From director, Hur Jin-ho, and based on real events, The Assassin(s) follows law enforcement officers and members of the press who work to uncover the elusive truth surrounding the assassination attempt of South Korean President, Park Chung-hee, in which his wife and a schoolgirl are killed. A man is arrested, but the crime scene states he cannot be responsible for all the shots that were fired. The film stars Lee Min-ho, Park Hae-il and Yoo Hai-jin in this ensemble feature that takes us through various perspectives, possibilities, and locations as the mystery unfolds. As questions around the case lingered for years, The Assassin(s) ends open, with Hur visually hinting at plausibility instead.
The Assassin(s) is a film that will have you researching its actual events once you leave the theatre (and I love when I get to learn about a certain period in history through fiction). With compelling visual direction and stellar cameos, Hur does a great job of keeping us engaged with the story as we shift through its different elements. The chase of the mystery is exciting, even as we feel the injustice that accompanies the thrill.
While uncovering the story of Park Chung-hee’s attempted assassination, The Assassin(s) also follows the press’ fight for the freedom to report the truth. Journalists, Kim Jae-hwan (Park Hae-il), Han Young-il (Lee Min-ho), and their colleagues have their work interfered with by government officials through censorship, threats, and ultimately, physical force. It’s hard not to see the concerted efforts to cover up the truth and relate it to our present-day society, with news of news outlets targeted in conflict, and major press corporations being banned from the White House.
By covering the suppression of truth following the assassination attempt, the film shows that ‘The Assassin(s)’ referred to in its title do not just refer to the man who fired the gun and his mysterious accomplice. With this film, Hur is pointing out that the blood that was shed is on more hands than theirs.
The Assassin(s) is playing at TIFF ’26. For more information, click here.
