The Foreigner (2017)
A grieving father, a shadowy politician, and a deadly reckoning — Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan collide in this taut revenge thriller.
The Foreigner - Movie Information
- Original Title: The Foreigner
- Release Year: 2017
- Directed by: Martin Campbell
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Action, Thriller, Crime
- Age Rating (US): R
- Runtime: 1h 53m
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: Mandarin, English
- Release Date (Theatrical): September 28, 2017 (Malaysia), October 13, 2017 (United States - R), October 13, 2017 (Canada - 14A), November 8, 2017 (France - TP), October 13, 2017 (India - A), October 12, 2017 (New Zealand - R16), October 19, 2017 (Australia - MA15+), December 28, 2017 (Mexico - B-15), January 12, 2018 (Spain - 16), February 7, 2018 (South Korea - 15), September 30, 2017 (China), January 22, 2018 (Nigeria)
- Alternative Titles: The Chinaman (AT), El Implacable (MX), El implacable (AR), The Foreigner - Rache für meine Tochter (DE), 龙震天下 (CN), O Estrangeiro (PT), El extranjero (ES), L'Étranger (CA)
- Production Companies: Sparkle Roll Media, STXfilms, Arthur Sarkissian Productions, The Entertainer Production Company, Orange Corp, Wanda Pictures 万达影业, Huayi Brothers Pictures 浙江华谊兄弟影业, Prosperity Pictures
- Production Countries: China, India, United Kingdom, United States of America, Switzerland
The Foreigner - Plot
Quan is a humble London businessman whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love – his teenage daughter – dies in an Irish Republican Army car bombing. His relentless search to find the terrorists leads to a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official whose own past may hold the clues to the identities of the elusive killers.
The Foreigner - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the tension unfold:
Never push a good man too far.
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The Foreigner - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Martin Campbell
Main Cast
- Pierce Brosnan
- Jackie Chan
- Rory Fleck-Byrne
- Ray Fearon
- Charlie Murphy
- Orla Brady
- Michael McElhatton
- Lia Williams
- Dermot Crowley
- Stephen Hogan
Writers
- David Marconi
Producers
- D. Scott Lumpkin
- Arthur M. Sarkissian
- Jamie Marshall
- Jackie Chan
- Wayne Marc Godfrey
The Foreigner - FAQs
What is The Foreigner about?
The Foreigner follows Quan, a quiet London businessman played by Jackie Chan, whose daughter is killed in an IRA bombing. Consumed by grief and rage, he launches a relentless one-man hunt for the bombers, forcing a politically connected Irish official — played by Pierce Brosnan — into a deadly cat-and-mouse game.
Is Jackie Chan's role in The Foreigner different from his usual characters?
Absolutely. This is one of Chan's most dramatic performances. He trades his trademark comedic energy for raw grief and quiet menace, playing a traumatized father with a lethal special-forces past. Critics widely praised the role as a career highlight, showing a side of Chan rarely seen on screen.
Where can you stream The Foreigner?
You can stream The Foreigner on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, and Paramount+ Amazon Channel or Roku Premium Channel. It's also available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home, or catch it with ads on The Roku Channel.
Is The Foreigner based on a book?
Yes, the film is adapted from Stephen Leather's 1992 novel The Chinaman — which also served as one of the film's alternative titles in some markets. Screenwriter David Marconi adapted the story, updating and expanding the political thriller elements while keeping the core revenge narrative intact.
Who are the main actors in The Foreigner?
The film is led by Jackie Chan as Quan Ngoc Minh and Pierce Brosnan as Liam Hennessy. The supporting cast includes Orla Brady, Charlie Murphy, Michael McElhatton, Rory Fleck-Byrne, Ray Fearon, Lia Williams, Dermot Crowley, and Stephen Hogan — a strong ensemble drawn largely from Irish and British television.
How does The Foreigner handle its IRA storyline?
The film weaves a layered political thriller around the IRA plot, using it to explore themes of complicity, betrayal, and the long shadow of the Troubles. Pierce Brosnan's character — a former IRA operative turned politician — sits at the murky center of it all, giving the story real moral complexity beyond a straightforward revenge tale.
How was The Foreigner received by critics?
Critics gave it a broadly positive reception, with particular praise for Jackie Chan's dramatic turn and the film's tense, grounded tone. Reviewers noted that director Martin Campbell — known for GoldenEye and Casino Royale — brought solid craft to the action sequences while letting the political intrigue breathe alongside them.
How did The Foreigner perform at the box office?
The Foreigner was a solid commercial success, earning around $145 million worldwide against a $35 million production budget — a strong return. It performed especially well in China, where Jackie Chan's star power and the film's co-production backing from Wanda Pictures and Huayi Brothers drove significant ticket sales.
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