Living a rootless life as a hitman, Léon discovers that his neighbor Mathilda’s family has been murdered. Mathilda, the only survivor, asks Léon for help and he becomes her guardian. As they live together, Mathilda learns that the man behind the killings is a corrupt DEA agent named Stansfield. Determined to avenge her younger brother, she sets out for revenge.

The success of Leon and its iconic '90s duo owes a massive debt to Éric Serra's counter-intuitive approach to film noir scoring. Rather than leaning into suspense, Serra introduces romantic vibrations that deepens the contrasts with the characters' doomed paths. This exercise in counterpoint expands the register of the genre, enriching the narrative with melancholic undertones. Vulnerability and inner tensions, quietly highlighted, amplify the film’s atmosphere and impact. (Benjamin Illos)