The Villainess

Name: The Villainess
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: August 25, 2017
Duration: 129 min
Rating: 64
Cast: Eun-ji Jo, Ha-kyun Shin, Ok-bin Kim, Seo-hyeong Kim, Sung-Jun

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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7.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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The Villainess

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Movie Details & Credits

Well Go USA Entertainment | Release Date: August 25, 2017 | Not Rated

Starring: Eun-ji Jo, Ha-kyun Shin, Ok-bin Kim, Seo-hyeong Kim, Sung-Jun, Ye-Ji Min

Summary: Honed from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited as a sleeper agent with the promise of freedom after ten years of service - and she jumps at the chance for a normal life. But soon enough, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for, and now nobody can stand inHoned from childhood into a merciless killing machine by a criminal organization, assassin Sook-hee is recruited as a sleeper agent with the promise of freedom after ten years of service - and she jumps at the chance for a normal life. But soon enough, secrets from her past destroy everything she’s worked for, and now nobody can stand in her way as she embarks on a roaring rampage of revenge.… Expand

Director: Byung-gil Jung

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 129 min

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Critic Reviews

Maggie Lee

Aug 22, 2017

Channeling “La femme Nikita,” “Kill Bill,” Nikkatsu’s ’70s female exploitation films and a gazillion Hong Kong martial arts heroines, The Villainess nonetheless succeeds in being one-of-a-kind for its delirious action choreography and overall narrative dementia. Read full review

Jamie Graham

Sep 12, 2017

The plotting is tangled, the emotional undertow slight, but the action keeps on coming, including a blistering multi-player sword fight on speeding bikes. Read full review

Time Out London Anna Smith

Sep 15, 2017

Director Jung Byung-gil (‘Confessions of Murder’) combines a familiar but fun story with slick combat action, whether it’s in dark streets, seedy clubs or underwater. Read full review

Allan Hunter

A satisfyingly convoluted revenge thriller in which the dynamically staged, blood-drenched action sequences are a highlight rather than the film’s sole raison d’être. Read full review

Keith Watson

When one finally puts together the pieces of the film’s scattered narrative puzzle, The Villainess doesn’t add up to all that much beyond a slick march toward an act of bloody revenge. Read full review

Bilge Ebiri

Aug 23, 2017

The Villainess is entertaining enough, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that we should be caring more for this character as the film goes on, not less. Read full review

The Playlist Bradley Warren

The Villainess confounds its audience on two levels: firstly, how the filmmakers pulled off the elaborate set pieces and secondly, leaving them to wonder what the hell is going on in the plot. Read full review

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User Reviews

Meth-dude

Jan 24, 2019

Gripping from beginning to end. Supported by great acting performances, an interesting and very well written story, great cinematography, excellent fight scenes and a genuinely likable main character, The Villainess is hands down one of the, if not the best action movie I've seen in years.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

bataguila

Oct 30, 2018

Impactantes las escenas de acción, se copia a pelis como Killbill, face to face, nikita. Los giros de tuerca están muy buenos.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

RenanD3z

Nov 7, 2017

The story is not confusing. It is just that Americans can't differentiate between Asians nor take the movie serious enough. The action is way better than any US action movie released in the last decade. If you liked the action from The Raid or Train to Busan you are in for a treat. Don'tThe story is not confusing. It is just that Americans can't differentiate between Asians nor take the movie serious enough. The action is way better than any US action movie released in the last decade. If you liked the action from The Raid or Train to Busan you are in for a treat. Don't mistake this for a nonstop action movie either, there is less action than both, but is a better movie overall. The central theme of the movie is the difference between revenge and just being bad.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

anasmollaro

Oct 26, 2019

Totally worth it to watch. It's an awesome movie, pack with action but also play with emotions. Eventho, I can figure it out the plot twist in the middle of the movie, its still left me in awe. I just felt so thrilled and satisfied to see someone get killed. Well, that guy deserved to dieTotally worth it to watch. It's an awesome movie, pack with action but also play with emotions. Eventho, I can figure it out the plot twist in the middle of the movie, its still left me in awe. I just felt so thrilled and satisfied to see someone get killed. Well, that guy deserved to die after all. How I wish it has a happy ending tho.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SoulWarfare

May 17, 2020

The Villainess was a movie I heard about but I forgot to watch. I only remembered the movie because it was on James Gunn's quarantine watch list. James Gunn is an amazing director since he directed the Guardians of the Galaxy movies which I love so I have huge trust in his taste. The trailerThe Villainess was a movie I heard about but I forgot to watch. I only remembered the movie because it was on James Gunn's quarantine watch list. James Gunn is an amazing director since he directed the Guardians of the Galaxy movies which I love so I have huge trust in his taste. The trailer also gave me a female John Wick vibe and the John Wick movies are awesome so I decided to give this a watch. The basic synopsis of this movie is that Sook-hee (Kim Ok-vin) who was honed from childhood to be an elite assassin, is given the chance to live a normal life. However, when two men from her past suddenly appear in her new life, it unlocks dark secrets that should've stayed hidden, and the fallout is swift and explosive.

The action in this movie is phenomenal. It even starts with an impressive one shot, first person looking action scene that feels like it came from a video game. It is shot incredibly well with amazing choreography. There is also an amazing motorcycle chase/fight on the motorway with people on motorcycles with swords. Clearly, John Wick Chapter 3 motorcycle scene is HEAVILY inspired by this movie as they are both very similar in style and choreography but the Villainess did it first. There is also an incredible third act fight scene which then leads to an amazing car chase scene. These actions are filmed with such ferocity and intensity with the flabbergasting yet inventive stunts that makes it so thrilling to watch. The director and cinematography incorporates this through the use of frantic and sped up shots similar to that of Kingsman to make it more engaging and exciting. The cinematographer (Park Jung-hun) uses a lot of neon blue for the action scenes that makes the tone feel somber which contrasts the violent fights that are happening. It gives the action a weird sense of beauty in it which is the message this film goes for in its revenge tale and character motivation. The movie is also very gory with its spraying blood similar to that of Kill Bill that adds another element of enjoyment to the movie.

The actors are also all very good with a lot of praise to the main actress Kim Ok-vin and Shin Ha-kyun who portrays Sook-hee assassin teacher Lee Joong-sang. Sook-hee is not a female John Wick like the trailer makes it seem like. Sook-hee is indeed a badass but also vulnerable at the same time which is in thanks to Kim Ok-vin performance. There are some emotional moments and Kim Ok-vin really sells the struggle of Sook-hee living a normal life with all these other characters and their dark secrets. Shin Ha-kyun manages to be charming but also mildly creepy as Sook-hee teacher but also badass as well. The other actors in the movie give good performances as well and everyone felt different and unique which makes all the characters stand out in some way.

The plot is also intriguing with all the secrets,twist and turns that Sook-hee finds out but...

The story is told in such a weird convoluted way. There are random flashbacks that will happen in the movie but they are in a chaotic, incoherent, fragmented order. How I explain this is that most movies that have multiple flashbacks which occur in different parts of the movie would show the character going from point A to Point H which then leads into the beginning of the movie. The Villainess instead has flashback from point C first then point E then point B then point A etc...

The movie also starts you straight in the action with no explanation whatsoever that leaves you relatively dumbfounded. It gets even more confusing when the flashback that happens is for something unrelated to the present day stuff. The editing for these flashbacks are just really weird and off-putting and it isn't until near the end when all the flashbacks have occurred that things start to make a little sense. However, it really banks on the audience being able to piece these random flashbacks together and that is difficult if you give a flashback with no rhyme and reason. Additionally, character motivation isn't super clear at times with a lot of characters being constantly vague. This is especially clear near the final act of the movie where a certain character doesn't really clearly state their goals and it just seems thing happen because they need to.There is also a fair amount of moments I just found really dumb and the melodrama can be a bit over the top sometimes.

Despite the weird nature of the plot, the movie offers a pure thrilling, kinetic, pulsing and bloody action movie with an enough depth in the story to keep it from being boring. The crazy stunts and awesome fights that inspired future action movies even in that of Hollywood, is enough motivation to give this movie a watch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

temptershell

Jan 27, 2018

Asian cinema with battle scenes is still "bamboo cinema", although there is no jumping or flying in the style of Hero, so motorcycles or fights in the subway are further finesse and a real dance of death. That's what I expects from movies of fight, revenge and crime and I got what I wanted.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

deltagilbert

Dec 25, 2017

Wow. I've seen a lot of bad movies but none actually make me angry while I'm watching them. This one did. The plot is ridiculous. The whole movie is based around events taking place for no reason at all. It was basically 'The Assassin' rewritten by someone while they were having a stroke.Wow. I've seen a lot of bad movies but none actually make me angry while I'm watching them. This one did. The plot is ridiculous. The whole movie is based around events taking place for no reason at all. It was basically 'The Assassin' rewritten by someone while they were having a stroke. The action scenes couldn't save this from being the one of the worst films I've ever seen and definitely the worst movie I've seen in 2017. Avoid.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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