I, The Executioner Review - South Korean Cop Movie is a Total Blast #TIFF2024

I knew I was going to like I, the Executioner right away. Opening on the police raiding an illegal card game, the film announces itself quickly. Set to Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, this opening sequence bursts with energy and wit - I said “woah” out loud at a crane shot that moves from the card game to cops swarming the street below. This scene, to quote SNL’s Stefon, has everything: fart jokes, split diopters, parkour, nut shots. It’s dizzying, but I had a huge smile on my face the entire time.

I, the Executioner is, as the kids would say, unserious. A sequel to 2015’s Veteran, an all-time box office hit in South Korea, the movie is a blockbuster actioner in the style of Bad Boys or Rush Hour. I’ll admit that I haven’t seen Veteran, but based on this movie, I think I get the general idea. Executioner is good at filling new audience members in on necessary plot details, but more so than that, the film’s vibe will be familiar to any North American action fan.

That’s not to say everything is the same. Some key cultural differences will be of interest to international viewers. Western audiences and critics can sometimes overstate how “weird” or “crazy” international action films are, and I was tempted to do that here. But the action genre is not a realistic one, and every culture has a different version of what audiences will and will not accept. Are the antics of The Avengers more “realistic” than those of the heroes in RRR? Of course not, but as western audiences, we are used to superheroes.

It’s not just realism however, it’s also tone. Like some Bollywood blockbusters, I, the Executioner has some extreme tonal shifts that may seem weird to some viewers. The movie mixes intense martial arts action, broad comedy, and grim social drama into one package, and I found some of its initial scenes tonally jarring.

CW: mention of abuse and SA in next paragraph

An early exposition dump features references to sexual abuse, domestic violence, and even a brief scene of a pregnant woman being murdered. Moments later, the characters are making broad jokes with the police squad’s wacky chief. These tonal shifts took me a second to get used to, but once I did, I was able to enjoy the movie’s unique wavelength.

The story follows detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) and his team of likable sidekicks, as they’re set on the trail of a dangerous serial killer known as Haechi. Haechi’s crimes are known for their moralist bent, he only kills criminals who have escaped justice by traditional means. While on a protection assignment, Do-cheol meets Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in), a younger officer skilled in martial arts. Sun-Woo is known as “UFC Cop” due to a viral video where he took down an assailant with an MMA-style leg hold.

Do-cheol is immediately enamored with Sun-woo, and invites him to join his anti-Haechi task force. As the investigation continues however, Do-cheol becomes suspicious of Sun-woo’s mysterious motives and extreme tactics.

I, the Executioner makes an interesting narrative choice: it tells the audience Haechi’s identity right away. Despite that, it feels wrong to reveal it in this review. Sadly I need to in order to discuss the movie. Again, this is not really a spoiler - it’s revealed in the first twenty minutes of the film - but if you want to go in totally fresh, I’d stop reading here.

Anyway, Haechi is Sun-woo, something the movie not only shows us outright, but also continues to remind us of throughout the runtime. This reveal could have been saved to sustain some mystery, but revealing it turns out to be the right call. There’s a famous quote by Alfred Hitchcock where he talks about the difference between surprise and suspense. He uses the example of a bomb in a thriller movie. A bomb can go off without warning, and that will surprise the audience. However, if they know a bomb is beneath a character’s desk, they will dread the eventual explosion. This creates suspense. Surprise is nice, but suspense is the lifeblood of a thriller, and Executioner opts to use our knowledge of Haichi’s identity to create tension. We know Sun-woo is dangerous, but the rest of the team doesn’t, and any scene where he is present is suspenseful.

Executioner may be a big dumb action movie, but it’s not a stupid one. It doesn't operate in reality, and is pitched at a mass audience, but it doesn’t talk down to them. It seeks to entertain us through a series of clever narrative twists and reveals. Even if we know who Haechi is, it’s satisfying to watch Do-cheol piece the clues together.

The movie has political ideas too, but I don’t know enough about South Korea to comment on them. The movie’s general position seems to be that the justice system lets violent criminals off the hook, which may well be true. It’s also lightly critical of police brutality and mob justice, though maybe less than I would have liked. Overall, I generally accept that cop movies are inherently fascist, and there’s nothing in here more offensive than what you’d find in Bad Boys.

Admirably, the movie also knows that we are here for a fun ride, and ultimately don’t care about Haechi’s motivations. “Is it so important why?” he asks during the film’s climax. No, it’s not, and I’m glad the movie agrees.

This thin characterization would not have worked with a weak performance, but Jung Hae-in is consistently compelling. Do-cheol may be the protagonist, but Haechi is the real main character, and Hae-in does a lot with the character's dual identities. As Sun-woo, he’s unfailingly polite and deferential, but there’s something off about him. You only really see him come alive as Haechi, as his face twists into a crazed, horrifying grin whenever he’s able to inflict violence.

It’s in these scenes that the movie is at its best - two sequences where Haechi is attempting to kill suspects, and Do-choel’s team is trying to arrest them. Haechi must mask his intentions, trying to make his murders look like self-defense or accidents.

The first of these sequences is a kinetic parkour chase through a holiday market, climaxing on a brutal staircase stunt that prompted audible gasps from my audience.

Later, a horror tinged tour through a dingy drug den turns into a brutal tussle as Haechi attempts to kill a loose end. The sequence builds into an intense brawl on a rainy rooftop - the film’s standout sequence - with choreography and camerawork that puts 90% of American blockbusters to shame.

The movie’s climax can’t help but feel like a bit of a let down after that, but it’s still tense and satisfying. In fact, I, the Executioner should satisfy any action fan. This is the type of movie where you see some broken glass and know someone is going to be thrown on top of it. If that sounds appealing to you, you will like the film. With a clever plot, good performances, and well-shot action that emphasizes practical stunts over CGI - I, the Executioner is a ride worth taking.