Ronin
Movie, 1998, The 90s, Set in 1998
Ronin is #11 of 26 in release order and #11 of 26 in chronological order in the Heist Movies.
The story
A briefcase with undisclosed contents – sought by Irish terrorists and the Russian mob – makes its way into criminals' hands. An Irish liaison assembles a squad of mercenaries, or 'ronin', and gives them the thorny task of recovering the case.
Ronin recap
In Paris, Deirdre, an Irish operative, hires a group of former intelligence and special forces men to steal a metal briefcase from a heavily guarded convoy. The team includes the American Sam, the Frenchman Vincent, the German electronics man Gregor, and Spence, who is exposed as a fraud and dropped. Nobody knows what is in the case; the Russian mob also wants it. The team takes the case in a chase and shootout in Nice, and Gregor swaps it for a fake and runs, planning to sell it to the Russians. The team hunts him through Arles and Paris, with long car chases, while Deirdre's handler, Seamus O'Rourke, also turns up. Sam and Vincent get Gregor, and the trail leads to an ice show in Paris.
Ronin ending explained
At the ice show, a Russian sniper kills the figure skater Natacha as part of a deal, and Seamus kills the Russian gangster Mikhi and takes the case. Vincent shoots Seamus to save Sam, who turns out to be a CIA agent after Seamus. At a cafe later, Sam waits for Deirdre, who doesn't come, and tells Vincent he doesn't remember what was in the case.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Ronin
Ronin is streaming on fuboTV, Philo, Kanopy, Hoopla, MGM Plus, and YouTube (free) in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes 70%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Heat, before The Thomas Crown Affair.
- Chronological order: after The Usual Suspects, before The Thomas Crown Affair.
Cast
- Robert De Niro as Sam
- Jean Reno as Vincent
- Natascha McElhone as Deirdre
- Stellan Skarsgård as Gregor
- Skipp Sudduth as Larry
- Jonathan Pryce as Seamus O'Rourke
- Sean Bean as Spence
- Michael Lonsdale as Jean-Pierre
- Féodor Atkine as Mikhi
- Katarina Witt as Natacha Kirilova
- Ron Perkins as Man with the Newspaper
- Daniel Breton as Sergi's Accomplice
Directed by John Frankenheimer.