Director Byun Sung-hyun seems to have taken inspiration from the infamous hitman John Wick in Netflix’s Kill Boksoon, which will be available on March 31st. Gil Boksoon will appear as the female counterpart to John Wick, and a girl will replace his dog.
The movie’s plot is set in a version of South Korea with numerous killing agencies. These agencies train assassins from a young age to become the best in the industry. The lead character, Gil Boksoon (played by the renowned actress Jeon Do-yeon), currently holds the top spot.
However, when she defies the sacred rules during a mission, she loses her position and becomes a target herself.
While engaging in a roundtable interview regarding Kill Boksoon, director Byun Sung-hyun shared his thoughts with Screen Rant on how he was inspired to craft a parallel world in South Korea. Here are some of the filmmaker’s remarks:
Byun Sung-hyun: The world of killers and killer companies is nothing new since the John Wick series, from which I personally drew inspiration. I thought to myself, if there’s nothing new to the world, then what can I add on to that? I wanted to draw a parallel between the killer industry and the Korean entertainment and film industry.
As for the comedic aspects of it, because our film speaks to irony, I wanted to bring in comedic elements when what was being dealt with in the scene was the most serious, and vice versa. Where there’s a lot of comedy going on, I wanted to portray some of the heavier issues through that.
With Kill Boksoon’s unique setting, it can differentiate itself from other works in its genre, such as John Wick, which is often lauded for its intricate world-building and captivating backstories of characters.
Byun remarks that the Korean Hitman agencies operate under a very unique lens. Boksoon’s agency, MK Ent., recruits’ children by tempting them with a chance to embark on their first official assassination mission.
This agency is revered by its members, who look up to their seniors like how one would admire an actor or idol.
In Kill Boksoon, Sol Kyung-gu portrays Cha Min-kyu, the CEO of MK Ent. and Boksoon’s mentor. His significant influence over the industry is big enough to warrant a spinoff film.
However, the character that most effectively captures the parallel is Kim Yeong-ji (Lee Yeon), who also portrayed a younger version of Jeon Do-yeon in Crash Course in Romance.
Kim Yeong-ji is a trainee at the company and regards Boksoon as her personal role model. She is confronted with whether to remain faithful to the industry that nurtured her or the woman who is her idol. As a fan, the dilemma seems enticing!
About Kill Boksoon
Kill Boksoon (Korean: 길복순) is a 2023 South Korean crime action film directed and written by Byun Sung-hyun, starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sol Kyung-gu, Esom, Koo Kyo-hwan, and Kim Si-a. It premiered on Netflix on March 31, 2023.
Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon), a legendary killer in the contract-killing industry, gets caught up in an unavoidable confrontation just before renewing her contract with the company.
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