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The Old Woman with the Knife

58 votes

Aging assassin Hornclaw has seen it all, but she never expected to mentor a reckless rookie like Bullfight. As their unlikely bond deepens, cracks form in the underworld they navigate together. When Hornclaw discovers someone wants her dead, she's thrust into a deadly game of deception. With enemies closing in and trust in short supply, survival means staying sharp—both blade and mind.

Status: Released

Released Date: 2025-04-30

Runtime: 123 mins

Director: Min Kyu-dong

Writer: Min Kyu-dong

Spoken language: 한국어/조선말, English

Genres: Action, Mystery, Drama

Original title: The Old Woman with the Knife

Production Companies: Soo Film

Production Countries: South Korea

Cast

Lee Hye-young

Kim Sung-cheol

Yeon Woo-jin

Kim Moo-yul

Shin Sia

Kim Kang-woo

Choi Moo-seong

Ok Ja-yeon

Lee Hyun-gul

Lee Yong-nyeo

Cho Han-cheul

Nam Myung-ryeol

Mr. Ku, The Organ Trafficker

Hyun Bong-sik

Bae Do-young

Jung Hyeon-jun

Reviews

MovieGuys

"The Old Woman with the Knife" tells you from the opening title its not going to stand on ceremony, stripping away all pretence, about ageing and death. The theme of this film, is as much about how older people are "devalued" by society, as it is an action thriller, about an assassin in her twilight years.A skilled woman facing replacement, by more youthful, ruthless, competitors. A reality she rails against. To paraphrase her, "you don't throw something away because its old, even if it has no value". As we come to see, being old is no impediment to remaining a capable killer. This is an above average film.The script is creative and intricate, with a dysfunctional proxy mother, son back story that sits side by side with the reality of ageing in a society, like many, driven by the promotion of youth. Action is excellent, if rather implausible, with the usual frenetic, over the top, death and destruction, I've come to associate with Korean cinema. To top this off there are down to earth, capable performances, from the cast. In summary, if Hollywood wants a template for quality, engrossing action thrillers, all they need do, is look East. "The Old Woman with the Knife" is how you make a clever, enjoyable and addictive action thriller. A recommended watch.

2025-09-06

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