Léon: The Professional dir Luc Besson

Plenty of action films can get your pulse racing. Far fewer can break your heart at the same time. Léon manages both.

At the centre of it all is Jean Reno. Léon is the most dangerous person in almost every room he walks into, but he barely seems comfortable in his own skin. There is an awkwardness to him, a sense that he understands how to kill people far better than he understands how to talk to them. That’s what makes him memorable. Not his competence, but his humanity.

Natalie Portman is equally remarkable. It is easy to forget this was her film debut because she carries so much of the emotional weight. The relationship between Léon and Mathilda works because both characters are profoundly lonely. One has lost her family, the other has spent his life isolated from the world. The film understands that connection can come from unexpected places, and it treats that bond as its core.

Gary Oldman deserves a mention too. Between this and True Romance, he helped create two of the most memorable villains of the 1990s. His Stansfield is unpredictable, theatrical and genuinely frightening whenever he appears.

The action sequences remain excellent. Luc Besson keeps them clear and focused, never losing sight of the characters amid the gunfire. Every confrontation feels consequential because we care about the people involved.

There have been bigger action films, louder action films and certainly more influential action films. Few have matched Léon’s combination of heart, suspense and unforgettable performances.