Newsweek

Summer's Best Revenge Movie Is 'The Villainess'

Director Jung Byung-gil's film beats "Atomic Blonde" at combining soulful purpose with blood spatter and high-octane action.
Kim Ok-bin as trained assassin Sook-hee in one of two flat-out-crazy (in a good way) action sequences on wheels in "The Villainess."
08_25_TheVillainess_01

You've barely settled into your seat at the South Korean revenge extravaganza The Villainess before arterial blood starts spraying across the screen. Liberace had the Dancing Waters; director Jung Byung-gil has the Dancing Carotids, crimson aerosols accompanied by the sssssss sound that signifies somebody’s tank will soon be empty.

The film’s intricately choreographed! Not only that, but a diminutive adolescent.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Newsweek

Newsweek4 min read
Do Films Have a Future?
IT’S BEEN A TOUGH FEW YEARS FOR Hollywood. COVID-19, strikes and the rise of artificial intelligence have battered the industry in ways no one could have foreseen, so how will it look in 2034? Entertainment stalwarts such as Disney, Paramount and War
Newsweek2 min read
MOST TRUSTED by PHARMACISTS OTC BRANDS in AMERICA 2024
HEADACHES, UPSET STOMACHS AND FEVERS—THESE ARE some of the minor conditions that many people treat with over-the-counter medication. Not severe enough to require a doctor’s office visit, these discomforts can often be handled by talking to a pharmaci
Newsweek5 min read
Reef Rehab
ABOUT 200 YARDS OFFSHORE OF NORTH Miami Beach, an underwater experiment is underway. An artificial reef called the Sea Hive will test how a blend of synthetic and natural defenses can help protect some of the nation’s most valuable waterfront propert

Related