Forget Die Hard, Bruce Willis’s Most Rewatchable Deep Cut Just Took Over Apple TV
Bruce Willis, who retired from acting in 2022, left behind a large filmography spanning multiple genres. An entertainment writer argues that whilst Die Hard towers above his other work, the 2012 time-travel thriller Looper deserves recognition as a sophisticated and rewatchable alternative that continues attracting viewers on Apple TV fourteen years after its original release.
Looper follows a high-concept premise: in a future where time travel exists, organised crime syndicates send targets back to the present to be eliminated by hired assassins. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the younger version of a hitman named Joe, whilst Willis portrays his older self who escapes his intended assassination, creating complications. The film is framed as exemplifying Willis's capacity for complex roles beyond conventional action vehicles, supporting the case for revisiting it alongside his better-known catalogue.
- Bruce Willis's 2012 sci-fi thriller Looper is currently performing well on Apple TV, more than a decade after release
- The film pairs Joseph Gordon-Levitt with Willis in a time-travel assassination premise where hitmen must eventually kill their older selves
- The article argues Looper represents an underrated Willis deep cut worthy of attention beyond his most famous work