‘The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die” Theatrical Poster
Director: Choi Jae-Hoon
Cast: Jang Hyuk, Bruce Khan, Cha Tae-Hyun, Son Hyun-Joo, Lee Seo-young, Anne, Son Hyun-joo
Running Time: 95 min.
By Paul Bramhall
It’s no secret that in the 21st century mainstream Korean cinema has rarely sold itself on action. It’s certainly not for lack of talent, but rather you’re likely to find the countries best action sequences play out as part of a gangster movie, or a crime thriller, with very few productions marketed purely on the strength of being an ‘action movie’. There are a few exceptions to the rule, with the likes of 2006’s City of Violence, 2013’s The Suspect, and 2022’s Carter all proudly wearing their action credentials on their sleeve as the reason for audiences to check them out, and in 2022 they were joined by The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die.
Starring as the titular killer is Jang Hyuk, a talented actor proficient in a number of martial arts, who originally got his big break in 2001’s Volcano High, a kind of post-apocalyptic The Matrix-inspired actioner (in which he was bizarrely dubbed by André 3000 for the MTV sanctioned western release!). Coinciding with the Korean Wave (the name popularly attributed to the recognition Korean cinema started to receive internationally in the early 2000’s), the direction the film industry took would ultimately transition away from the Hong Kong influenced action movies of the late 1990’s, and Hyuk rarely had an opportunity to show off his action chops in the succeeding years. In fact it’s only in the 2020’s that he’s returned to action lead status, initially with 2020’s The Swordsman, and then playing the bad guy in 2021’s Paid in Blood.
The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die reunites Hyuk with the director of The Swordsman, Choi Jae-hoon, for which their first collaboration also marked his directorial debut. Since then Jae-hoon has dipped his toes into the horror genre with 2021’s The Hypnosis, but his latest finds him back firmly in action movie territory. The best ingredients for an action movie always tend to be the simplest, and in that regard for their latest collaboration it’s safe to say they nailed the brief. Hyuk plays a former hitman for hire now living a peaceful life with his wife, however his laid-back routine is interrupted when his wife decides to go on a trip with her friend, and insists he take care of the friend’s teenage daughter until they come back.
Played by newcomer Lee Seo-young, despite his reluctance Hyuk resigns himself to his guardian role, telling her she can do her own thing, but being smart enough to place a tracking device in her purse to keep an eye on her. It turns out to be the right move, since when she ends up getting mixed up with a group of juvenile delinquents its Hyuk who comes to the rescue, only to find the next day that some of them have been found murdered. Finding himself in the position of prime suspect for the case, things go from bad to worse when one of the surviving members arranges for Seo-young to be kidnapped by a sex trafficking ring, and before you can say “I’m thinking I’m back”, Hyuk is forced into a rescue mission before his wife’s holiday wraps up.
In reality the John Wick quote isn’t a fair reflection of TK: AGWDtD (as I’ll call it from here on in). Instead Jae-hoon’s latest shares much more DNA with the likes of Taken and The Man from Nowhere, particularly the latter with it also being a Korean production. In fact The Man from Nowhere even gets namechecked, feeling like a clear acknowledgement of its influence. Like Won Bin in the 2010 classic, Hyuk isn’t on a mission of revenge for the death of a loved one, but rather a mission of vengeance against those who’ve kidnapped a young girl left in their care. The differences between the 2 are clear though, implicitly stated by their titles – while The Man from Nowhere wanted the audience to get to know Won Bin’s character, in TK: AGWDtD Hyuk is much more of a one-man killing machine.
That’s a good thing, with Hyuk taking a refreshingly clinical approach to finding Seo-young, as likely to put a bullet between your eyes while sipping on a latte as he is to stab you in the neck, displaying a ruthless streak that doesn’t subside until the end credits roll. While it’s almost impossible to avoid a John Wick comparison in any post-2020 action movie that includes judo throws and head shots (although we all know it was Steven Seagal who did it first!), the action in TK: AGWDtD is much more varied and frequent than in any of the productions mentioned. The fact that Hyuk comes with a legitimate martial arts background is also clear onscreen, with the action scenes having a flow to them that even the most rehearsed action sequence with non-martial artists can only hope to achieve. Despite all the technological advances and intensive training regimes, you simply can’t replace the real deal.
Clocking in at a lean 95 minutes, TK: AGWDtD has practically no fat on the bone, quickly establishing the setup then pretty much allowing Hyuk to do his thing for the bulk of the runtime. It’s also Hyuk who takes credit for choreographing the action, and there’s plenty of it, from hallway skirmishes against multiple attackers, to brutal one on ones, and it’s all shot with minimal camera trickery (even the sparingly used CGI blood gets a pass, off set by the use of real squibs for any close-up damage). It’s worth sticking around for the end credits to get an insight into how some of the actions scenes were executed, with the behind-the-scenes footage revealing that even smashing through a window in front of a green screen can go wrong if you don’t land the right way!
Most of the one-on-one action pits Hyuk against another familiar face from the Korean action scene in the form of Bruce Khan (The Last Eve, The Medallion). Like Hyuk, Khan is also a multi-disciplined martial artist, and having spent a stint in Hong Kong it was in 2018 that he’d finally get to headline his own action movie with Revenger. Khan is to TK: AGWDtD what Thanayong Wongtrakul is to The Man from Nowhere, and sporting a dash of dyed yellow hair his appearance comes across as a lethally dangerous uncle, one who you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of. Most importantly, Khan offers up an opponent who gives as good as he gets, and each of he and Hyuk’s encounters gradually escalate in tension and the damage dished out.
If any criticism could be directed towards TK: AGWDtD then it’ll likely be the lack of characterisation. Its sometimes hinted at, such as when Seo-young quizzes Hyuk around if the reason for he and his wife not having kids is because they’re unable to conceive, however such moments are quickly brushed aside without any real meaning. There’s also a certain inevitability around who the mystery person is who placed a “special order” for Seo-young to be kidnapped, with many likely to call it out long before it’s actually revealed, but to the narratives credit even with the expected reveal their demise is a suitably satisfying one.
It’s worth noting that those familiar with the Korean film industries output during the 2000’s should appreciate a couple of special appearances, with Son Hyun-joo (The Phone, Hide and Seek) turning up as the classic character who runs a gun range, but also honeymoons as an arms dealer on the side. Similarly for Cha Tae-hyun (Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds, My Sassy Girl) who’s cast as the owner of a “premium” clean-up service that disposes of bodies after a hit has taken place. While their screentime may be limited, their appearances effectively serve the purpose of building the world Hyuk’s former profession took place in (and never descends into any nonsense about High Tables or special coins).
It feels like I often use words to the effect of “there’s a lean little action movie somewhere within the bloated runtime” for so many modern action movies, so it’s a joy to experience a movie like The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die, that understands exactly what it’s there for, and delivers in every aspect. Would it be too much to ask for a sequel?
Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 8/10
I was happy to catch a limited screening 2 years ago. I’ve never understood the full title though. Why does the girl deserve to die? Jang Hyuk even says the opposite of the title towards the end. It was easy for me to call this The Killer ‘22 to differentiate it from the following year’s David Fincher film and John Woo’s latest.
I was greatly annoyed with how people kept calling this “The Korean John Wick” even though there wouldn’t be a John Wick without The Man From Nowhere, and the tactical action choreography was something Korea popularized. I know Seagal would like to take credit for doing it first, but he was never “tactical” with those wide open stances and shooting while not looking. Haha.
Jang Hyuk vs Bruce Khan at the end was really good, and at one point I thought their close quarters shootout was more like Equilibrium’s gun kata which was a welcome ingredient. The Killer ‘22 provided quality straight to the point entertainment, and it didn’t try to re-invent the wheel. I wish more productions would embrace that approach.
Wrong. The tactical action choreography was popularized by American films. Heat, Collateral, The Way of the Gun etc did it before Korean films.
And The Man from Nowhere wouldn’t exist without Leon the Professional. And spaghetti westerns.
The action genre wasn’t invented by Asian cinema.
well, to be fair it’s just Michael Mann’s flicks.
“Why does the girl deserve to die? Jang Hyuk even says the opposite of the title towards the end.”
Yeah it’s a mis-translation that was probably used because it sounds more impactful. The actual Korean translates to “A child who is allowed to die”, which as you mention is similar to a line spoken at the end of the movie, which Jang Hyuk responds to by saying “No child deserves to die.”
So we get a confusing title because it was poorly translated, and someone thought it still sounded good? I’m sure if any other film that dealt with the protagonist protecting a girl had that subtitle, it wouldn’t fly.