Kill Boksoon

Kill Boksoon
Promotional poster
Hangul
길복순
RRGil Boksun
MRKil Poksun
Directed byByun Sung-hyun
Written byByun Sung-hyun
Produced byYi Jin-hee
Starring
CinematographyCho Hyung-rae
Edited byKim Sang-bum
Music by
  • Lee Jin-hee
  • Kim Hong-jip
Production
company
See At Film[1]
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • February 18, 2023 (2023-02-18) (Berlinale)
  • March 31, 2023 (2023-03-31) (South Korea)
Running time
137 minutes[2]
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean

Kill Boksoon (Korean: 길복순) is a 2023 South Korean action thriller film directed and written by Byun Sung-hyun, starring Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Si-a, Esom, and Koo Kyo-hwan. It premiered on Netflix on March 31, 2023.[3][4][5]

Plot

A man lies half-naked on the cold ground, clutching a pillow. Wondering if he had left a hotel window open, he realizes he is on a bridge. Soon, the contract killer Gil Bok-soon wakes him. He is revealed to be Shinichiro Oda, a second-generation Korean-Japanese yakuza. Oda asks why she has not killed him yet. Bok-soon mentions her daughter Jae-young, recalling a moment when Jae-young criticized corruption and unfair competition. Seeking a fair fight, Bok-soon allows Oda to prepare his weapon, but when the duel begins, she abruptly abandons the rules, shooting him mid-battle. As Oda curses her in Korean, Bok-soon finishes him off.

After returning home, Bok-soon resumes her quiet domestic life. While doing laundry, she discovers cigarettes in Jae-young's clothes, triggering memories of a strict, abusive father who once forced her to eat a cigarette as punishment. Bok-soon smokes in silence, unable to confront her daughter about it when Jae-young returns. Meanwhile, her agency director Min-kyu assigns her a new contract, a choice between a foreign or domestic assassination. Worrying about Jae-young, Bok-soon picks the local job. The target is a prime minister nominee who staged his son's death as a murder-suicide to cover up a college admissions scandal. Realizing the target's guilt and his grief, she spares him and lies about the mission's failure.

Min-kyu grows suspicious, but Bok-soon insists it was a failure, supported by her intern Young-ji. Soon after, Jae-young stabs a classmate, Chul-woo, with scissors. At school, Bok-soon learns everyone involved refuses to talk, leaving Jae-young at risk of expulsion. Later, Jae-young confesses to her mother that she is a lesbian. She reveals the stabbing was retaliation against Chul-woo, who had secretly filmed her and her girlfriend So-ra, then blackmailed them. When he mocked their relationship, Jae-young lashed out in anger.

Amid these troubles, Young-ji visits Bok-soon after being fired. Bok-soon takes her to a friend's restaurant, where several fellow assassins, including her close colleague Hee-sung, arrive. It turns out Hee-sung had staged Bok-soon's failed mission to earn a promotion, manipulated by Min-kyu's sister Min-hee, who wants Bok-soon dead. The assassins turn on Bok-soon, but she kills them all in a brutal fight, sparing only Young-ji. Learning Hee-sung's betrayal was coerced, she ends his life herself and reports the cleanup. Furious, Min-kyu confronts her, forcing her to a new contract.

Later, Bok-soon kills Min-hee in revenge and faces Min-kyu in a final confrontation. They feign civility but soon clash violently. Bok-soon manipulates Min-kyu's emotions and kills him, not realizing that his office CCTV was streaming live to a tablet delivered to Jae-young. When Bok-soon rushes home in horror, expecting trauma, she instead finds her daughter calm and affectionate. In the epilogue, Bok-soon tends her plants as news reports that the corrupt prime minister candidate has been found dead in an apparent suicide. Meanwhile, Jae-young, dressed in red like her mother, visits her school one last time, leaving cryptic, threatening words to So-ra and Chul-woo before walking away with confidence.

Cast

Main

A single mother and the best killer of agency M.K. Ent. Referred as "Kill Boksoon" by industry insiders.
CEO of M.K. Ent.
The daughter of Boksoon who knows nothing about her mother's profession.
Director of M.K. Ent and younger sister of Min-kyu.
An affiliated killer of M.K. Ent.

Supporting

A member of M.K. Ent.

Special appearance

Production

On January 4, 2022, Kill Boksoon confirmed production with the ensemble casting of Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Esom, and Koo Kyo-hwan as the lead roles.[6] On April 7, 2022, it was reported that actress Jeon Do-yeon was injured while filming and stopped filming, but after receiving treatment at the hospital, she returned to the scene and continued filming.[15]

Release

The film had its world premiere in the Berlinale Special section of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival on February 18, 2023.[16] It was released on Netflix on March 31, 2023.[5]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 79% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Although its impact is blunted somewhat by meandering length and some cheesy visual effects, Kill Boksoon remains a pleasing punch to the gut for action fans."[17]

Accolades

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Baeksang Arts Awards 2023 Best Actress Jeon Do-yeon Nominated [18]
Best Supporting Actress Lee Yeon Nominated
Golden Trailer Awards 2023 Best Foreign Poster "Date Announcement" (The Refinery) Won [19]
Buil Film Awards 2023 Best Actress Jeon Do-yeon Nominated [20]
Best Supporting Actress Lee Yeon Nominated

Spin-off

In September 2024, Netflix announced the casting of Yim Si-wan and Park Gyu-young for the film, Mantis, a character that is only mentioned in Kill Boksoon.[21] The film is set for release on September 26 on Netflix.[22]

References

  1. ^ 전도연·설경구·이솜·구교환, 넷플릭스 영화 '길복순' 확정 [공식] [Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, Esom, Koo Kyo-hwan confirmed for Netflix movie 'Gil Bok-soon' [Official]]. Star News. January 4, 2022. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022 – via Naver.
  2. ^ "Berlinale Special-Kill Boksoon". Berlinale. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Jeon Hyo-jin (January 4, 2022). 넷플릭스 '길복순', 전도연·설경구·이솜·구교환 출연 [공식] [Netflix 'Gil Bok-soon', Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, Esom, and Koo Gwan-hwa appeared [Official]]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022 – via Naver.
  4. ^ Kim Ji-won (January 17, 2023). '더글로리' 파트2→'D.P.' 시즌2…넷플릭스, 올해 한국 작품 28편 공개 ['The Glory' Part 2 → 'DP' Season 2... Netflix to release 28 Korean titles this year]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023 – via Naver.
  5. ^ a b Choi Yonna (February 2, 2023). "A급 킬러 된 전도연…'길복순', 3월 31일 공개 확정" [Jeon Do-yeon, who became an A-class killer... 'Kil Bok-soon' confirmed to be released on March 31st]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023 – via Naver.
  6. ^ a b Jeon Hyung-hwa (January 4, 2022). 전도연·설경구·이솜·구교환, 넷플릭스 영화 '길복순' 확정 [공식] [Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, Esom, and Koo Kwan, confirmed for Netflix movie 'Gil Bok-soon' [Official]]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 4, 2022 – via Naver.
  7. ^ a b c d e Choi Yoon-na (February 21, 2023). 킬러+싱글맘 전도연→대표 설경구…'길복순' 5인 캐릭터 스틸 공개 [Killer+Single Mom Jeon Do-yeon→CEO Seol Kyung-gu... 'Gil Bok-soon' 5-person character stills released]. Sports DongA (in Korean). Retrieved February 21, 2023 – via Naver.
  8. ^ Park Jin-young (January 4, 2022). 전도연·설경구·이솜·구교환, '길복순' 출연 확정…킬러 변신 [Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu, Esom, and Koo Gwan-hwa confirmed to appear in 'Gil Bok-soon'... Killer Transformation]. Joy News 24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  9. ^ Choi Yoonna (February 22, 2023). '길복순' 전도연 아역 박세현, 빅웨일엔터테인먼트와 전속계약[공식]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 22, 2023. Retrieved February 22, 2023 – via Naver.
  10. ^ a b Yumi Jeong (March 1, 2023). [시네마 데이트] 전도연ㅣ대중의 마음 정확히 명중시킨 고수 '길복순' [[Cinema Date] Jeon Do-yeonㅣKil Bok-soon, a master who accurately hit the public's heart] (in Korean). IZE. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023 – via Naver.
  11. ^ Yoo Jung-min (March 28, 2022). 김시아, 넷플릭스 영화 '길복순' 캐스팅... 전도연과 호흡 기대↑ [Kim Si-a, cast for Netflix movie 'Gil Bok-soon'... Expectations to work with Jeon Do-yeon↑] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022 – via Naver.
  12. ^ Moon Ji-yeon (March 29, 2022). [공식] '소년심판' 이연, 넷플릭스 '길복순' 캐스팅..전도연과 호흡 [[Official] 'Boy Judgment' Lee Yeon, Netflix's 'Gil Bok-soon' Casting... with Jeon Do-yeon]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022 – via Naver.
  13. ^ Kim Ji-hye (December 20, 2021). 황정민, '길복순' 특별출연 확정…전도연과 16년 만의 재회 [Hwang Jung-min confirmed for special appearance in 'Gil Bok-soon'... Reunion with Jeon Do-yeon after 16 years]. SBS Entertainment News (in Korean). Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021 – via Naver.
  14. ^ a b Kim Sang-hwa (April 1, 2023). 핏빛 활극 혹은 뻔한 장르물? '길복순'을 향한 다양한 시선. OhmyNews (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  15. ^ Baek Ji-eun (April 7, 2022). [공식] 전도연 측 "'길복순' 촬영중 부상…이상소견無" [[Official] Jeon Do-yeon's side "Injured while filming 'Gil Bok-soon'...No abnormalities"]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022 – via Naver.
  16. ^ Kim Na-yeon (January 14, 2023). 전도연X설경구 '길복순', 베를린 국제영화제 스페셜 부문 초청 [공식] [Jeon Do-yeon X Seol Kyung-gu's 'Kil Bok-soon' invited to Berlin International Film Festival Special Section [Official]]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  17. ^ "Kill Boksoon". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  18. ^ Cho Yeon-kyung (April 7, 2023). 제59회 백상예술대상, TV·영화·연극 최종 후보 공개 [59th Baeksang Arts Awards, TV/Film/Play Finalists Revealed] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  19. ^ Pedersen, Erik (June 29, 2023). "Golden Trailer Awards: Cocaine Bear, Only Murders In The Building & Oppenheimer Among Top Winners – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  20. ^ Nam, Yoo-jung; Lee, Woo-young (2023-08-27). 누가 받아도 될 정도로 훌륭한 후보들, 그중 최고는 누구? [Great candidates to anyone can accept, who is the best of them?]. Busan Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  21. ^ "Netflix Announces 'Kill Boksoon' Spinoff, Casts Yim Si-wan, Park Gyu-young & Jo Woo-jin". deadline. Archived from the original on 2024-09-02. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
  22. ^ Kim Ha-young (August 27, 2025). "임시완, '길복순' 세계관 입성…'사마귀' 9월 26일 공개 확정" [Im Si-wan enters the world of "Gil Bok-soon" and "The Mantis" is set for release on September 26th.]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
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