While ‘I, the Executioner’ is the sequel to the 2015 film ‘Veteran,’ you don’t need to have seen the first movie to still find a lot to enjoy in ‘I, the Executioner,’ though the main characters’ personal story arcs are not in focus in this installment, and instead, it seems more focused on the suspense and social commentary that is proposed by its choice of plot.
In this film, the Violent Crimes Investigation Unit must solve a possible serial killer, whom online tabloid journalists have called “Haechi,” after a symbol of justice. Haechi’s victims are all murderers in their own right but have managed to avoid any harsh sentencing of the law through loop holes or, what is seen as, a weak justice system. Haechi murders them in the exact place and manner that they committed their own murders. While the Violent Crimes Unit, led by Detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) must find the killer, they also face backlash from a public who sees Haechi’s brand of justice as righteous.
To my surprise, very early on, director Ryeo Sung-hwan, who co-wrote the screenplay with Lee Won-jae, reveals the identity of Haechi very early, and he is part of the team. Working alongside with the police, Haechi is always one step ahead of them and thus the film takes a more suspenseful route because you are just wondering how Seo Do-cheol and his team will outsmart someone who knows their every step and move.
Interestingly enough, Ryeo Sung-hwan adds another layer to the mix by giving a voice to some of the police who are actually thinking that Haechi is doing them a favour. The film manages to explore this discourse and express its disappointment in the South Korean justice system in-between all the suspense and the high-octane action that makes up for the movie. It’s this layer of political discourse that just lingers in the periphery that makes ‘I, the Executioner’ more than just a straight-up action/suspense commercial film.
Because it’s very enjoyable when taken for all its commercial elements. The opening sequence is surprisingly goofy and funny. It has hilarious timed-slapstick and other forms of physical comedy that brings in its mainstream appeal. But the moment Haechi strikes, the film gets really serious. The cinematography is dark and gritty, creating an atmosphere of dread and danger. And there are three major action sequences with great fight choreography (quite unrealistic, but very hard-hitting and enjoyable to see on the big screen) and tense moments when the cat-and-mouse moments are at play.
Hwang Jung-min makes for a fascinating lead. He’s not a nice guy but despite his brusque and rough manner, he does mean well, and you can still root for him, even when he chooses his work over his son (Byung Hong-jun) and his problems in school, which finds its way into the mess with Haechi later on. Joining the cast as a rookie cop is Jung Hae In, who once again proves that his acting range is unlimited by playing an eager young cop who is quick on his feet and smarter than he looks. A welcome surprise is a guest appearance by Ahn Bo Hyun, who makes full use of his physicality and his vulnerability for a character with an interesting connection to the crime.
‘I, the Executioner’ is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, and is clever in the way that it reveals what it needs to so that the film is just bubbling with tension all-throughout. Hwang Jung-min’s character feels like his growth from the last film is being tested in this one, so there’s not much character development for us to track here. Instead, we are presented with a moral dilemma that the film doesn’t really give an answer for. While it does paint Haechi as a criminal, the film makes no real stand on whether what he does is truly bad, which makes the film a little dangerous and a whole lot more interesting than it appears.
My Rating:
I, The Executioner is now showing! Check showtimes and buy tickets here.
