
Kill Boksoon
By JK Sooja,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Blood, violence, stylish action in mother-as-assassin romp.

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Kill Boksoon
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What's the Story?
In KILL-BOKSOON, Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon) is an incredibly talented assassin and loving mother to a 15-year-old daughter. As a protege and high-ranking member of a "company" that takes on contracts worldwide, Bok-soon finds herself in a world of trouble after "failing" her first contract. To make matters worse, her daughter grows distant. How can she survive professionally and keep her daughter close?
Is It Any Good?
The violence and stylish action sequences rival those in best-in-class action movies, and the emotional strength and heart of the mother-daughter relationship makes sure we care about this antihero. While Kill-Boksoon is a little long, for many viewers the journey will be worth it. Each action set piece is elaborately set up, sequenced, choreographed, and shot, and some scenes could certainly warrant rewatching in order to fully take everything in. Bok-soon's ability to imagine how fights might go beforehand (not literally) allows many of these scenes to get creative, offering ways fights could go but don't, and thankfully this imaginary foresight isn't overdone.
The violence and gore might very well be too much for some, but for fans of the genre, each piece of action will be a joy. Jeon Do-yeon is already a superstar in Korea, and her performance here will only further solidify her status. She's easily the heart of this film and portrays a conflicted mother who is great at her job (killing people) with emotional depth and deadly confidence. Kim Si-a (Bok-soon's daughter) and Sol Kyung-gu (Bok-soon's boss) are also fantastic acting partners for Do-yeon, each providing strong emotional connections to Bok-soon.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in action thriller movies. Was the violence in Kill Boksoon over the top? Did the blood and gore add to the entertainment value? Why or why not?
Would you favorably compare the action and violence of Bok-soon to John Wick or John Woo? What is similar and what is different?
Do you think Chairman Cha Min-kyu was right to teach Bok-soon? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: March 31, 2023
- Cast: Jeon Do-yeon , Sol Kyung-gu , Kim Si-a , Esom
- Director: Sung-hyun Byun
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Asian actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 137 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: March 31, 2023
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