| Director | Michael Winner, Tobe Hooper |
|---|---|
| Budget | $10 million |
Arthur Bishop is an elite contract killer, known as a "mechanic", who specializes in making his assassinations appear to be accidents and natural causes. He works for a strict, secretive international criminal organization. While his occupation affords him a lavish lifestyle complemented by classical music, art, and fine wines, it also isolates him due to his inability to trust others or show weakness. He regularly pays a call girl to pretend to be his deeply enamored girlfriend and write love letters to him. The constant pressure of his role requires him to regularly take anti-depressants, until he is eventually hospitalized from stress.
When Bishop is assigned one of the organization's heads, "Big Harry" McKenna, he shoots at Big Harry while making him think that the shots are being fired by a hidden sniper. Harry, who Bishop knows has a weak heart, runs up a steep incline, which triggers a heart attack. Bishop then finishes Harry off by smothering him.
At Big Harry's funeral, Bishop talks with Harry's narcissistic and sociopathic son Steve. Steve is intrigued by Bishop and seeks to find out more about him. Bishop is also intrigued. He realizes that Steve has a personality suited for being a hit man, and plays along. Over the course of time, and after much pressing from Steve, Arthur finally discloses his profession. He offers to teach Steve everything he knows and make him an associate.
As part of his training, Bishop teaches Steve that every person has a weakness that can be exploited to make them easy to kill. However, Bishop failed to get his superiors' prior consent for the arrangement. Following a messy assassination conducted by Bishop and Steve, the organization warns Bishop that his irresponsible choice to involve Steve has been interpreted as selfish behavior.
The organization then gives Bishop an urgent mission, this time in Italy. Once again, Bishop involves Steve in the new plan, but just before they leave, Bishop finds a file among Steve's belongings containing information about Bishop, identical to the target files provided to Bishop. Nevertheless, Bishop allows Steve to accompany him to Italy.
In Italy, Bishop and Steve approach a boat where their intended victim is supposed to be, but it is a trap, and they are the real targets. Bishop and Steve are ambushed, but they manage to kill all their would-be assassins.
As they pack their luggage in their hotel room, Steve shares a celebratory bottle of wine with Bishop, having coated the latter's glass with brucine, a colorless and deadly alkaloid. As Bishop slowly dies, Steve, recalling Bishop's earlier comments about everyone having a weakness, remarks that Bishop's was his inability to be alone. Steve goes on to reveal that he was not acting on orders to kill Bishop. Rather, he says that he is an independent who will "Pick my own mark, hit when I want!"
Steve returns to Bishop's home to pick up the Ford Mustang he had left there. When he climbs into the car, ready to start it, he finds a note affixed to the rear-view mirror, which reads: Steve, if you read this, it means I didn't make it back. It also means you've broken a filament controlling a 13-second delay trigger. End of game. Bang! You're dead. As Steve frantically reaches for the door handle, the car explodes, killing him.