Directed by: Min Kyu-dong
Starring: Hyeyeong Lee, Kim Sung-cheol, Yeon Woo-jin, Kim Moo-yul, & Shin Sia
WELL GO USA
Veteran assassin Hornclaw has spent decades navigating the brutal shadows of the underworld, her skills honed sharp by years of bloodshed and betrayal. Cold, calculated, and unflinchingly precise, she’s learned to trust no one and rely only on herself. But when she’s unexpectedly paired with Bullfight, a brash, impulsive newcomer with more guts than sense, Hornclaw finds her rigid world slowly unravelling. Against all odds, a bond begins to form between them, one that challenges everything she thought she knew about loyalty, mentorship, and survival.
As Hornclaw and Bullfight wade deeper into a world rife with treachery and power struggles, the veteran assassin uncovers a chilling revelation, she’s been marked for death. Old enemies resurface, new threats lurk in the shadows, and trust becomes a rare and dangerous currency. With betrayal closing in from all sides, Hornclaw must confront her past and sharpen both her instincts and her blades if she hopes to make it out alive.
Amid a wave of slick, high-octane assassin films, South Korea refreshes the genre with The Old Woman and the Knife (Original title: Pagwa), a bold, character-driven thriller that centres on an aging female killer who trades bullets for blades. Director Min Kyu-dong prioritizes emotional depth over spectacle, though the film is still packed with gritty, visceral action. What sets it apart is its unwavering focus on a human story of loss, survival, and transformation.
At the heart of the film is a mesmerizing performance by Lee Hye-yeong (In Front of Your Face, If), who plays Hornclaw, a seasoned assassin with forty years of blood on her hands. Her profession, euphemistically dubbed “disease control,” involves eliminating those who inflict suffering on others. Emotionally detached and clinically efficient, Hornclaw begins to question her cold existence after a life-threatening encounter leads her to a chance meeting with Dr. Kang (played with quiet intensity by Yeon Woo-jin), a compassionate veterinarian who saves her life. For the first time in decades, she begins to feel, raising the question: has the killer instinct faded?
The film’s two-hour runtime is lean and purposeful. Every scene contributes to character or story, avoiding the filler that bogs down many modern thrillers. One standout storytelling device is the way flashbacks are handled: younger versions of characters appear in memory, but scenes set in the past often feature their older selves, offering a poignant reflection on how we mentally relive our past through the lens of our present. It’s a subtle yet powerful stylistic choice by Min Kyu-dong that adds emotional complexity.
As Hornclaw contemplates her mortality, youth challenges experience in the form of Bullfight (Kim Sung-cheol), a sadistic and volatile newcomer who revels in pain and prefers his kills slow and personal. Their uneasy alliance, and eventual confrontation, adds a compelling layer to the second half of the film. Sung-cheol delivers a chillingly charismatic performance, his lack of remorse underscoring a dangerous secret that unfolds in the latter acts.
The action is refreshingly grounded, this isn’t another gun-fu spectacle. The focus is on knives, blades, and hand-to-hand combat, lending a brutal intimacy to the violence. The close-quarters choreography emphasizes tension over stylization, making every encounter feel immediate and consequential.
The Old Woman and the Knife is a standout in the action-thriller genre. It refuses to glamorize violence, instead anchoring its story in themes of aging, redemption, and emotional reawakening. Min Kyu-dong crafts a gripping film that feels authentic, emotionally resonant, and distinct in both tone and style. With layered performances, especially from Lee Hye-yeong, and a razor-sharp script, this is a must-watch for fans of Asian cinema and grounded, character-driven action.
THE OLD WOMAN WITH THE KNIFE See In Theatres May 16 | Watch On Digital August 26
