As if to immediately set expectations, the very first frames of The Killer is a hatchet flipping through the air, effortlessly dodged, followed shortly by gushing neck wound via said hatchet used against its owner in a neon-tinted hallway brawl. Stylish killing, antihero cool, heightened atmosphere: Choi Jae-hoon’s The Killer has action and mood to spare, more than enough to compensate for the shallow and hollow plot that ties its set pieces together.
Jang Hyuk plays assassin Ui-gang, living in comfortable retirement until he’s asked to babysit his wife’s friend’s daughter Yoon-ji (Lee Seo-young) while the women are away. Now that would be prime setup for a comedy except the teen is immediately targeted by a trafficking ring and now a whole lot of criminals have to die. And, save for some bickering between the teenager and the assassin, that’s the story in its entirety; later elements like Russian mafia connections and a detective investigating the trail of corpses barely alter that premise.
The Killer is the spirit of straight-to-video b-movie simplicity given a sleek Korean production sheen. “Who has Yoon-ji?” is the question that drives the plot, each time leaving bleeding bodies on the ground and pointing Ui-gang‘s laconic wrath towards a new target higher up the underworld ladder. (Crucially, after a point, that question becomes “who asked for Yoon-ji?” because scorched-earth reprisal is even more entertaining than rescue).
Comparisons could be made to John Wick, Taken, The Equalizer, insert any modern “ex-badass uses a special set of skills for a personal mission” movie; Choi certainly doesn’t shy away from his influences. But more so than those Hollywood films, The Killer feels like an amalgam of every Korean actioner from the last decade. The protective killer and traffickers of The Man from Nowhere, now with about 75% less characterization and dramatic setup. The heightened tone and slick spectacle of Ryoo Seung-wan‘s Veteran and City of Violence, now without wider themes, energetic protagonists or memorable foes. Unstoppable and unflappable, Jang makes for an underwhelming lead, approaching every confrontation with an air of bemused annoyance and inevitable victory. Thus, the thrill of the action comes from the satisfaction of frenetic choreography and watching bad guys get mercilessly punished by a force of nature.
That cycle of new location-violent interrogation-stylish slaughter-repeat grows repetitive, especially with only fodder to be dispatched rather than villains to hate. However, the robust action craftsmanship on display ensures The Killer succeeds as 90 minutes (unusually short for a Korean thriller) of no-frills robust brutality. Jang and Choi effectively evolve the flowing blade clashes of their last collaboration The Swordsman into battles with silenced pistols, ballistic knives and fists. From grungy alley office to elegant mansion, every fight unfolds with propulsive energy and ruthless decisive strikes, building to a faux-oner centerpiece tearing through a hotel hallway packed with henchmen. The final duel between Jang and Bruce Khan’s blonde-haired heavy—the only enemy with skills to rival Ui-gang—is a particular highlight, as the two performers unleash a bravura escalating flurry of blades and blows.
Despite a thin narrative with its perpetual-nonplussed antihero, The Killer excels as assassin action extravaganza, it and firmly cements director Choi Jae-hoon and lead Jang Hyuk as genre stars to watch.
Photo courtesy of Wide Lens Pictures
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