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The Villainess
악녀
2017 129 min South Korea 18+
★6.9
Action, Thriller
Director: Jung Byung-gil
Trailers
EN
Teaser
Description
Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited with the promise of freedom after ten years of service. However, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for and now she embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge.
Budget:
$125,000
US Gross:
$27,741
Worldwide:
$8.74M
Starring
Kim Ok-bin
Actor
Shin Ha-kyun
Actor
Sung Jun
Actor
Awards
7 wins & 14 nominations total
Key opinion
The Villainess is widely praised for its high-octane, masterfully choreographed action sequences and innovative cinematography. However, critics are divided on the narrative, which many find to be a disjointed, underdeveloped, and derivative imitation of classic revenge tropes.
| Direction | The film delivers elite, highly skilled, and inventive fight choreography that stands out as the production's strongest achievement. | |
| Screenplay | The plot is largely criticized as a derivative and simplistic echo of Luc Besson’s Nikita, suffering from nonsensical character motivations. | |
| Pacing | The narrative structure is disjointed, marred by abrupt flashbacks, awkward pacing, and a failure to blend intense action with heavy melodrama. | |
| Cinematography | Opinions on the cinematography are split: while the technical mastery of the first-person perspective is admired, many find the excessive camera shake and stylistic quirks distracting or tiring during long sequences. |