A hit man hired to kill men from the future one day faces his older self as a target.

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2044: the economy has stagnated, industry has broken down and society is impoverished. But Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) lives the good life thanks to the money he makes as a "looper", killing men sent from a 2074 future by a powerful criminal called the Rainmaker, who uses a time machine to get rid of his enemies without a trace. But any looper who misses his appointment to "close the loop" of a person's life becomes a target himself. One day, Joe comes face to face with himself, 30 years older (Bruce Willis). When he misses the first time, he chases after old Joe, even as he himself is hunted by another looper...

Director and screenwriter Rian Johnson (whose excellent debut feature was Brick, also with Joseph Gordon-Levitt) leaves viewers stuck to their seats in complete suspense. The memorable scene of the old and young Joe meeting for the first time is fascinating, because it taps into everyone's desire to know and master the future, even though this is illusory because it's unimaginable. Between the lines is the message that you can't fight yourself and that you must first make peace with the past before you can affect the future.