This time . . . It's personal.

This line is best known as a stock tagline in popular culture—especially in film marketing—used to signal that a sequel or renewed conflict has shifted from a general threat to a targeted vendetta. Rather than originating from a single identifiable “anonymous” speaker, it functions as a cliché of action and thriller narratives, often appearing in trailers, posters, and parodies to heighten stakes and promise a more emotionally charged confrontation. Because it circulates widely as a formula (“This time, it’s personal”), it is frequently quoted without attribution and treated as a generic, anonymous catchphrase rather than a traceable literary or historical utterance.

“This time… it’s personal” frames a conflict as no longer abstract, professional, or impersonal; it implies a shift from duty or circumstance to revenge, wounded pride, or intimate grievance. The pause created by the ellipsis dramatizes escalation: the speaker signals a change in motivation and therefore in intensity, suggesting fewer restraints and higher emotional stakes. As a narrative device, the phrase promises audiences a more character-driven story—one fueled by personal loss or betrayal—while also justifying extreme actions. Its familiarity also makes it ripe for irony and parody, since it can telegraph a predictable sequel formula.