Well Go USA has done it again. As a company, they always strive to exhibit films with craft and substance. This new film, The Old Woman with the Knife, meets that mark and is a must-see movie.
The film is the origin story of Hornclaw (Lee Hye-yeong). She is known as the lead assassin in an organization that deals in pest control. This is a euphemism for killing evil or corrupt people who deserve it.
We learn that when she was young, she was cast out to die as useless. That is, until Ryu (Kim Mu-yeol) and his family take her in and treat her kindly. After she thwarts an American soldier from raping her, Ryu takes her under his wing and teaches her how to be deadly and of use to the organization that he works for.
Much time has passed, and Hornclaw is now sixty-five, with knives being her weapon of choice. She is one of the organization’s top assassins, feared and respected by all. But her deadly precision is beginning to falter as her age and battle wounds catch up with her body. In the world of assassins, uselessness is not tolerated well.
Her fame is sought by a reckless young assassin named Bullfight (Kim Sung-cheol). Think back to the old Wild West when the young gunslingers tried to take down the older, infamous gunslingers to get instant credibility. Hornclaw has to deal with this nuisance while hiding her shaking hand and navigating the new politics of the organization, which may want her and her old ideas of who they can take out gone so that they can make more money. Hornclaws’ survival depends on “staying sharp” – both blade and mind.
The style, cinematography, and score for this film are top-notch, delivering a high-octane, blood-soaked take on aging. Veteran Korean actress Lee Hye-yeong has appeared in a few other films featuring intense action sequences throughout her four-decade career. But she’s more of a dramatic actress, having worked in live theater, classic movies, and TV dramas. These chops give weight to her portrayal of Hornclaw in The Old Woman with the Knife. Adding a layer of gravitas to what could have just ended up as a throwaway action movie.
In real life, Lee is only 62 years old. But you would think she is a kick ass action star with all the physicality of this role. Her portrayal of Hornclaw in this film elevates it to a study on aging and obsolescence while delivering all the sensational over-the-top fighting sequences we love in this kind of film.
I give The Old Woman with the Knife 4 stars. It’s a great film to anchor a franchise on. There is plenty of fighting action to keep fans happy and coming back for more. Catch it on your favorite streaming platform or, better yet, buy the DVD or Blu-ray to add it to your collection.
Directed by: Kyu-dong Min
Written by: Gu Byeong-mo, Kim Dong-wan, Kyu-dong Min
Rated: NR
Selig Rating: 4 Stars
Running Time: 120 min
Foreign/ Action/ Thriller
Release: lands on Blu-ray™ and DVD exclusively through Amazon® on November 25
Starring: Lee Hye-yeong, Kim Sung-cheol, Kim Mu-yeol
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.