Directed by Kwak Jeong-deok, Night of the Assassin is the story of a killing machine named Lee Nan (Shin Hyeon-jun), who discovers that he has a deadly, long-dormant health condition. As he goes into hiding to seek the magical herb that can heal him — mahwangcho — he learns that he can’t stay hidden for long, as the restaurant owner Seon-hong and her son Chil-bok who took him in are under threat.
Now that Lee Nan is sick, it’s easy for the women and her son to only see him as a beggar. But to the other killers, he’s now a target, as they may finally have an advantage against him. Well, his doctor said he can never fight again. Or be with a woman. He better find that healing herb soon, right?
Just a simple waiter at Seon-hong’s cafe, Lee Nan must eventually battle gang boss Ibang (Lee Moon-sik), who has the locals all hooked on opium and whose bandits are keeping him from seeking his cure. All the while, Lee Nan is going through a crisis of the soul, wondering if this is his punishment for a life spent killing others.
I really enjoy this movie. It feels kind of like a fairy tale and does a great job of presenting the emotional toll that being a bad ass action hero must put on your soul.
Night of the Assassin is available on DVD and blu-ray from Well Go USA. It’s also streaming on Hi-YAH!
