Everyone Wants Brad Pitt Dead In This Fun Netflix Thriller
Most of the time, everyone loves Brad Pitt. He’s fun, charming, handsome, and has made some pretty good movies. But in the Netflix thriller Bullet Train, where Brad Pitt plays an assassin who must battle other assassins on a high-speed train, everyone wants him dead.
Bullet Train, the 2022 American action comedy film directed by David Leitch and starring Brad Pitt, took audiences on a high-speed ride through a Tokyo bullet train filled with assassins, secrets, and chaos. This unique blend of action, comedy, and suspense, based on the 2010 novel Maria Beetle, thrilled viewers around the world with intense action sequences made up of Kill-Bill-style martial arts.
Brad Pitt bumbles his way through Bullet Train, streaming now on Netflix.
Bullet Train unfolds on a high-speed railway in Tokyo, where the passengers are made up of a diverse group of assassins and criminals, each with their own hidden agendas. At the center of the chaos is Brad Pitt’s character, “Ladybug,” an American assassin grappling with anxiety and a series of unfortunate incidents in his previous jobs.
Other assassins joining Brad Pitt’s Ladybug on board include “The Prince,” portrayed by Joey King, a manipulative young assassin disguised as a schoolgirl seeking vengeance on “The White Death.” Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry play the British assassin brothers, “Tangerine” and “Lemon,” respectively, with a peculiar obsession for Thomas the Tank Engine.
As the bullet train races through Tokyo, tensions rise, secrets unravel, and alliances form and shatter. The story takes unexpected turns as assassins navigate their personal vendettas, leading to explosive confrontations and a thrilling cat-and-mouse game as Brad Pitt’s Ladybug and the rest of the assassins realize that their missions all have a common thread.
Bullet Train boasts an ensemble cast that blends established and emerging talent seamlessly. Brad Pitt’s portrayal of Ladybug, the troubled assassin battling his inner demons, serves as the anchor of the film. Meanwhile, Joey King delivers a compelling performance as The Prince, a cunning young assassin driven by vengeance, while Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry inject humor and complexity into their roles as the British assassin brothers, Tangerine and Lemon.
Joining Brad Pitt and the others in the ensemble cast include Hiroyuki Sanada as “The Elder,” Michael Shannon as “The White Death,” and a few other surprise A-list cameos, repaying Pitt for his appearance in their films.
Some people criticized Bullet Train for casting Brad Pitt and other white actors in roles that could have been meant for Japanese stars, but the writer of the original novel dismissed this and supported the film as is.
Bullet Train received a mixed response from critics upon release. The consensus among critics was that the film’s star-studded cast, led by Brad Pitt, and colorful pop sequences mixed with high-speed action were enough to stop the excitement from derailing, even after the story hit a few unexpected junctions. While some critics praised the film’s entertainment value, creative action sequences, and performances, others found fault in its lack of depth, comparing it to other stylized action films.
Bullet Train delivered a commendable performance at the box office, grossing $103.4 million in the United States and Canada, with an additional $135.9 million in international markets — likely with many flocking to the theater thanks to the star power of Brad Pitt and the inclusion of Bad Bunny, the most popular Spanish-language pop star in the world today. The film’s worldwide total box office earnings amounted to $239.3 million, a significant achievement considering its production budget of approximately $85.9 to $90 million.
Bullet Train was marketed as a comedy thriller, though that wasn’t always the case. Originally, the film was meant to be a serious action thriller, but it made the switch to light-hearted action when director David Leitch, known for his work on Deadpool 2, joined the scene. Brad Pitt’s casting in the lead role, for which he was reportedly paid $20 million, further solidified the end vision of the project.
One notable controversy surrounding the film was its casting choices. Several non-Asian actors, including Brad Pitt and Joey King, were cast in roles that some argued should have been portrayed by Asian actors, as the story maintained its Japanese setting and context. Critics argued that the film perpetuated the belief that Asian actors in leading roles couldn’t carry a blockbuster, despite recent successes like Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Bullet Train is not Brad Pitt’s most successful film, but it earned over $200 million at the box office and did well enough that there are rumors flying of a sequel.
Five months prior to Bullet Train, Everything Everywhere All At Once hit the theaters, containing almost exclusively an all-Asian cast. The film ended up bringing home more Oscars than any other 2022 film, winning a total of seven and having been nominated for a total of seven. Meanwhile, Brad Pitt’s action flick was not nominated for any Oscars.
The author of the book that Bullet Train is based on, Kōtarō Isaka, defended the film, describing his characters as “ethnically malleable.” Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group president Sanford Panitch highlighted Isaka’s views, assuring that the film honored the novel’s “Japanese soul” while casting big-name stars like Brad Pitt.
Despite its controversies, Bullet Train offers a thrilling and action-packed cinematic experience driven by an ensemble cast including some of the biggest stars like Brad Pitt and Bad Bunny.
