That’s the money shot. That’s the franchise.

: The film posits that being a hitman is about "execution, not execution"—the theatrical act of meeting a client's expectations. Philosophical Reflection

To understand why this is successful entertainment content, we must look at the Jungian Shadow. We all have violent impulses we suppress. We all feel the urge to "remove" obstacles from our lives—a rival, a boss, an ex.

Consider Leon: The Professional (1994). Leon is a hitman who takes in a 12-year-old girl, Mathilda. Their relationship is intensely debated, but narratively, Mathilda represents Leon’s lost childhood. His love for her (protective, paternal) humanizes his killing. He kills not for money, but for her . The moment the motivation shifts from profit to love, the audience switches from horror to cheering.