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The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die

The Killer, also known as The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die (Korean: 더 킬러: 죽어도 되는 아이) is a 2022 South Korean action thriller film directed by Choi Jae-hoon, starring Jang Hyuk as the titular character. It is adapted from a popular novel The Kid Deserves to Die written by Bang Jin-ho.

Plot

Bang Ui-gang is a retired assassin who has settled down with his wife, Hyeon-soo. One day, Hyeon-soo tells Ui-gang that she is going on a holiday in Jeju together with her best friend, and requests that he take care of 17-year-old Kim Yoon-ji, the daughter of her best friend. Though reluctant at first, Ui-gang eventually gives in. After sending Hyeon-soo and Yoon-ji's stepmother off in the day, Ui-gang fetches Yoon-ji to Hongdae at night, and goes home after telling her to stay at her friend's house for a few days. Later at home, he gets awakened by Yoon-ji's call asking for help because her stomach hurts and immediately goes to find her, only to realise later that she faked being sick to get him to come pick her up. However, after Yoon-ji gets a text message, she tells Ui-gang to go home first.

Ui-gang heads home and drives away even though he looks back to see Yoon-ji riding away on a bike with several others. After receiving a text from his wife asking how Yoon-ji is doing, Ui-gang decides to turn back to find her, managing to track her eventual location through a tracking device, which he placed in her wallet earlier. Finding her being threatened by several delinquents, led by Sung-yeon, Ui-gang beats them up and brings Yoon-ji back home. The next night, Ui-gang and Yoon-ji are on the way back home, passing by the same place where he beat up the delinquents. He is stopped by Detective Lee Young-ho, who tells him that there is a murder case in the venue, and then lets him drive off.

The next morning, Detective Lee visits Ui-gang, suspecting him of being a part of the murder, and telling him about Yoon-ji's situation. Ui-gang understands her situation as he recalls a flashback which showed him and a teenage girl who wanted to kill herself. Sung-yeon calls Yoon-ji and Ui-gang intercepts the call, where he agrees to meet up, as Sung-yeon has the knife used in the murders, and that knife has Ui-gang's fingerprints. Though Sung-yeon tell Ui-gang to call her when he reaches a certain location, he is able to track her down because she has Yoon-ji's wallet (with the tracker still inside). Ui-gang escapes with the knife after fighting a Russian killer named Yuri, who is also trained in the Spetsnaz. He returns home, only to find Yoon-ji has been kidnapped.

Ui-gang tracks Sung-yeon to an apartment and mortally wounds her after seeking information from her about a human trafficking ring that also involves the Russian mafia, and about someone who has specifically requested Yoon-ji. He visits a hotel linked to the ring, kills numerous delinquents and escapes from Yuri, who earlier told him where Yoon-ji is. Detective Lee had arrived on the location to arrest Ui-gang, but Ui-gang overpowers him and drives with him to where he was told Yoon-ji was. After saving her, Ui-gang learns that Detective Lee is a corrupt police officer who worked for the organization Ui-gang has been attacking. Detective Lee learns that Yoon-ji was to be delivered to Park Hyung-joo. Ui-gang visits Park Hyung-joo and learns that an unknown, high-ranking judge had specifically requested Yoon-ji. He also learns of an individual named Pig Mama who appears to be Park Hyung-joo's boss.

Ui-gang asks Detective Lee to research both the judge and Yoon-ji. He learns Yoon-ji's mother is actually her stepmother, and also the identity of the judge. He proceeds to the judge's mansion, killing several bodyguards, but is betrayed by Detective Lee. Ui-gang is turned over to the judge, who is actually Judge Kim, next in line to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Korea. Judge Kim asks Detective Lee to kill Ui-gang, but the latter breaks free, killing Detective Lee and Yuri. Having killed all the bodyguards, Ui-gang kills Judge Kim after finding out that Pig Mama is Yoon-ji's stepmother, currently on holiday with Hyeon-soo. He heads to Jeju and kills Pig Mama in the outskirts. Together with Yoon-ji, Ui-gang finds Hyeon-soo at a beach in Jeju, where it is revealed that the teenage girl in Ui-gang's flashback was Hyeon-soo.

Cast

Jang Hyuk as Bang Ui-gang, a retired professional killer
Lee Seo-young (Anne from GWSN) as Kim Yoon-ji, a high school girl
Bruce Khan as Yuri, a Russian killer
Bang Eun-jung as Sung-yeon, a girl involved in sex trafficking
Shin Seung-hwan as Park Hyung-joo, a criminal gang member
Lee Seung-joon as Lee Young-ho, a detective
Lee Chae-young as Hyeon-soo, Bang Ui-gang's wife
Choi Ki-sub as Dotwok, a criminal gang member
Yoo Seo-jin as Yoon-ji's step-mother/Pig Mama
Hong Seo-joon as Judge Kim
Son Hyun-joo as a gun seller (cameo)
Cha Tae-hyun as a trauma cleaner (cameo)

Production

Principal photography began on June 25, 2021 and filming wrapped up in October 2021.

Release

The film made its world premiere at the 24th Udine Far East Film Festival on 23 April 2022. It was pre-sold to 48 foreign countries and districts, including major countries in Europe and Asia. It held a red carpet premiere at the historical Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on 20 June 2022, and was released in the theatres simultaneously in North America and South Korea on 13 July 2022.

The film had a special screening at the 21st New York Asian Film Festival on 19 July 2022, as well as the Fantasia International Film Festival on 2 Aug 2022. It was also released in Singapore on 21 July, Taiwan on 22 July, Malaysia on 28 July, Vietnam on 5 August, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain on 11 August 2022 and Japan on 26 May 2023.