During the 2008 financial crisis, Jackie Cogan, a hitman, is hired to deal with the aftermath of a mafia poker game robbery that ruptured the criminal economy. But the bureaucracy of the syndicate, an unreliable colleague, and Cogan’s habit of only killing from a safe distance become obstacles.

Andrew Dominik’s gritty neo-noir hits hard on the economic despair of the great recession, overlaying its thrilling mob narrative with presidential election speeches from 2008. Starring Brad Pitt as a cool-as-can-be hitman, it is James Gandolfini who steals the show with his tragic performance.