Kill Boksoon: A mellow actioner

Express News Service

At one point in Kill Boksoon, Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon), a ruthless female assassin, says killing people comes easier to her than raising a child — a dialogue that pretty much sums up the core of the film. This is the story of Gil, a sought-after hit woman, trying to balance murder and motherhood. 

An assassin by night, Gil pretends to her teenage daughter, Jae-young (Kim Si-a), and everyone else in her family that she is an employee at an event management company. Though she revels in the glory of being the best in the killing business, her inability to connect with her daughter leaves her frustrated. The conundrum puts her in a do-or-die situation, forcing her to contemplate the renewal of her contract with an assassin-for-hire company. 

The soul of this action-thriller lies in its exploration of teen identity crisis, and the importance of family. Replete with grisly murders, the particularly tense, affecting moments in the film are when Gil and Jae-young grapple with their relationship, and finally open up to each other. These are also the frames that redeem Kill Boksoon, lending it a balmy essence amid sleek action. It is refreshing to see a mother gracefully learning new perspectives of life from her daughter. The seamless strengthening of their bond over the course of 133 minutes offers the much-needed respite from the tediously technical conversations unfolding at the agency. 

Kudos to Do-yeon, who exudes effortless charm, even in her action set pieces. New combat sequences are treated differently, with emphasis on music, style, visual language and setting. While the effort at attempting something novel is evident, the final product falls short of making a mark. It is missing the rush of an action flick, and is more on the softer side, than being sharp and swift. Also, the film takes its time to familiarise the audience with the machinations of assassins-for-hire agencies, and indulges in excessive plot diversions and expositions, which could have been avoided. 

In theory, Kill Boksoon has the potential to be the perfect blend of action and drama in how it dramatises the work-life balance of a killer, but much of it doesn’t translate onscreen. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a laidback weekend watch, with a bit of action thrown in, this seems to be a safe bet.

<br /> At one point in Kill Boksoon, Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon), a ruthless female assassin, says killing people comes easier to her than raising a child — a dialogue that pretty much sums up the core of the film. This is the story of Gil, a sought-after hit woman, trying to balance murder and motherhood. </p> <p>An assassin by night, Gil pretends to her teenage daughter, Jae-young (Kim Si-a), and everyone else in her family that she is an employee at an event management company. Though she revels in the glory of being the best in the killing business, her inability to connect with her daughter leaves her frustrated. The conundrum puts her in a do-or-die situation, forcing her to contemplate the renewal of her contract with an assassin-for-hire company. </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>The soul of this action-thriller lies in its exploration of teen identity crisis, and the importance of family. Replete with grisly murders, the particularly tense, affecting moments in the film are when Gil and Jae-young grapple with their relationship, and finally open up to each other. These are also the frames that redeem Kill Boksoon, lending it a balmy essence amid sleek action. It is refreshing to see a mother gracefully learning new perspectives of life from her daughter. The seamless strengthening of their bond over the course of 133 minutes offers the much-needed respite from the tediously technical conversations unfolding at the agency. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });</p> <p>Kudos to Do-yeon, who exudes effortless charm, even in her action set pieces. New combat sequences are treated differently, with emphasis on music, style, visual language and setting. While the effort at attempting something novel is evident, the final product falls short of making a mark. It is missing the rush of an action flick, and is more on the softer side, than being sharp and swift. Also, the film takes its time to familiarise the audience with the machinations of assassins-for-hire agencies, and indulges in excessive plot diversions and expositions, which could have been avoided. </p> <!-- WP QUADS Content Ad Plugin v. 2.0.85 --> <div class="quads-location quads-ad241053 " id="quads-ad241053" style="float:none;margin:0px 3px 3px 3px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0px;" data-lazydelay="0"> <!-- WP QUADS - Quick AdSense Reloaded v.2.0.85 Content AdSense async --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-format="auto" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7550963679842137" data-ad-slot="3250057321"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});</script> <!-- end WP QUADS --> </div> <p>In theory, Kill Boksoon has the potential to be the perfect blend of action and drama in how it dramatises the work-life balance of a killer, but much of it doesn’t translate onscreen. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a laidback weekend watch, with a bit of action thrown in, this seems to be a safe bet.<br />