The Marksman

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Lorenz directs. Mark Patten behind the camera. Sean Callery scores. Luis Carballar cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released 5 years ago.
• 2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
• 3Directed by Robert Lorenz, shot by Mark Patten. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Sean Callery. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Luis Carballar shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Liam Neeson and Jacob Perez and Katheryn Winnick carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "Justice comes down to him.".
• 8IMDB entry: tt6902332 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Classified under 9 themes, including "assassin", "mexico", "war veteran", "usa–mexico border".

The technical file

Cinematography

Mark Patten

Original score

Sean Callery

Editing

Luis Carballar

Production design

Charisse Cardenas

Costume design

Peggy Stamper

Makeup / hair

Francisco X. Pérez

VFX supervisor

Jamison Scott Goei

Stunt coordinator

Mark Vanselow

Runtime

108 min · 1h 48m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$23,000,000

Box office

$23,076,711

Return

100% of budget

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

PG-13

IMDB

The Marksman (2021) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

38% 🥫 Rotten

Metacritic

44/100

IMDB rating

5.7/10 · 48,674 votes

MPAA

PG-13

Also by

Robert Lorenz

• 
  Trouble with the Curve

  2012 · ★ 7.0
• 
  In the Land of Saints and Sinners

  2023 · ★ 6.4

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

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Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Official Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• garethmb2021-01-12

  Liam Neeson is back in “The Marksman” and despite some flaws; the film provides what his fans want and is an engaging and topical film. Neeson plays Jim; a widower who spends his time on a tiny and struggling ranch in Arizona near the border. Jim is facing foreclosure from the bank after dealing with devastating medical bills for his late wife and feels that as a former Marine he has been given a bad deal by the system. Jim often drives along the border fence and radios in suspected crossings but is willing to provide aid to those who finds in distress. When Jim encounters a young woman and her son Miguel (Jacob Perez); he is drawn into conflict when they are pursued by some dangerous people which forces Jim to shoot when weapons are drawn killing one of the group in the process as well as the boy’s mother. Jim turns the boy over to the Border Patrol where his daughter Sarah (Katheryn Winnick), is in charge of the local office and is concerned when he learns the boy is to be sent back to family. Seeing the individuals he had previously had a gunfight with waiting for Miguel to cross; Jim decides to honor the dying wish of Miguel’s mother to take him to family in Chicago; even when that means abducting Miguel from custody. The trip not only puts Jim at odds with his daughter but as well as Miguel who wants to return home and causes the dangerous individuals to cross into the U.S. to ruthlessly track Jim and Miguel to exact their revenge. The film moves at a steady and deliberate pace until the finale gives fans a taste of the action that they would come to expect. It does take some patience as I saw numerous opportunities for a person of Jim’s skill to attempt to set an ambush, trap, or counter the dangers facing them but the final resolutions are enjoyable and satisfying. While the film does not have the action and intensity of some of Neeson’s recent works; it does provide enough entertainment to make it worth a watch and does contain content based on some very volatile and controversial topics which would spur intense debate. 3 stars out of 5

  Read full review ↓
• Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots2021-03-09

  Liam Neeson has the magic touch that gives a boost to almost any movie he’s cast in, be it a love story or an action thriller. He makes the most mundane films palatable, so it shouldn’t be a shocker that Neeson is the best thing about “The Marksman,” a formulaic (but still entertaining) movie from director Robert Lorenz. Neeson plays Jim Hanson, an ex-Marine turned Arizona rancher who’s lost his wife to cancer and is about to lose his home to foreclosure. The man lives a life of solitude on an isolated stretch of land that touches the Mexican border. While out tending to his cattle one afternoon with his beloved dog Jackson, Jim sees a young mother named Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) and her son Miguel (Jacob Perez) slip through the border fence and take off running. He stops to help the pair after they plead for protection from the assassins that are following them. Tempers flare and the encounter ends in a shootout, killing Rosa. Her dying wish is for Jim to deliver Miguel safely to extended family in Chicago. A predictable road trip follows, with the bad guys hot on their trail. The body count piles up as the deadly cartel doesn’t hesitate to kill anyone and everyone who gets in their way. As they try to outrun the danger, the man and boy form an unlikely friendship and manage to stay one step ahead of the killers who remain in pursuit. Eventually their luck runs out, and Jim must do whatever it takes to fight for Miguel’s life. Neeson spends most of the movie growling at Perez, who doesn’t have much to do himself. The two have a nice chemistry, but Neeson’s grumpy old man shtick seems more fitting for someone like Clint Eastwood. Neeson does eventually get to open up a can of whoop ass on the baddies, but this film is a slight departure from his normal action star routine. The plot follows standard genre conventions, has plenty of gun violence, and will meet the the expectations of its target audience. Not only is the movie competently directed, but there’s more than enough to enjoy here — especially if you’re looking for mindless entertainment with a hint of a social message. The sentiment is progressive for an action movie, and the illegal immigration angle doesn’t feel forced. It actually works as a means of bringing the characters together. “The Marksman” isn’t exactly a notable player in the action genre, but it’s a good film for those who want a well-made, solid action movie with few surprises. By: Louisa Moore

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  Sculptor Media

  US

• 

  Zero Gravity Management

  US

• 

  Cutting Edge Group

  US

• ST

  Stonehouse Motion Pictures

  US

• 

  Voltage Pictures

  US

Key crew

• Sound MixerMarlowe Taylor
• Executive ProducerTom Ortenberg
• Executive ProducerMichael Wexler
• EditorLuis Carballar
• Costume DesignPeggy Stamper
• Associate ProducerPhillip Dawe
• Associate ProducerSebastian Perry
• Executive ProducerMatthew Sidari
• Executive ProducerMark David Katchur
• Associate ProducerMitchell Zhang
• StuntsJared Corum
• StuntsLeah Hopkins
• StuntsRichard Fike
• StuntsEli Jeffree Zen
• Stunt CoordinatorMark Vanselow
• StuntsJimmy N. Roberts
• First Assistant AccountantSam Patton
• ProducerMark Williams
• Best Boy ElectricLamarr Gray
• Executive ProducerJames Masciello
• Makeup Department HeadFrancisco X. Pérez
• Construction BuyerBryan Chapman
• Lighting TechnicianStephen Hanna
• ProducerTai Duncan

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• assassin
• mexico
• war veteran
• usa–mexico border
• murder
• drug cartel
• farmer
• dead dog
• road movie

Release history · US

When it landed

• Theatrical2021-01-15PG-13

Also known as

International titles

• The MinutemanUS
• The Marksman (El protector)ES
• The Marksman (El protector)MX
• ЗакрилникътBG
• ZaštitnikHR
• Strzelec wyborowyPL
• マークスマン：2021JP
• ŠāvējsLV
• ZaščitnikSI