The image of the aging assassin has long been a fixture of action cinema, typically reserved for weary hitmen on one last job or reluctant mentors passing the torch. The Old Woman With the Knife, premiering at the 75th annual Berlinale, flips this convention on its head by centering on a 65-year-old woman, Hornclaw (Lee Hye-young), who has spent decades eliminating society’s worst offenders under the euphemistic banner of “pest control.” Her work has always been clinical and precise, but as time wears on, the once-infallible executioner finds herself facing a challenge more formidable than any target: her own mortality.
Hornclaw is introduced as a woman of singular purpose, methodical in her movements and dispassionate in her work. Though her organization remains shadowy, its mission statement is clear: remove the irredeemable. Hornclaw has never questioned this directive, but lately something in her is shifting. She hesitates during a routine assignment, she adopts an aging stray dog, and she allows herself a moment of vulnerability in the presence of a kind veterinarian (Yeon Woo-jin) and his young daughter. These small cracks in her armor aren’t just sentimental flourishes, they’re the first real signs that Hornclaw is slowing down. And in her world, slowing down means becoming a target.
Her biggest threat arrives in the form of Bullfight (Kim Sung-cheol), a reckless, up-and-coming assassin with a clear interest in Hornclaw that goes beyond professional rivalry. Though the film positions him as a dangerous wildcard, he never quite emerges as a fully realized character. His motivations remain murky until the final moments of the film, and his psychological hold over Hornclaw feels underexplored. The tension between them is compelling in theory, but in execution, their dynamic lacks the depth needed to make him a truly formidable antagonist.
The Old Woman With the Knife is at its best when honing in on the action. The fight sequences are inventive, emphasizing Hornclaw’s intelligence and resourcefulness rather than anything resembling brute strength. Unlike most action stars, she never comes across as invincible, and the film smartly integrates the realities of aging into her combat style: she uses misdirection, environmental advantages, and quick, decisive strikes to level the playing field. A late-game battle set in a derelict amusement park is a highlight, with plenty of visual flair to support the simultaneous narrative payoff.
But for all its strengths, the film struggles mightily with pacing. The narrative is frequently interrupted by flashbacks, some of which offer necessary context (like Hornclaw’s induction into the world of assassination, and the philosophy that has guided her career), while others feel like an exercise in redundancy. A leaner version of this story, perhaps with about 20 minutes trimmed out, might have felt more propulsive and engaging.
Structural issues notwithstanding, Lee Hye-young’s performance is the real attraction here. She brings a certain serenity to Hornclaw, making her more than just another archetype of the genre. Even in her most ruthless moments, there’s a weariness behind her eyes, a sense that she’s as much battling time as she is her enemies. Lee finds grace in the character’s fleeting moments of warmth, and her slow realization that she might want something more than just survival.
Director Min Kyu-dong (known for Memento Mori and The Treacherous) delivers a stylish action-drama that embraces both the genre’s visceral thrills and the quiet melancholy of a life defined by violence. The Old Woman With the Knife doesn’t reinvent the assassin thriller, but it does offers an interesting perspective through the lens of age and the inevitability of death. For fans of the genre looking for something just a little different, it’s definitely worth a look.
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