Kill Boksoon

It's the second Korean movie I've watched in two days and what I especially liked was the bloody vibe and the mother-daughter dynamic. Too bad they couldn't resist throwing in those socialist do-gooders. I was leaning towards a solid four stars, but the political propaganda ruined it for me. / Lesson learned: Some contracts need to be signed in blood. 3*+. (20/07/2023)

I can't break any rules because I make them myself! I'm happy when Netflix buys anything from South Korea and this was a hit. John Wick style action carnage driven by social drama and it works great. Director Sung-hyun Byun hasn't had a varied career so far, I've only seen a mediocre actioner from him called The Merciless, but this is a step up to the big leagues. He's got a decent cast too. I've seen the main character Jeon Do-yeon in 6 films in the last 5 years alone, and Sol Kyung-gu is a well known veteran who's been in just about everything, but there's some young new talent as well. The film has a very interesting and engaging story focusing on an organization of assassins, which is presented much more realistically than in the Wick films. There are again interesting rules, different agencies with their assassins, killer evaluations, even training of new assassins where a hitman gets a trainee assigned to their first job – I really liked how the whole thing works (I wish it went more in depth though, but maybe in a sequel), and the main character is one of the best of the bunch, so she is feared, gets the best jobs and her boss likes her. However, her problem is more in her personal life, as raising her teen sassy daughter is more challenging than killing people. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the social line as well, the relationship between mother and daughter is portrayed well. The daughter harbors unexpected secrets and nearly stabs a classmate at school – her mother's genes are undeniable. So I praise the story, which manages to surprise, entertain and hit you emotionally. Then again, I have no complaints about the action, except perhaps that there could have been more of it, but when it comes down to it, I was screaming and falling off my seat with excitement. The action sequence in the bar in Vladivostok with the Russians deserves a place on YouTube. I watched it three times and it really was an action-packed delight. The sequence in the restaurant with the protagonist is also excellent and again lacked nothing from excellent choreography, great cinematography, excessive brutality and plenty of interesting ideas. The final duel has something to it too, definitely a delight with the original insert where the main character is thinking in how to disable the enemy and we see dozens of different variations at once, I call it a hallmark of originality to the action genre. There was also one quite powerful and emotional twist in the finale, and as I empathized with the main character, it made me as emotional as it did her. The Koreans have brought out two of their best aces and are tackling what they do best. A social family drama and an action-packed assassin flick, this complements each other perfectly. The drama scenes are powerful, well-acted and emotional and the action is brutal, uncompromising and superbly shot. I had a royal time, this is right up my cinematic alley and the first Korean five star! 9/10. (31/03/2023)

This year we are getting the Ballerina, from the wold of John Wick. I really don’t think you could ask for a better (un)admitted heroine-driven spin-off of "Wickverse". Somewhat overwrought in the opening, but it wouldn't be South Korea if it didn't gradually start to thicken. And before you know it, the comedy becomes an uncompromising fate drama with carefully constructed motivations; and emotions that work because of it. And although the action is very solid and imaginative and playful (at least two passages are a must for fans of choreography), it's the dramatic component that actually pulls it in the second half. (01/04/2023)