'Kill Boksoon' Review: Jeon Do-Yeon is 'bloody' brilliant in this throught provoking saga about motherhood
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A movie primarily focusing on the contract or hired killers is not something that we haven’t seen before, but over the years, this sub-genre has become clichéd because of the same storylines and same visuals. Several directors have tried to do something different in this sub-genre but ended up making a movie that was pretty ordinary (excluding ‘John Wick’). However, we finally have a movie that has managed to reinvent the aforementioned genre with a story that is based on a brutal hired killer who strikes a perfect balance between killing people and raising a kid. Titled ‘Kill Boksoon’, the Korean movie from Netflix follows the journey of a “legendary” contract killer named Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon) who is ready to hang her boots because of her daughter. She can kill anybody and has the potential of murdering people effortlessly, but she is having difficulties raising a child.
However, things get really iffy when Gil fails to kill a person and tells her boss that she couldn’t do it. As soon as this happens, everything changes and she becomes a target of her own agency, along with the entire hitman industry. Bok-soon tries getting out of the agency that she works for, but her exit comes at a great cost.
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The movie begins with a spectacular action sequence between our main protagonist and a Samurai killer. The first 10 minutes of the movie make it clear what this movie is going to be and people should strap themselves up for a ride that’s filled with a lot of thrills and emotions. Bok-soon has two different personalities. She is fierce when she’s on the ground as an assassin and quite emotional when she’s at home trying to raise a teenage daughter with a temper. The complex mother-daughter relationship in the movie is shouldered by secrets. The misunderstandings between Bok-soon and her daughter take place because both of them are trying to save each other from horrifying situations. It can be really difficult for a director to explore such a complex relationship, but Byun Sung-Hyun has done a phenomenal job of allowing the relationship to grow and change as the truth comes to light.
Jeon Do-Yeon is ICONIC as Gil Boksoon
Jeon Do-Yeon is a LEGEND and has given a lot of impeccable performances. But she has done nothing like ‘Kill Boksoon’ before and this is the first time she is playing a lead role in an action flick. The actress leaves no stone unturned in capturing the complexities of motherhood in between all the violence and presents her character in a way that is special. There are a lot of layers to her character and Jeon Do-yeon had the difficult task of being fierce and soft at the same time. Moments like these make viewers understand how brilliant she is and why aspiring Korean actresses take her as an inspiration. No one could have played Gil Bok-soon better than her. Jeon Do-Yeon is magnificent.
Another aspect that makes this movie worth a watch is how brilliantly its action sequences are choreographed. It has a lot of ‘Kill Bill’ vibe to it and the camera angles used during the fight scenes are able to provide a different perspective about the characters. Nothing takes place senselessly in this film, even when an action sequence is taking place you know why it’s happening and what’s the meaning behind it. Also, these sequences point out that our protagonist is not a robot and has weaknesses as well, which gives her enemies a chance to outshine her. Every pivotal moment in this film has a fulfilling action sequence and it’s better than the last one. ‘Kill Bok-soon’ is a shining example of how to tell a story through violence.
The third and final act is electrifying and takes the movie to a whole new level. The entire cast is mesmerizing and has done a phenomenal job.
Is 'Kill Boksoon' worth watching?
All in all, ‘Kill Boksoon’ is a story that strikes the perfect balance between action and showing what motherhood really is. It is filled with violent sequences but also tells a story that’s thought-provoking and a worthy tale of motherhood.
**** stars for ‘Kill Boksoon’.
'Kill Boksoon' will premiere exclusively on Netflix on March 31, 2023.