With so much focus on spectacle, the film fails to explore this part of Korean history in any meaningful way. Assassination plays more to Choi’s strengths - witty dialogue and entertaining storytelling accompanied by strong visuals and cast.
Assassination(암살)
✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Korea · 2015
2h 20m
Director Choi Dong-hoon
Starring Jun Ji-hyun, Ha Jung-woo, Lee Jung-jae, Oh Dal-su
Genre Action, Drama
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
Assassination is set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s. The Korean resistance plans to assassinate the Japanese commander, but the only sniper skilled enough to do it, Ahn Ok-yun, is serving time in a Shanghai prison. As a resistance agent heads to China to break her out, the carefully-laid plan is threatened by a traitor.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The Hollywood Reporter by Clarence Tsui
While the director unleashes his taut action sequences like clockwork, he's less deft in handling the characterizations and the decade-leaping plot, which seems designed to provide the film with some historical weight.
The New York Times by Jeannette Catsoulis
Assassination has sprinkles of wit and a nicely restrained anchor in Lee Jung-jae.
A sensationally entertaining mash-up of historical drama, “Dirty Dozen” style shoot-‘em-up, spaghetti Western-flavored flamboyance, and extended action setpieces that suggest a dream-team collaboration of Sergio Leone, John Woo and Steven Spielberg.
Los Angeles Times by Michael Rechtshaffen
The director nimbly orchestrates to entertaining effect this mass game of cat-and-mouse populated by paid and unpaid assassins, double agents and even the proverbial twins separated at birth.
Assassination is a blast whenever the director doesn't take his melodramatic plot too seriously.
Users who liked this film also liked
Il Mare
(시월애)
Love that resides in one place at two different times.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2000
- Director Lee Hyun-seung
- Cast Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae, Kim Mu-saeng, Cho Seung-yeon, Min Yun-jae, Choe Yun-yeong
- Genre Fantasy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Kocowa, Rakuten Viki
Rough Cut
(영화는 영화다)
An arrogant actor hires a real-life gangster to replace his costar in a this gutsy picture-within-a-picture.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2008
- Director Jang Hoon
- Cast So Ji-sub, Kang Ji-hwan, Hong Soo-hyun, Ko Chang-seok, Gong Jeong-hwan, Jang Hee-jin
- Genre Action, Crime, Drama
- Available on Rakuten Viki, AsianCrush
Sorum
(소름)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2001
- Director Yoon Jong-chan
- Cast Kim Myung-min, Jang Jin-young, Jo An, Ki Joo-bong, Kim Ki-chun, Lee Han-wi
- Genre Horror, Mystery
- Available on Kanopy
The Face Reader
(관상)
Look Fate in the Face
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2013
- Director Han Jae-rim
- Cast Song Kang-ho, Lee Jung-jae, Baek Yoon-sik, Cho Jung-seok, Lee Jong-suk, Kim Hye-soo
- Genre Drama, History
- Available on Kocowa, Rakuten Viki, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, OnDemandKorea
Tazza: The Hidden Card
(타짜: 신의 손)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2014
- Director Kang Hyung-chul
- Cast Choi Seung-hyun, Shin Se-kyung, Kwak Do-won, Lee Ha-nee, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Yoon-seok
- Genre Crime
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Socialphobia
(소셜포비아)
A gang of guys get hooked on conspiracy theories
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2015
- Director Hong Seok-jae
- Cast Byun Yo-han, Lee Ju-seung, Ryu Jun-yeol, Ha Yoon-kyung, Park Keun-rok, Yu Dae-hyeong
- Genre Thriller, Mystery, Drama
- Available on Google Play Movies, YouTube
Memories of the Sword
(협녀, 칼의 기억)
Trained since childhood in the art of the sword, a young woman sets off to avenge her parents' deaths.
- ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2015
- Director Park Heung-sik
- Cast Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Go-eun, Lee Jun-ho, Lee Kyung-young, Kim Tae-woo
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Kocowa, Hi-YAH, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, YouTube Free, Pluto TV, Freevee, Plex, Plex Channel
Deep Trap
(함정)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2015
- Director Kwon Hyung-jin
- Cast Ma Dong-seok, Kim Min-kyung, Jo Han-sun, Ji An
- Genre Thriller
- Available on Amazon Video, Tubi TV, OnDemandKorea
A Quiet Passion
The story of American poet Emily Dickinson from her early days as a young schoolgirl to her later years as a reclusive, unrecognized artist.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom, Belgium, United States • 2016
- Director Terence Davies
- Cast Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine, Emma Bell, Sara Vertongen, Duncan Duff
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Crackle, Tubi TV, VUDU Free, Filmzie, Freevee, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Reveel, Plex Channel, JustWatchTV
Memoir of a Murderer
(살인자의 기억법)
A former serial killer suffering from Alzheimer's realizes that his daughter is dating a psychotic murderer.
- Korea • 2017
- Director Won Shin-yeon
- Cast Sol Kyung-gu, Kim Nam-gil, Kim Seol-hyun, Oh Dal-su, Hwang Suk-jung, Kil Hae-yeon
- Genre Action, Crime, Thriller
- Available on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Kocowa, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
The Prison
(프리즌)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2017
- Director Na Hyun
- Cast Han Suk-kyu, Kim Rae-won, Jung Woong-in, Jo Jae-yun, Shin Sung-rok, Jeon Bae-soo
- Genre Crime, Action
- Available on Hi-YAH, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, YouTube, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
Dark Figure of Crime
(암수살인)
Believe but be doubtful
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2018
- Director Kim Tae-gyoon
- Cast Kim Yoon-seok, Ju Ji-hoon, Moon Jeong-hee, Jin Sun-kyu, Jung Jong-joon, Heo Jin
- Genre Crime, Drama
- Available on OnDemandKorea, Plex, Plex Channel
Asphalt Goddess
(La diosa del asfalto)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Mexico • 2020
- Director Julián Hernández
- Cast Ximena Romo, Mabel Cadena, Nelly González, Alejandra Herrera, Raquel Robles, Jimena Mancilla
- Genre Drama
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Adultery Alumni Association 3
(불륜 동창회3)
- • 2020
- Director Jo Tae-ho
- Cast Han Seok-bong, Seo Won, Min Do-yoon, Kang Min-woo, Joong In, Seung Ha
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on No streaming locations found.