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Bloody revenge is at the heart of this stylish, kinetic action-thriller that gives a welcome shot of adrenaline to the classic femme fatale story. Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited as a sleeper agent with the promise of freedom after ten years of service – and she jumps at the chance for a normal life. But soon enough, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for, and now nobody can stand in her way as she embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge.
Director and stunt veteran Jung Byung-Gil’s new action thriller, The Villainess, is already primed for releases beyond South Korea, and much to his credit as a director who seemingly wasn’t keen on eating up the narrative that female-driven action titles don’t sell.
Jung Byoung-Gil’s new movie, The Villainess, is probably one of the most hyped Asian thrillers of the summer. Really, that’s a matter of opinion but I haven’t yet met a person who learned about this movie and isn’t excited for it.
We have a hit director on our hands with a notable stunt background, and a worthy actress with gumption proven through her own martial arts training. Plus, if you’ve been paying attention to the press in wake of the film’s Cannes screenings, you also know the film has itself quite the handful of reviews to back it up.
Since she was a little girl, Sook-hee was raised to be a deadly assassin. She gladly accepts the chance to start a new life when South Korea’s Intelligence Agency recruits her as a sleeper agent, with the promise of complete freedom after ten years of service.
But soon after taking on her new identity as Chae Yeon-soo, a 27-year-old theatre actress, she begins to realize that for someone who has lived as a killer her entire life, normal is no easy task. When two men from her past suddenly appear in her new life, it unlocks dark secrets that should’ve stayed hidden, and the fallout is swift and explosive.
I’ve been sold since actress Kim Ok-vin came on my radar in last month’s first teaser artwork for the film. Next Entertainment World is releasing the film in South Korea on June 8 and so with Well Go USA’s acquisition this month, we could very well end up with a limited theatrical release of our own maybe a week thereafter.
We’ll see what the distributor says. In the meantime, they’ve now attached their logo to an English-subbed version of the teaser which continues to sell itself over and over. Easily.
Plot this one somewhere between Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman and Charlize Theron’s Atomic Blonde and you’re gonna have one hot summer at the movies, methinks. Stay tuned for more info and peep the newly-branded teaser below, as well as a batch of character posters!
Actors Shin Ha-Kyun and Sung Joon and actress Kim Seo-Hyung also star.
Whether or not you choose to look at Confession Of Murder helmer writer and director Jung Byuong-Gil’s newest, The Villainess, as South Korea’s answer to John Wick or Nikita is entirely up to you. The bottom line however, is that it exists, and nothing short of a step-up for Korean action cinema with actress and martial artist Kim Ok-Vin leading the way.
The film is poised for an early-hours Sunday morning Out-Of-Competition screening at Cannes before rolling out in June and the trailer above has already offered plenty on what we can expect. In the meantime, we do have a batch of stills you can revel in for the time being as the film inches closer to its festival outing. Shin Ha-Kyun, Bang Sung-Jun and Kim Seo-Hyung also star.
Since she was a little girl, Sook-hee was brought up to become a deadly assassin. She gets a second chance in life when South Korea’s Intelligence Agency’s Chief Kwon recruits her to become a sleeper cell.
“Work for us for 10 years, you’ll gain freedom.”
Her new identity is Chae Yeon-soo, 27 years old, theater actress. With a promise of complete freedom after serving the country for 10 years, Sook-hee begins a new life. For someone who lived a life of a killer, living a normal life is no easy task. But when 2 men appear in her life suddenly, she uncovers secrets of her past…
Check out the stills below!
Actors Shin Ha-Kyun and Sung Joon also star for the film’s expected release in June.
Sook-hee, who was raised as a killer, has her revenge on unidentified men who murdered her husband. However, as she exits, she loses her consciousness and is brought to National Intelligence Service. NIS suggests her to live as a secret agent with new identity as Yeon-soo for confidential missions. At first, she refuses but as she notices her pregnancy, she decides to take the job. She gets fond of her new life as she meets Hyun-soo and dreams of forming a new family. On their wedding, Yeon-soo gets a new mission and it shakes everything.