‘I, The Executioner’: A White-Knuckle Ride Starring Hwang Jung-Min and Jung Hae-in

I, The Executioner, or Veteran 2—hitting theaters this September 13—is a sequel to Veteran (2015), one of the most commercially successful films in South Korean cinema to date.

Starring Hwang Jung-min as Detective Seo Do-cheol and his squad from the Major Crimes Investigation Division, I, The Executioner is an opus of pushing and powering through immense suspense as they seek criminals and join forces with freshmen cop Park Sun-woo (Jung Hae-in) to locate an insidious, ruthless serial killer. 

A fresh spin on the crime action genre, I, The Executioner, is reportedly an arc unlike Veteran by the acclaimed director Ryoo Seung-wan, dubbed Korea’s “action kid” for making blockbusters including Die Bad (2000), Crying Fist (2005), The Unjust (2010), The Berlin File (2013), Veteran, The Battleship Island (2017), Escape from Mogadishu (2021), and Smugglers (2023). This year’s Cannes Film Festival screened the movie (May 21) in its midnight sessions within the “Out of Competition” category and was well-received for its unique character interactions, tight direction, and raw frenetic action.

While Veteran uncovered episodes of power abuse in Korean society at the time that Seo Do-cheol and his allies were searching for a pompous chaebol heir, I, The Executioner, shows a worn-out world, where criminals prey on people’s lack of judgment. A professor’s murder lends a plot hook hinting at the lurking of a serial killer who, in escalating the mayhem, teases the detectives with the identity of the next victim, and the growing threat prompts Park Sun-woo to join the case.

The official Cannes press kit for I, The Executioner says that it’s a thought-provoking one that digs into entertaining footage and false information widely disseminated through the deluge of media we access and see every day. The way that crime action investigation dramas are presented by director Ryoo Seung-wan is essential to his analysis of a time when algorithms filter information. It also prompts reflection on how hard it is—yet necessary—to identify the good and bad in the present day.

As I can guess, the film is a complex scenario that powerfully conveys the details of a society in changing circumstances, where we are challenged by the growing power of media and laws, while also being a good mix of thrills and emotions through its crime-action investigative drama. The production team allegedly went to great lengths for filming locations befitting the mood of the story, including filthy, dingy passages frequented by junkies or a busy illicit betting setup, among others.

As Korean cinema keeps evolving, with its high-octane action pictures consistently making a mark, I do not doubt that I, The Executioner, will make a fantastic addition to its archive. The synergy of the gorgeous Jung Hae-in and the illustrious and virtuoso Hwang Jung-min intrigues me the most, though. Jung’s Park Sun-woo is given a position on Hwang’s Seo Do-cheol’s team when the veteran cop detective notices the rookie cop’s quick reflexes, moves, and impressive combative prowess. Knowing Do-cheol’s background and with an overwhelming reverence for him, Sun-woo will do anything to support the team and its mission through to the end, come what may.

I, The Executioner, became Hwang Jung-min’s fourth Cannes appearance, following A Bittersweet Life (2005), The Wailing (2016), and The Spy Gone North (2018) and Jung Hae-in’s first time walking the festival’s red carpet.