
I Hired a Contract Killer
1990

2018
RDirector
Tom Edmunds
Runtime
90 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
William has failed to kill himself so many times that he outsources his suicide to aging assassin Leslie. But with the contract signed and death assured within a week (or his money back), William suddenly discovers reasons to live... However Leslie is under pressure from his boss to make sure the contract is completed.
Overall Score
Fair
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film lacks prominent LGBTQ+ characters or storylines. The narrative focuses strictly on the central relationship between the protagonist and the assassin without exploring queer dynamics.
Gender Representation
A female protagonist drives the plot with high agency, making the autonomous decision to seek a death service. This subverts traditional tropes of female passivity in dark genres.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
The cast is predominantly white, reflecting a narrow demographic focus. The setting favors a homogeneous, middle-class Anglo-Saxon perspective with little intersectional breadth.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The film excels in critiquing Western institutional norms and capitalism. It treats the right to die as a subjective choice rather than a religious or moral transgression.
Disability Representation
Mental health themes like existential dread drive the dark comedy. However, these elements function as plot devices rather than nuanced explorations of lived experience with mental illness.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back) offers a sophisticated critique of Western consumerism by framing death as a professionalized service. It successfully subverts gender tropes by centering a woman with high intellectual and emotional autonomy. However, the film is demographically narrow. The lack of racial and LGBTQ+ diversity results in a homogeneous perspective that misses opportunities for broader intersectional representation. While the film handles heavy themes of suicidal ideation, it leans toward philosophical absurdity rather than providing a clinical or character-driven look at mental health or disability.

1990

2014

2010

2017

2017

2014

2016

2011

2015

2022

2005

2016
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!
Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.