A movie that delivers on its title is making a splash on Netflix

Not every movie title has to neatly sum up the premise in a handful of words, nor does it have to be impenetrably obtuse to the point that you’re wondering exactly how such a moniker would make it past the marketing department. That being said, sometimes you like to know exactly what you’re going to get, which is where Bodyguards and Assassins comes in.

What is the 2009 Hong Kong historical action epic about, you may ask? Believe it or not, it’s about a team of bodyguards hired by a newspaper editor and a local tycoon to try and foil an assassination plot against Sun Yat-sen, the provisional first president of the Republic of China.

While the title may promise a straightforward story of good guys versus bad guys, which isn’t far from the truth, it’s the cast that elevated Bodyguards and Assassins into something that comes very close to resembling excellence. Local superstars Donnie Yen, Tony Leung, Nicholas Tse, Eric Tsang, Simon Yang, Fan Bingbing, Zhou Yun and more all lend their talents to the project and they deliver on both the ass-kicking and dramatic fronts.

The promise of bodyguards and assassins doing their thing has likely helped elevate Bodyguards and Assassins onto the Netflix most-watched list, where it’s risen seventeen places since yesterday and looks set to keep ascending throughout the week, as per FlixPatrol.