I, The Executioner

South Korea has become something of a cultural hotspot in recent years, with K-pop becoming globally popular and Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite triumphing at the 2020 Oscars. Now Ryoo Seung-wan’s quirky detective thriller I, Executioner, known as Veteran 2 in his homeland, lands at the Cannes Film Festival.

The sequel to a 2015 film, it follows Detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) of the Major Criminal Investigation Division and his team as they investigate a fiendishly clever serial killer. Detective Seo is a crime stopper whose focus on the job comes at a personal cost and has a team that act as a substitute for a family he doesn’t see as much as he should.

After the murder of a professor, links to previous cases arise, and the killer stirs up a frenzy using the internet – with the crimes becoming the talk of social media in a way that puts pressure on the world-weary Seo. Needing a result, the team recruits young officer Park Sun-woo (Hae-in Jung) to help investigate, with little initial luck. What follows is a frenetic thriller in which the plot has more twists and turns than a helter-skelter.

The manic nature of the film means it is at times difficult to follow and in your face. Its opening act seems to jump from scene to scene of high-octane martial arts action, often with little seemingly to link them – and no pausing for breath and explanation of precisely what is going on. The depiction of social media on screen also doesn’t quite work, as it’s a bit garish and irritating. You can tell that Seung-wan is trying to capture how we now live our lives alongside an endless stream of comment and information. However, that’s not necessarily cinematically appealing.

It’s in its second half that matters begin to cohere a little better and the case at its centre begins to make more sense, culminating in a quite spectacular payoff as the killer’s identity is revealed, reaching an inevitable showdown with Seo.

As a result, it’s a movie that perhaps lacks the crossover appeal of other recent Korean cultural offerings. Yet for aficionados who don’t mind persevering with the slightly odd opening act and over-the-top action, it’s worthwhile in the end thanks to an entertaining and satisfying conclusion.

Mark Worgan

I, The Executioner does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Cannes Film Festival 2024 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Cannes Film Festival website here.