Summary
Kill Boksoon properly illustrates the difficulty of balancing work and personal life while being a fun and riveting action-thriller.
We review the 2023 Korean Netflix film Kill Boksoon, which does not contain spoilers.
Kill Boksoon is a Korean action & adventure film on Netflix. Released on March 31, 2023, it stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, and Kim Si-a. The film follows a single mother and hired killer who struggles to find the balance between her personal and work life.
It has been praised for its visceral fight scenes, a realistic take on motherhood, and choreography. However, some critics think the film is too long and doesn’t have the ability for viewers to connect to the characters.
Kill Boksoon Review and Plot Summary
Kill Boksoon opens with a captivating fight between hit woman Gil Bok-soon and a Japanese gangster, whom she allows to attack with a weapon of his choice. Bok-soon kills the gangster, and his death ends up on the news.
We find out that Bok-soon is part of a global conglomerate of professional assassins called MK, which turns killing into a business. To prevent amateur killers from ruining their businesses, the conglomerate creates new rules.
First, they can’t kill anyone underage. Second, killers will only take on company-sanctioned jobs or “shows.” Third, killers must attempt these shows.
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With her high-stakes occupation, Bok-soon can’t seem to manage her relationship with her daughter, Jae-Young. She won’t open up to her, and Bok-soon believes killing other people is easier than raising a kid.
Bok-soon’s next assignment is to kill the senator’s son and make it look like a suicide. Previously, the senator fraudulently got his son into college.
When Bok-soon takes on this mission, she sets off a chain of hectic events involving MK’s Chairman and Director, threatening her life and ability to stay at the company.
Is Kill Boksoon good or bad?
Kill Boksoon is thrilling yet emotional. There are plenty of epic fight scenes incorporating impressive choreography. We understand quickly why Bok-soon is revered among students training to be assassins. She’s definitely one of the better fighters you’ll see in an action movie.
At the same time, the film perplexes the viewer about whether Bok-soon is a good person. It highlights the struggles of high schoolers, especially a gay teenager who is afraid to come out to her mother because of their strained relationship. We see the stress and pain Bok-soon feels about her inability to tell Jae-Young the truth about her job.
READ: Will there be a sequel to Kill Boksoon?
Contrary to many critics’ beliefs, there’s a lot of spotlight on the characters’ personal struggles, which makes it easy to connect to them. Young people can resonate with the bullying and discrimination against Jae-Young and her hesitancy to confide in Bok-soon.
Viewers can also relate to the struggle of balancing work life and personal life, especially the hardship of proving to one’s family that they are more important than work.
Is Kill Boksoon worth watching?
Kill Boksoon is worth watching for its strong female lead as well as riveting, bloody fight scenes. As critics say, the film is a little long, which makes it drag on at times. And the fates of most of the characters, besides Bok-soon and Jae-Young, are hard to care about.
All in all, action fans will appreciate this film about a ruthless fighter who never loses in terms of her job. But when it comes to Bok-soon and her daughter, you’ll hope they make amends as her literal cutthroat work life makes her lose stability in their relationship.
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