Kill Boksoon review: Slick, action-packed film is a must-watch

In Kill Boksoon, an assassin attempts to balance her work with raising a rebellious daughter but soon finds herself caught up in a situation that could have dire consequences. The Korean action film is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon) is a legendary assassin who is considered one of the best in the world of contract killing. But she considers that to be an easier job than raising her daughter, Gil Jae-yeong (Kim Si-a).

Bok-soon has kept her profession a secret from Jae-yeong but soon starts to notice patterns suggesting she could become a violent person just like her. She had tried her best to prevent this.

Her line of work is far from smooth either. With her contract almost expired, Cha Min-kyu (Sol Kyung-gu), chairman of her company MK, is hell-bent on her signing a new one as he favours her over all others.

Soon, the internal politics in MK and all the affiliate companies reach the brim and Bok-soon finds herself a target of internal as well as external individuals.

Will she be able to protect herself, and her daughter, from the consequences of a dangerous profession that could prove fatal at any given moment?

Performances

Jeon Do-yeon is excellent as the protagonist. She is charming when she needs to be and effortlessly turns into a violent, ruthless assassin who is skilled and calculative in equal measure.

Sol Kyung-gu also impresses as the merciless chairman of MK that has a soft spot for Bok-soon. The two actors are the highlight of the film. The rest of the cast gives a decent performance as well.

Positives

The action in Kill Boksoon is well-choreographed and you cannot take your eyes off any sequence, right from start to finish.

The concept of Bok-soon predicting fights before they even happen adds to the narrative and shows you how clever she is. If she doesn’t see herself winning, she does not fight fair.

Even at a runtime of almost 2 hours and 20 minutes, the film does not drag at any moment and keeps you engaged throughout with twists and turns.

What truly elevates the film is that it isn’t all about action. The exploration of Bok-soon and Jae-yeong’s mother-daughter relationship is well-handled and relatable.

The slow transformation of Jae-yeong into her mother is intriguing and pulled off subtly. The flashbacks are also well-placed and provide much-needed context and background on the characters

Negatives

Some characters, such as Min-kyu’s sister and MK director Cha Min-hee needed more background to better explain their personality.

Min-hee constantly goes against Bok-soon but we never get a clear indication of what drives her except jealousy. There is not enough depth to the character.

Verdict

Kill Boksoon is one of the best Korean films you can watch on Netflix. It has all the elements that make a compelling watch and this should easily make your binge list.


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