The Professional

Name: The Professional
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Released: 1981-10-21
Duration: 1 h 48 min
Rating: 7.2
Cast: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Robert Hossein, Elisabeth Margoni, Jean-Louis Richard, Jean Desailly

1981·Movie·108 min·★ 7.2(591)

Action Adventure Thriller More French titles

“Never leave vengeance to amateurs.”

Josselin Beaumont, a French secret agent, is tasked with assassinating Njala, the president for life of Malawi in Africa. A shift in French policy means that assassinating Njala is no longer an option. But instead of recalling their agent, high-ranking officials deliberately sacrifice Beaumont by handing him over to the Malawian authorities. Arrested, tried, and imprisoned, he nevertheless manages to escape. Back in Paris after a two-year absence, he informs his superiors through Colonel Martin that he will fulfill his contract during Njala’s upcoming official visit to Paris between the 12th and 15th of this month, and that he has a few scores to settle with the D.G.S.E. The question is, should Beaumont be stopped or not?

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Where to watch The Professional in United States

Stream

Kanopy

Click a service to open The Professional there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is The Professional streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Kanopy	—
Germany	Studiocanal Presents MOVIECULT Amazon Channel, Moviecult Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Sooner, Molotov TV, SFR Play	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Canal VOD
Spain	Filmin	—
Japan	U-NEXT	—

About The Professional

The Professional is a 1981 French-language action, adventure and thriller film directed by Georges Lautner. The cast is led by Jean-Paul Belmondo, Robert Hossein, Elisabeth Margoni. It has a runtime of 1h 48m. Viewers rate it 7.2/10 across 600 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Kanopy.

The Professional was produced by Cerito Films and Les Films Ariane and made in France. It was released on October 21, 1981.

Director: Georges Lautner
Writers: Michel Audiard, Georges Lautner, Jacques Audiard
Release date: October 21, 1981
Original language: French
Status: Released
Country: France
Production: Cerito Films, Les Films Ariane

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The Professional cast & crew

The Professional was directed by Georges Lautner and written by Michel Audiard, Georges Lautner, and Jacques Audiard.

The cast features Jean-Paul Belmondo as Commandant Joss Beaumont, Robert Hossein as Commissaire Rosen, Elisabeth Margoni as Jeanne Baumont, épouse de Joss, Jean-Louis Richard as Colonel Martin, Jean Desailly as Ministre, and Michel Beaune as Capitaine Édouard Valeras.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Ennio Morricone, cinematography is by Henri Decaë, and it was produced by Alain Belmondo.

Is The Professional worth watching?

The Professional holds an audience score of 7.2/10 from 591 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed action films.

At 1h 48m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy action, adventure, and thriller, The Professional is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Professional

In United States, you can stream The Professional on Kanopy. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.