Assassins (2023 film)

Assassins is a 2023 American musical political thriller comedy film directed by Dexter Fletcher, with a screenplay by Lee Hall based on his and Stephen Sondheim's 1990 Off-Broadway musical of the same name. Produced by 20th Century Studios, it features an ensemble cast that includes Zac Efron, Brian d'Arcy James, Taron Egerton, Rami Malek, Paul Walter Hauser, Rachel McAdams, Skyler Samuels, Tom Holland, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Seth MacFarlane. The film is centered on nine historical figures who have attempted to or successfully assassinate U.S Presidents, It is the second film adaption of the musical following the 1997 television film starring Johnny Depp, Tim McGraw, and James Woods.
Production began after the Success of Disney's Into the Woods in 2014, originally Damien Chazelle was set to direct and Eddie Redmayne was rumored to star as John Wilkes Booth, but dropped out due to conflicts with his own musical film La La Land and Redmayne later confirmed he's not going to be in the film. Production was put on hold following the 2015 Charleston Church Shooting, production resumed in Fall of 2017 with Steven Spielberg in talks to direct, Spielberg left the project for unknown reason and the film remained in Development Hell for many years, in 2022, it was announced that Dexter Fletcher had picked the project back up .
Assassins had its world premiere in New York City on July 12, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on July 19, 2023. It received mixed reviews, receiving praise for its acting performances (particularly Efron’s and Feldman's), visual style, production values, musical numbers and its tribute to Stephen Sondheim, and criticism for its tone in the final act, and pacing. 
== Plot ==
At a broadwalk on a dark stormy night, human figures trundle past on a conveyor belt at a shooting gallery. One by one, a collection of misfits enters, where the Proprietor of the game entices them to play, promising that their problems will be solved by killing a President ("Everybody’s Got the Right"). Leon Czolgosz, John Hinckley, Charles Guiteau, Giuseppe Zangara, Samuel Byck, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and Sara Jane Moore are given their guns one by one. John Wilkes Booth enters last and the Proprietor introduces him to the others as their pioneer before he begins distributing ammunition. The assassins take aim as "Hail to the Chief" heralds Abraham Lincoln's offstage arrival. Booth excuses himself, a shot rings out and Booth shouts, "Sic semper tyrannis!"
The Balladeer, a personification of the American Dream, appears and begins to tell John Wilkes Booth's story ("The Ballad of Booth"). The scene changes to Richard H. Garrett's barn in 1865. Booth, mudstained and with a broken leg, is attempting to write his reasons for killing Lincoln in his diary but cannot hold the pen. He forces his associate David Herold to write for him at gunpoint. As Booth dictates, blaming Lincoln for the Civil War and for destroying the South, the Balladeer interjects that Booth's motives really had more to do with his personal problems. When a Union soldier calls for Booth's surrender, Herold abandons him and surrenders. In desperation, Booth throws the Balladeer his diary so that he can tell his story to the world. The Balladeer reads out Booth's justifications, and Booth laments that the act for which he has given up his life will not be enough to heal the country. As the Union soldiers set fire to the barn, Booth commits suicide, and the Balladeer concludes that Booth was a madman whose treacherous legacy only served as inspiration for other madmen like him to damage the country. The Balladeer rips Booth's rationale from his diary and burns the pages.
The Assassins gather in a bar. Guiteau toasts to the Presidency of the United States, speaking of his ambition to become Ambassador to France. Hinckley accidentally breaks a bottle, and Czolgosz flies into a rage, describing the horrors he sees in the bottle factory he works in and how many men die or are injured just to make a bottle like the one Hinckley has just broken. Guiteau jokingly tells Czolgosz to find another job, and the two begin to argue about the American Dream, with Guiteau defending America and Czolgosz dismissing the "land of opportunity" as a lie. Czolgosz becomes enraged and grabs a bottle, barely stopping himself from throwing it across the room. Booth urges Czolgosz to take control of his fate by breaking a bottle himself, but Czolgosz cannot. Zangara complains about his stomach pains, and Booth suggests fixing them by shooting Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A radio broadcast, narrated by the Proprietor, describes Zangara's failed attempt to assassinate Roosevelt. He misses Roosevelt and accidentally kills Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak instead. Five Bystanders are interviewed in turn, telling the audience their personal versions of the event; each is convinced that he or she personally saved the President ("How I Saved Roosevelt"). From an electric chair, Zangara sings his refusal to be afraid and that he hadn't cared whom he killed as long as it was one of the men who control the money. Peeved that as an "American Nothing" he has no photographers at his execution, Zangara is electrocuted as the Bystanders preen for the cameras.
American anarchist leader Emma Goldman gives a lecture from offstage as Leon Czolgosz listens, enraptured. He introduces himself to her and declares his love, but she tells him to redirect his passion to the fight for social justice. She gives him a leaflet that she tells him contains an idea that is "not mine alone, but mine". As she prepares to leave, Czolgosz offers to carry her bag, to which Goldman protests by saying, "They make us servants, Leon. We do not make servants of each other." Czolgosz, in his first display of assertiveness, still insists.
Fromme and Moore meet on a park bench and share a joint. Fromme speaks of the apocalyptic preachings of mass murderer Charles Manson, remembering how they met and declaring herself his lover and slave. Juggling her purse, a can of Tab and a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Moore claims she is an informant for the FBI (or used to be), has been a CPA and had five husbands and three children. They connect over their shared hatred of their fathers, and using Colonel Sanders as a graven image, they give the bucket of chicken the evil eye and then shoot it to pieces while laughing hysterically. Moore realizes that she had known Manson in high school, and the scene ends as the women scream in delight over their memories of the charismatic killer.
Czolgosz reflects on how many men die in the mines, the steel mills and the factories just to make a gun. Booth, Guiteau and Moore enter one by one and join him in a barbershop quartet in which they honor a single gun's power to change the world ("The Gun Song"). Czolgosz decides his gun will claim one more victim: the President.
Czolgosz arrives at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition and sees that William McKinley is shaking visitors' hands in the Temple of Music Pavilion. The Balladeer sings "The Ballad of Czolgosz" as Czolgosz joins the receiving line, and upon reaching McKinley, he shoots him.
Samuel Byck sits on a park bench in a dirty Santa suit with a picket sign and a shopping bag. He talks into a tape recorder, preparing a message to Leonard Bernstein telling Bernstein he can save the world by writing more love songs, and explaining that he is going to change things by crashing a 747 into the White House and killing Richard Nixon. Then he accuses Bernstein of ignoring him, just like the other celebrities he has recorded tapes for, such as Hank Aaron and Jonas Salk. After flying into an expletive-laden rage, Byck stands up on the bench and angrily sings the chorus to West Side Story's song "America" before storming offstage.
John Hinckley sits in his rumpus room, aimlessly playing a guitar. Lynette Fromme enters and tries to convince him to play her a song (asking for "Helter Skelter"), but he refuses. Fromme notices a picture of Jodie Foster, who Hinckley claims is his girlfriend. When Fromme realizes the picture is a publicity photo from a film, she pulls out a picture of Charles Manson and mocks Hinckley for being in love with a woman he's never met, which makes him throw her out in a fit of rage. Alone, he swears that he will win Foster's love "with one brave, historic act" and sings a love song to her while Fromme individually does the same to Manson ("Unworthy of Your Love"). An image of Ronald Reagan appears on a wall in the back of the stage, and an enraged Hinckley shoots it over and over again, but the picture keeps reappearing. The Proprietor mocks Hinckley by quoting Reagan's famous quips about the assassination as Hinckley fires and fires, missing each time.
Back at the Proprietor's shooting range, Charles Guiteau flirts with Sara Jane Moore while giving her marksmanship tips before trying to kiss her. When she rebuffs him, he becomes suddenly enraged and attempts to attack her. Her gun goes off in his ear, and he backs off, angrily proclaiming that he is extraordinary and will be the next Ambassador to France. The scene changes to a train station, where Guiteau goes to meet James Garfield. He asks to be made Ambassador to France, but Garfield mockingly refuses, prompting Guiteau to shoot him.
Guiteau is arrested and sent to the gallows, where he recites a poem he wrote that morning titled "I am Going to the Lordy". When Guiteau finishes, the Balladeer enters and sings about Guiteau's trial and sentencing while Guiteau merrily cakewalks up to the noose, getting more and more desperately optimistic with each verse. Guiteau sings along with the Balladeer about Guiteau's optimism before he is finally hanged ("The Ballad of Guiteau").
Squeaky Fromme and Sara Jane Moore prepare to assassinate Gerald Ford. Moore has brought along her nine-year-old son and her dog (which she accidentally shoots), which causes an argument between the two women, who briefly turn on each other. Moore accidentally spills her gun's bullets just as President Ford enters the stage. Not recognizing him at first, the two women allow him to help them, but upon discovering who he is, Fromme tries to shoot him, but her gun jams. Having no other resource left, Moore tries to throw her bullets at Ford, shouting "bang" as she does so.
Samuel Byck is driving to the airport to hijack a plane, which he plans to crash into the White House. Growing completely unhinged, he records a message addressed to Richard Nixon, complaining about contemporary American life, how the American public is constantly lied to, and announces that killing him is the only solution.
The assassins congregate in the Proprietor's shooting range once again and enumerate their reasons for taking action. Led by Byck, they lament that they haven't gotten the rewards they were "promised". The Balladeer tells them that their actions didn't solve their problems or the country's and that if they want their prizes they must follow the American Dream. The assassins realize that they will never get their prizes, that no one will ever care if they live or die, and briefly sink into absolute desperation until Byck and the Proprietor lead them in "Another National Anthem," a song for all Americans dispossessed by the dream. The Balladeer attempts to convince them to be optimistic and seek other ways to be happy, but the Anthem grows louder and louder until the assassins force the Balladeer offstage (in the 2004 revival and many productions that followed, the Assassins all surround the Balladeer, transforming him into Lee Harvey Oswald).
The scene changes to the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository. The ghosts of John Wilkes Booth, Leon Czolgosz, Charles Guiteau, and the other "would be" assassins including John Hinckley, Giuseppe Zangara, Samuel Byck, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, and Sara Jane Moore, appear before a suicidally depressed Lee Harvey Oswald, and convince him that the only way for him to truly connect with his country is to share his pain and disillusionment with it. They slowly and carefully attempt to convince him not to become his own victim and to instead assassinate John F. Kennedy. Booth tells Oswald that by joining them he will finally make a difference, but Oswald refuses. Booth tells him that in the future, when Hinckley's room is searched, Oswald's biographies will be found. Booth tells Oswald that the key to the future is in his hands. Oswald tries to leave, but Zangara addresses him passionately in Italian, his words translated by the other assassins, imploring him to act so their own acts can come alive again. They tell him that he has the power to cause worldwide grief and inspire global passion about himself, a man the world has never cared or heard about. Calling themselves his family, the assassins sing, imploring Oswald to act. He crouches at the window and shoots ("November 22, 1963").
After the assassinations, a group of citizens from different time periods recount what they were doing when they heard that the President had been killed and lament that even though only a single man died, the nation has changed forever ("Something Just Broke").
The assassins regroup once more at the shooting range, now with Oswald among their ranks, and they proudly restate their motto, "Everybody's got the right to be happy," before Jack Ruby bursts in and shoots Oswald in the chest ("Everybody's Got the Right (Reprise)").
== Cast ==
* Zac Efron as John Wilkes Booth, a stage actor and assassin of President Abraham Lincoln
* Brian d'Arcy James as Charles Guiteau, assassin of President James Garfield 
* Taron Egerton as Leon Czolgosz, assassin of President William McKinley
* Rami Malek as Giuseppe Zangara, an italian immigrant and attemped assassin of President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt
* Paul Walter Hauser as Samuel Byck, a protester and hijacker who wears a santa suit, attempted assassin of President Richard Nixon
* Rachel McAdams as Sara Jane Moore, attempted assassin of President Gerald Ford 
* Skyler Samuels as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a cult leader of Charles Manson's cult and attempted assassin of President Gerald Ford 
* Tom Holland as John Hinckley Jr, attempted assassin of President Ronald Reagan 
* Andrew Barth Feldman as:
* The Balladeer, a ghostly figure who provides the stories of the assassins 
* Lee Harvey Oswald, a depressed man who works at the Texas School Book Depository and assassin of John F. Kennedy 
* Seth MacFarlane as The Proprietor, a gun salesman and carnival barker who provides the assassins with their weapons 
* Thomas Middleditch as David Herold, John Wilkes Booth's Henchman 
* Agnia Ditkovskite as Emma Goldman, anarchist known for her political activism who also interacted several times with Leon Czolgosz 
* Anthony Michael Hall as James Blaine, Secretary of State who received a deluge of letters from Charles Guiteau 
* Gary Oldman as President James Garfield, twentieth President of the United States 
* Asher Morrissette as Billy Moore, Sara Jane Moore's spoiled son
* George Clooney as: 
* President Gerald Ford, thirty-eighth President of the United States 
* Jack Ruby, murderer of Lee Harvey Oswald 
Stars of previous productions of Assassins make cameos in the film such as Victor Garber, Lee Wilkof, Eddie Korbich, Nathan Lane, Michael Cerveris, Mario Cantone, Neil Patrick Harris, Becky Ann Baker, Marc Kudish, Aaron Tveit, Jamie Parker, Steven Pasquale, Alex Brightman, Erin Markey, Wesley Taylor, Adam Chanler-Berat, Eddie Cooper, and Cory Michael Smith. 
Ethan Slater who played The Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald in the 2021 Off-Broadway Revival was offered a cameo but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts with Wicked.
== Accolades ==
Award 	Date of ceremony 	Category 	Recipient(s) 	Result
Hollywood Music in Media Awards 	November 15, 2023	Original Score - Horror/Thriller Film 	Matthew Margeson 	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 	January 7, 2024 	Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 	Assassins 	Nominated
Golden Globe Awards 	January 7, 2024 	Best Performance in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy	Seth MacFarlane 	Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Jouranlists	February 4, 2024 	Best Film 	Assassins 	Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Jouranlists	February 4, 2024 	Best Director 	Dexter Fletcher 	Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Jouranlists	February 4, 2024 	Best Actor 	Zac Efron 	Won
Alliance of Women Film Jouranlists	February 4, 2024 	Best Screenplay, Adapted 	Lee Hall 	Nominated
British Academy Film Awards 	February 18, 2024	Best Director 	Dexter Fletcher 	Nominated
British Academy Film Awards 	February 18, 2024	Best Actor in a Supporting Role 	Andrew Barth Feldman	Nominated
People's Choice Award 	February 18, 2024	The Movie of the Year 	Assassins 	Nominated
People's Choice Award 	February 18, 2024	The Drama Movie of the Year 	Assassins 	Nominated
Golden Raspberry Awards 	March 9, 2024 	Worst Supporting Actress 	Rachel McAdams 	Nominated
Golden Raspberry Awards 	March 9, 2024 	Worst Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel 	Assassins 	Nominated
96th Academy Awards 	March 10, 2024 	Best Director 	Dexter Fletcher 	Nominated
96th Academy Awards 	March 10, 2024 	Best Actor 	Zac Efron 	Nominated
96th Academy Awards 	March 10, 2024 	Best Supporting Actor 	Andrew Barth Feldman	Nominated
96th Academy Awards 	March 10, 2024 	Best Adapted Screenplay 	Lee Hall 	Nominated
96th Academy Awards 	March 10, 2024 	Best Costume Design 	Julian Day 	Nominated