Netflix thriller Ballerina is causing a bit of a stir among fans of violent thrillers and has also got them wondering if perhaps the South Korean revenge thriller is based on a true story.
The shocker features a murder and a revenge plot that has all manner of violent dispatches at its fingertips, and it does not pull its punches.
Jun Jong-seo, Kim Ji-hoon, and Park Yu-rim head the cast of the thriller, which was written and directed by Lee Chung-hyun, reunited with Jun, who appeared in a previous film directed by Lee, The Call.
So with a stylish director and female-led cast, fans have been wondering about the origin of the story, and of course, that has seen us launch into action. Here’s everything we know, though do beware of major plot spoilers from this point on.
Ballerina (2023) Movie Plot Explained
Former classmates and friends Ok-Ju and Min-hee are fatefully drawn together after not seeing each other for years.
Min-hee is now a professional ballet dancer, working part-time in a bakery that Ok-ju wanders into looking for a cake to celebrate her own birthday.
Ok-ju is now a personal bodyguard to some high-profile clients and is exhausted by the position, but reuniting with her old friend seems to be just the remedy for her situation.
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However, the fun soon stops when tragically Ok-ju finds her childhood friend dead.
A note is found by the body that states, “Please get revenge for me” and this kickstarts Ok-ju into action, using all her skills to track down the people responsible for the death of her friend.
Entering a nightmare of crime, drugs, people trafficking, and violence, Ok-ju becomes a solo force of vengeance.
Is Ballerina on Netflix a true story?
The film is not a true story. but a work of fiction written by director Lee Chung-hyun. While it has a plot based on some horrors that are definitely present in real life, it isn’t based on any specific incidents or people.
Previous work of the director includes The Call and an episode of the TV mini-series Born to Spy.
What is the meaning behind the movie Ballerina?
Often movies that fall into this genre — think John Wick if it helps — devote a lot of time to the balletic choreography of the set pieces, rather than delving too deeply into characters and backstory.
There is very little in the way of nuance as far as Ballerina goes. It does pretty much what you think it will, with excessive fight scenes and stylish violence, that you may be already very familiar with.
The film is very much female-led, and the nature of the villains that are brought down are suitably sadistic, perverted, and seedy, allowing you to quite rightly cheer on their eventual downfall at the hands of our protagonist. But if you are looking for a study of the nature of revenge, or a discourse on what lengths we would go to after tragedy strikes, then you may not be watching the right movie.
However, if you are looking for a visceral revenge film that has some no-holds-barred violence and retribution, then you will enjoy this.
