The South Korean action film The Villainess (2017; Ak Nyeo) starts out high octane with a POV action sequence that’s like a video game (POV action doesn’t really do it for me, I think for action to be gripping you need to see the protagonist in the action) but once the camera whips around to locate the title character Sook-hee (Kim Ok-bin) fighting tracksuited mobsters in a gym, it really hits its stride. Another variation on the La Femme Nikita storyline with Sook-hee, a child-raised assassin retrained by the government to become their assassin, while on a quest to get revenge on the gangster who killed her father. The middle is a bit confusing, going back and forth between timelines and identities (and hairstyles), and it’s interesting how the film references Tarantino (it’s a bit Kill Bill, a bit Inglorious Basterds) as much as he has referenced Asian cinema. There’s a father figure villain played by the smooth jawline that is Shin Ha-kyun, a great ruthless handler played by Seo-hyeong Kim and a dull love interest in Jun Sung. The break-neck non-stop finale is worthwhile, particularly how the camera zips around like a Go Pro (not for those who get motion sickness).
VHS Tracking 