The Killer: the action film with the coolest anti-hero of the year

The most exciting film oflast edition of the Far East Film Festival it definitely was The Killerthe latest collaboration between director Choi Jae-hoon and actor Jang Hyuk, king of Korean action. This little gem is now available in the basic package of Prime Videos* (but you can rent or buy also on Rakuten TV and Apple TV) is not a remake of John Woo’s Hong Kong masterpiece but the transposition of the novel The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves To Die by Bang Jin-ho, chronicles the bloody adventure of a retired hit man forced to return to the front lines to rescue Yoon-ji, a kidnapped girl. “I didn’t cast him for the part, he approached me to direct” director Choi had revealed to usguest of the Asian film festival held in Udine every year. “I had directed Jang Hyuk in The Swordsman period and when it came to finding a director for his new film project, he was kind enough to approach me” has explained.

The two titles are not far off: in the first the actor launched by the historic series Chuno – Slave Hunters, an Asian Western masterpiece, played a disgraced and nearly blind Joseon swordsman who takes up arms again to protect his daughter; in The Killer Bang Ui-gang gets back into the game to save a family friend’s teenage daughter who is involved in sex trafficking. The Killer it has many strengths and few defects: from its short duration – about ninety minutes – which suits an action film and which stands in stark contrast to the exhausting productions of two hours and more that infest small and large screens ; is a tasty and respectful reference to the classics of Hong Kong action between ballistic ballet And heroic bloodshed (but with substantial deviations); it boasts a hyperkinetic direction that, however derivative, it gives away vibrant and flowing action scenesAnd last but not least boasts a protagonist who contributes enormously to the coolness and the charm of the film.