Ronin

A briefcase with undisclosed contents – sought by Irish terrorists and the Russian mob – makes its way into criminals' hands. An Irish liaison assembles a squad of mercenaries, or 'ronin', and gives them the thorny task of recovering the case.

Ronin landed as a solidly crafted, moderately praised thriller — not a unanimous hit, but well above a miss. The car chases drew the most attention, with many critics calling them the film's undisputed highlight while others complained they went on too long or were cut too aggressively. The plot divided opinion sharply: some found it a lean, purposeful exercise in genre craft, others dismissed it as dull and derivative. The film's lasting reputation rests heavily on its status as a late-career vindication for director John Frankenheimer, with critics measuring it against his early-1960s peak.