tell they had a blast with the production design. Everything from Vivi’s underground lair to the various disguises used throughout the film feels very "Besson-esque." It’s stylish to a fault.
The Real Heart: The Father-Daughter Dynamic
If you strip away the guns and the experimental drugs, the 3 days to kill movie is just a story about a guy who realized too late that he missed his kid growing up. Hailee Steinfeld is great as Zooey. She isn't just a "damsel" or a "brat." She’s hurt.
The scenes where Ethan tries to win her back are the best parts of the movie. There's a scene at an amusement park that feels completely disconnected from the spy plot, and yet, it’s the most important scene in the film. It gives the violence consequences. He’s not just fighting for the CIA; he’s fighting for more time to be a mediocre dad.
🔗 Read more: The A Wrinkle in Time Cast: Why This Massive Star Power Didn't Save the Movie
Is It Worth a Re-Watch?
Look, if you want a tight, logical script, look elsewhere. This movie has plot holes big enough to drive a Peugeot through. Why does the drug only work if he drinks alcohol? Who knows. Why does Vivi have a seemingly infinite budget for hair dye? Don't ask.
But if you want a movie that is unapologetically weird and features Kevin Costner punching people while talking about prom dresses, the 3 days to kill movie is a winner. It’s the perfect "Saturday night with a pizza" movie. It’s better than the critics said, mostly because it doesn't take itself seriously for a single second.
To get the most out of your next viewing, pay attention to the background characters. The family squatting in the apartment and the various informants Ethan meets along the way provide more world-building than the actual main plot. Also, keep an ear out for the ringtone—Icona Pop’s "I Don’t Care"—which becomes a recurring gag that perfectly encapsulates Ethan’s frustration with the modern world.
Actionable Insights for Movie Fans:
- Watch the Director's Cut: If you can find it, the unrated version adds a bit more grit to the action scenes that were toned down for the PG-13 theatrical release.
- Check out Luc Besson’s Other Work: If you liked the "spy with family issues" trope, The Family (2013) is a great companion piece with a similar tone.
- Focus on the Subtext: Treat the movie as a dark comedy rather than a straight thriller. It makes the leaps in logic much easier to swallow and significantly more fun.