Luc Besson has a "type." If you've seen Taken, you know the drill. An aging operative, a strained relationship with a daughter he barely knows, and a lot of European scenery getting blown up. But when you look at the actors in 3 Days to Kill, you realize this 2014 action-thriller had way more potential than its 28% Rotten Tomatoes score suggests. It’s a weird movie. One minute Kevin Costner is torturing a guy in a trunk, and the next he’s getting advice on how to make spaghetti sauce.
It’s tonal whiplash at its finest.
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Kevin Costner leads the pack as Ethan Renner, a veteran CIA hitman who finds out he’s dying of glioblastoma. He’s got months to live, maybe less. He heads to Paris to reconnect with his estranged wife and daughter, but then Amber Heard shows up in a series of blonde wigs offering an experimental drug that might save his life. The catch? He has to kill a high-level terrorist known as "The Wolf." Honestly, the plot is basically a vehicle for Costner to look rugged in a scarf, but the chemistry between the performers is what keeps it from being totally forgettable.
Kevin Costner and the Renaissance of the "Old Man" Action Star
By the time 2014 rolled around, Kevin Costner was firmly in his "elder statesman" era. He wasn't the young gun from The Untouchables anymore. He brought this weary, gravel-voiced exhaustion to Ethan Renner that actually felt grounded. It’s the kind of performance that makes you forget the movie is directed by McG—the guy who did the hyper-kinetic Charlie’s Angels films.
Costner doesn't play Renner like a superhero. He coughs. He faints. He gets dizzy at the worst possible moments because of the experimental meds. It’s a vulnerable take on the genre. Most actors in 3 Days to Kill are playing toward the heightened, almost comic-book reality of the script, but Costner stays anchored. He treats the scenes where he’s teaching his daughter to ride a bike with more intensity than the gunfights. That’s why it works. If you’ve ever wondered why Costner transitioned so successfully into Yellowstone, the seeds of that "grumpy but capable father figure" archetype are all over this film.
Hailee Steinfeld was the Secret Weapon
Before she was an Oscar nominee or Hawkeye’s protégé in the MCU, Hailee Steinfeld was playing Zooey Renner. Most "teen daughter" roles in action movies are annoying. They exist to be kidnapped. They are plot devices in denim jackets.
But Steinfeld? She’s actually great here.
She plays Zooey with a mix of genuine resentment and desperate longing for a father. The scenes between her and Costner are the only parts of the movie that feel like a real human drama. When she’s teaching him how to use a cell phone or getting him to dance, you almost forget there’s a sub-plot about a briefcase-carrying villain named "The Albino." Her performance is naturalistic. It’s messy. It contrasts sharply with the sleek, hyper-stylized world Amber Heard inhabits.
The Polarizing Presence of Amber Heard as Vivi Delay
We have to talk about Vivi Delay. Amber Heard’s character is less a person and more a fever dream. She’s Renner’s handler, but she dresses like she’s constantly on her way to a high-fashion photoshoot in a futuristic nightclub. Some critics hated this. They felt she belonged in a different movie entirely—maybe something like Atomic Blonde or a late-era John Wick sequel.
Vivi is the catalyst. She’s the one who provides the experimental serum (which comes in a giant, glowing needle, because of course it does). Heard plays it with a cold, detached charisma. She’s the personification of the CIA’s ruthless nature. While Renner is trying to become a "real" person again, Vivi is there to remind him that he’s a weapon. It’s a campy role, sure, but she leans into it. If you’re looking for realism, you won't find it in her scenes. But if you want a visual spectacle, she delivers.
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The Supporting Cast: More Than Just Background Noise
The film is set in Paris, and it makes good use of local flavor. Connie Nielsen plays Christine Renner, Ethan’s wife. Nielsen is a powerhouse—think Gladiator or Wonder Woman—and she does a lot with very little screen time. She has to sell the idea that she’d let this dangerous, dying man back into her life after years of abandonment. She plays it with a wary grace.
Then there’s the "squatter" family. This is one of the weirdest parts of the movie. Renner returns to his Paris apartment only to find a family of African immigrants living there. Under French law, he can’t just kick them out during the winter. This leads to a bizarre, almost sit-com style relationship where the family patriarch gives Renner fatherly advice. It’s a subplot that shouldn't work, but it adds a layer of surrealism that makes the film stand out from the generic Taken clones.
Why the Casting Matters for the Movie's Legacy
If you replaced these actors in 3 Days to Kill with B-movie regulars, the film would have disappeared into the depths of a streaming service bargain bin. The reason people still talk about it—or stumble upon it on cable and actually stay tuned—is the caliber of the talent. You have three leads who are, or would become, major A-listers.
Director McG has always been criticized for style over substance. He loves saturated colors, fast cuts, and loud soundtracks. But by casting Costner and Steinfeld, he bought himself some emotional "cred." You care about the bike-riding lesson because the actors make you care. You believe the stakes of the final standoff because Costner looks like he’s actually about to collapse from a heart attack.
The film tries to be three things at once:
- A gritty spy thriller.
- A dark comedy about a hitman’s midlife crisis.
- A sentimental family drama.
It doesn’t always succeed in balancing those, but the actors are fully committed to whichever tone is on screen at the moment. That’s a rare skill.
The Experimental Serum and the Visual Language
The movie uses a specific visual cue whenever Renner’s heart rate gets too high or the medicine wears off. The screen blurs, the sound distorts. It’s a bit gimmicky, honestly. But it gives the actors something to play against. Costner’s physical acting during these "attacks" is underrated. He manages to look genuinely terrified, which isn't easy for a guy who spent the 90s being the coolest man in Hollywood.
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The "Albino" (played by Tomas Lemarquis) and "The Wolf" (Richard Sammel) provide the villainous weight. Sammel, in particular, is an expert at playing the sophisticated European villain. You might recognize him from Inglourious Basterds or The Strain. He doesn’t have much to do other than look menacing in the back of a car, but he does it with a chilling efficiency.
The Impact of the Script's Tonal Shifts
Luc Besson wrote the screenplay alongside Adi Hasak. If you look at Besson's filmography, this fits perfectly between Leon: The Professional and Lucy. He loves the idea of a specialized killer forced into a paternal role.
The problem is the humor.
Sometimes it’s funny—like when Renner interrupts a torture session to take a phone call about what kind of groceries to buy. Other times, it feels incredibly jarring. One moment we’re seeing a man’s life fall apart due to a terminal illness, and the next we’re watching a slapstick car chase through the streets of Paris. The actors have to bridge those gaps. Costner, especially, has to keep a straight face while doing some truly ridiculous things. He carries the movie on his shoulders, and without his specific brand of "world-weary charm," the whole thing would have collapsed.
Actionable Takeaways for Film Fans
If you’re planning on revisiting the movie or watching it for the first time because of the cast, keep these points in mind to get the most out of it:
- Watch for the Chemistry: Focus on the scenes between Costner and Steinfeld. They are the heart of the film and far more interesting than the actual spy plot.
- Embrace the Camp: Don't take Amber Heard’s character too seriously. She’s meant to be a stylized trope, not a realistic agent.
- Note the Direction: Observe how McG uses Paris as a character. The cinematography is bright and aggressive, which is the opposite of the "grey and gritty" look most modern spy movies (like the Bourne series) go for.
- Appreciate the "Dad" Energy: This movie is a prime example of the "Dad Movie" genre. It’s about a father trying to fix his mistakes, wrapped in the packaging of an action flick.
The actors in 3 Days to Kill did the heavy lifting for a script that was, frankly, a bit of a mess. They elevated the material. They made a movie about a dying hitman and his teenage daughter feel like something worth watching on a Sunday afternoon. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a fascinating look at a group of talented people trying to make sense of a chaotic story.
To really appreciate the performances, compare Costner’s work here to his role in The Guardian or Mr. Brooks. You’ll see a specific thread of DNA—the man who knows too much and has seen too much, just trying to find a way home. That’s the true appeal of the movie. It’s not the explosions. It’s the look on Ethan Renner’s face when he realizes he might actually get to see his daughter grow up.