The Assassin(s): Hur Jin-ho film premieres at Toronto
A 1974 shooting that killed South Korea's first lady is back on screen in Hur Jin-ho's The Assassin(s).
The South Korean film dramatises the attempted assassination of leader Park Chung-hee, according to Variety. It premiered at Toronto, where it finished as second runner-up for the International People's Choice Award, the audience vote.
The attack took place on 15 August 1974, Deadline reported. The attempt left first lady Yuk Young-soo and a young bystander dead. The film follows three men pulled into the aftermath, The Korea Times reported.
Lee Min-ho plays Young-il, a rookie journalist. Park Hae-il plays Jae-hwan, the City Desk lead who runs local news coverage. Yoo Hai-jin plays Cheol-goo, a detective. All three credits were detailed by Variety.
The project has been described as a political thriller and as a mystery thriller, labels used in pre-festival coverage by Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Reviews have since been published by Variety and by Screen Daily. Hur is no stranger to Toronto. His previous feature A Normal Family played there in 2023, according to Deadline.
For audiences new to the case, this means the history arrives through three working lives. A cub reporter, his desk boss and a detective each see a different piece of it.
The team will next discuss the film together. Hur, Yoo, Park and Lee are set to appear for The Assassin(s) as part of the Busan Talks lineup, Variety reported.
