The Axe (US title: The Ax) (French: Le couperet) is a 2005 black comedy-drama thriller film directed by Costa-Gavras and starring José Garcia, Karin Viard, and Olivier Gourmet.

The film is an adaptation of the 1997 novel The Ax by Donald E. Westlake, and follows the attempts by a laid-off employee to get back on his feet.

The 39-year-old chemist Bruno Davert has been working at a paper mill for 15 years, improving products and saving money for the shareholders.

He has lost his self-esteem and his family has been forced to give up many of its accepted comforts, such as cable TV and the internet, although his wife has taken two part-time jobs in order to keep them afloat.

Bruno concludes that there is too much competition in his sector for the few jobs available, and so in desperation he decides to literally eliminate his competitors, by killing those more qualified than him.