La Femme Nikita (Nikita) (1990)
74%RT Audience Score: 54%
Awards & Nominations: NA
A zany out-of-control thriller that gives lead Anne Parillaud a big character arc and plenty of emotional room to work within
If you’re looking for a movie that’s equal parts stylish and thrilling, then La Femme Nikita is the perfect pick for you. Luc Besson’s direction and script are top-notch, and the transformation of the titular character is nothing short of amazing. Plus, it’s always fun to see a girl with a gun kicking butt and taking names. Just be warned, this one’s not for the kiddos!
Production Company(ies)
Titanus Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma Société Générale de Cinématographie
Distributor
Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
1990
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
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Runtime:1h 57m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 1, 1991 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 2, 2008
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Anne Parillaud, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Tchéky Karyo, Jeanne Moreau, Jean Reno, Jean Bouise, directed by Luc Besson, written by Luc Besson, action, French (Canada), Patrice Ledoux, $5.0M box office, R rating, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, Hal Hinson, Roger Ebert, Desson Thomson, Kathleen Maher, Peter Sobczynski, Jason Best, Mike Massie, Rob Humanick, Cole Smithey, Carly Kocurek, spy, assassin, government, identity, transformation, love, thriller, emotional, zany, out-of-control, character arc, mythic, classic, violent, story, heroine, sociopath, shoot-’em-up, action sequences, punk, drug-induced, moody, mature, girl with gun, action-packed, dark, unsettling, unique, top horror movies, MCU movies ranked, Netflix series, TV premiere dates
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Jean-Hugues Anglade – Marco
Tchéky Karyo – Bob
Jeanne Moreau – Amande
Jean Reno – Victor nettoyeur
Jean Bouise – L’attaché ambassade
Director(s)
Luc Besson
Writer(s)
Luc Besson
Producer(s)
Patrice Ledoux
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (5)
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
[Besson] seems to like playing off the generic, though he probably thinks of it as working with the mythic, the classic.
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Begins with the materials of a violent thriller but transcends them with the story of the heroine’s transformation.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
If Luc Besson’s latest goes into absurd overdrive, it does so with entertaining finesse.
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/5
Kathleen Maher
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
A super-stylish and exciting work from writer-producer-director Luc Besson.
March 19, 2021
Peter Sobczynski
The Spool
Nikita starts out as a callous sociopath, raging violently against the world, but she learns to get in touch with her emotions while being trained to become an unfeeling assassin.
November 24, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
Luc Besson’s script and direction would prove inspirational to subsequent movies, crafting a blueprint for a number of likeminded spy yarns.
September 14, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A cool sensory indulgence, but irksomely lightweight.
January 15, 2012 | Rating: B-
Rob Humanick
Projection Booth
[VIDEO] Before it spawned a cornucopia of television series knock-offs, writer/director Luc Besson’s stylized 1990 French crime thriller set a new standard for the girl-with-a-gun movie trope.
October 11, 2011 | Rating: A
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
Beware Nikita. Not for kids.
January 1, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Carly Kocurek
Common Sense Media
A spy version of Pygmalion, complete with perverse romance, Nikita was well ahead of the curve when it came to women warriors as modern shoot-’em-up stars [Blu-ray].
January 9, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews…
Plot
Section One, a clandestine anti-terrorist organization, fakes the death of a jailed, convicted murderer and, believing her twin assets of beauty and ability to kill will make her a valuable new operative, trains her in the fighting skills necessary to succeed in her new job. The new operative, code-named ‘Josephine’, proves to be somewhat less ruthless than planned, however, as she had been falsely convicted and never murdered anyone.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises lead actress Anne Parillaud for her “big character arc and plenty of emotional room to work within” in La Femme Nikita.
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