Official selection
Udine Far East Film Festival 2022
Director
Choi Jae-hun
Executive Producer
Ji-woong NAM, Dong-chul SHIN
Producer
Ji-woong NAM, Mark W. Shaw
Writer
Nam Ji-woong
Cast
Jang Hyuk, Lee Seo-young
Cinematographer
Yong-gab LEE
Composer
Hyun-soo JUNG
Editor
Man-geun KIM
contact
M-Line Distribution
Against his will, Eui-kang (Jang Hyuk) is forced to take in a 17-year-old girl, Yoon-ji (Anne of the K-pop group GWSN), for three weeks while his wife goes on a trip with the girl's mother. On the first night, the young woman goes out with friends and becomes the target of a human-trafficking ring that gets rich from child prostitution. But what this sordid criminal organization doesn't know is that Eui-kang is actually a retired assassin, an expert in martial arts, knives, and ballistics. When Yoon-ji is kidnapped, he quickly reverts to his murderous instincts, setting the city on fire to find her.
Let's be clear from the outset that the South Korean film THE KILLER should not be confused with John Woo's masterpiece of the same title. Instead, it’s an adaptation of the novel The Child Who Deserves to Die by Bang Jin-ho. From the very first moments, the protagonist finds himself facing axe-wielding assailants, defending himself by breaking limbs and drawing blood. The stage is set for a brutal action film reminiscent of both TAKEN and JOHN WICK, with an extra dose of fighting and stabbing. Re-teaming with director Choi Jae-hun after THE SWORDSMAN (2020), Jang Hyuk has a particularly commanding presence, never losing his cool as he smashes faces or shoots his enemies at point-blank range. Visually dynamic, with flashy camera movements and colourful neon lighting, THE KILLER is full of cleverly choreographed action scenes, sometimes shot in sequence. Fans of spectacular fights and shoot-outs will be pleased. - Translation: Rupert Bottenberg
Showings
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