Discription
The Assignment (2016)
Summary:
The Assignment (also known as Tomboy and (Re)Assignment) is a 2016 American crime-action thriller directed by Walter Hill. The film stars Michelle Rodriguez as a hitman who is forcibly subjected to gender reassignment surgery by a vengeful surgeon, played by Sigourney Weaver. Centered on revenge, identity, and transformation, the movie follows the aftermath of a brutal experiment as the protagonist seeks justice against those who altered his body without consent. Mixing neo-noir style, dark themes, and action-driven storytelling, The Assignment delivers a unique and controversial take on the revenge-thriller genre.
Plot:
Frank Kitchen (Michelle Rodriguez) is a skilled and ruthless hitman known in the criminal underworld for his cold efficiency. After completing a job that involves killing the brother of an eccentric and brilliant surgeon, Dr. Rachel Jane (Sigourney Weaver), Frank becomes the target of her twisted scientific ambitions.
Dr. Jane, who has lost her medical license due to unethical experiments, believes she can reshape humanity through forced surgical transformation. Seeking revenge for her brother’s death — and driven by her obsession with "correcting" violent men — she drugs Frank and performs an unauthorized gender reassignment surgery on him.
Frank wakes up in horrifying pain, discovering that his body has been surgically altered against his will. Enraged, humiliated, and struggling with his new identity, Frank is determined to track down the people responsible. Although physically weakened at first, Frank slowly regains strength and begins adapting to the changes.
Fueled by fury, Frank begins a violent mission of revenge, hunting down Dr. Jane’s henchmen one by one. Along the way, Frank confronts the psychological trauma of losing the body he once knew and embraces his new form as a weapon. Meanwhile, Dr. Jane is held in a psychiatric evaluation facility, confidently recounting her actions and justifying her "experiment" as scientific evolution.
The film alternates between Dr. Jane’s cold, intellectual narration and Frank’s brutal quest for vengeance. As Frank closes in, the lines between justice, revenge, and morality blur.
In the final confrontation, Frank discovers Jane’s hidden laboratory. Their showdown is tense and symbolic — Jane attempts to rationalize her actions, insisting that she improved Frank by forcing transformation upon him. Frank rejects her ideology and leaves her fate to the authorities rather than killing her, demonstrating that she failed to control or redefine him.
The film ends with Dr. Jane imprisoned, still defending her twisted scientific ethics, while Frank walks away determined to rebuild a life on his own terms.
Cast:
-
Michelle Rodriguez as Frank Kitchen
-
Sigourney Weaver as Dr. Rachel Jane
-
Tony Shalhoub as Dr. Galen
-
Anthony LaPaglia as Honest John
-
Caitlin Gerard as Johnnie
-
Terry Chen as Paul Wincott
-
Paul McGillion as Nurse Albert Becker
Crew:
-
Director: Walter Hill
-
Writers: Walter Hill, Denis Hamill
-
Producers: Michael Arata, Ian Dimerman, Said Ben Said
-
Music Composer: Raney Shockne
-
Cinematography: James Liston
-
Editor: Phillip Norden
-
Production Companies: SBS Productions, Black Sparrow, Paradox Studios
Release Info:
-
Country: United States, Canada, France
-
Language: English
-
Theatrical Release Date: September 11, 2016 (TIFF), March 3, 2017 (U.S.)
-
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
-
Running Time: 95 minutes
-
Distributor: Saban Films
-
Notable: Controversial for its premise and character transformation themes
