'Assassins': Release date, plot, trailer and all you need to know about Kim Jong-nam assassination documentary
In 2017, Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il — and rumored to be his favorite, and therefore the heir apparent — was assassinated. The circumstances of his death were entirely mysterious. He was exposed to the VX nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. It is widely believed that he was killed on the orders of his half-brother, and current North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un. Four North Korean suspects left the airport shortly after the attack, traveling back to Pyongyang.
An Indonesian woman, Siti Aisyah, and a Vietnamese woman, Đoàn Thị Hương, were charged with murder but said they thought they were taking part in a TV prank. In March 2019, Siti Aisyah was freed after the charge against her was dropped. In April, the murder charge against Hương was also dropped, and she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of "voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means." She was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, but received a one-third reduction in her term, and was released on 3 May 2019.
The two women accused of the crime are the subjects of the latest documentary from Ryan White, 'Assassins'. The real-life crime thriller exposé premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will premiere in theatres in December. Read on to know more about the documentary.
Release date
'Assassins' will in release theaters and on virtual cinema on December 11, 2020, before being available for on-demand viewing on January 15, 2021.
Plot
The mysterious murder of North Korean royal family member Kim Jong-nam in Malaysia sparks a captivating global investigation. At the center of the story, two women are on trial for the murder. Are the women ruthless assassins or political pawns in a twisted game?
The investigation goes far beyond the headlines, probing further into each woman’s upbringing, one in rural Indonesia and one in Vietnam, and, ultimately, what led them to participate in an alleged prank show that ended with Kim Jong-nam dead. Assassins questions every angle of this murder case, from human trafficking to high-level political espionage to the inner dynamics of the North Korean royal family.
Equal parts rigorous investigation and empathetic portrait, 'Assassins' shines a light on the global ramifications of this case and the life at stake for two young women in a dangerous plot.
Director/Producer
Ryan White
'Assassins' is directed and produced by Ryan White. White is the director of 'Ask Dr Ruth' (Hulu) and the Emmy-nominated series 'The Keepers' (Netflix). White also directed 'The Case Against 8' (HBO), which won the US Documentary Directing Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was shortlisted for an Academy Award. He also directed 'Serena' (EPIX), 'Good Ol’ Freda' (Magnolia Pictures) and 'Pelada' (PBS).
Trailer
If you like this, you'll love these:
'Kim Jong Un: The Unauthorized Biography'
'The Mole'
'Crossing the Line'
'Under the Sun'
'The Lovers and the Despot'
