The Old Woman with the Knife
| The Old Woman with the Knife | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Hangul | 파과 |
| Lit. | Breakthrough |
| RR | Pagwa |
| MR | P'agwa |
| Directed by | Min Kyu-dong |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | The Old Woman with the Knife by Gu Byeong-mo |
| Produced by | Min Jin-soo |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lee Jae-woo |
| Edited by | Jung Jung Eun |
| Music by | Kim Jun-seong |
Production company | Soo Film |
| Distributed by |
|
Release dates |
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Running time | 122 minutes |
| Country | South Korea |
| Language | Korean |
| Box office | US$3.8 million[1] |
The Old Woman with the Knife (Korean: 파과) is a 2025 South Korean action thriller film directed by Min Kyu-dong. The film based on the novel of the same name by Gu Byeong-mo, follows Hornclaw (Lee Hye-young), a legendary assassin in her 60s, specialises in eliminating the scum of the earth.[2]
The film premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on February 20, 2025 as part of Berlinale Special programme.[3]
Synopsis
[edit]In 1975, Hornclaw was street urchin adopted by a kind couple who owned a diner and she worked as helper in the diner. A US soldier assaulted and tried to rape Hornclaw but Hornclaw killed him in self-defense. The husband, Ji-wo discovered it and revealed himself to be an assassin of an underground organization masqueraded as a pest control company dedicated to remove people who are considered 'vermins' in society. He covered up her crime and trained her to become an assassin with codenamed Nail. Eventually, Ji-wo's assassin life took a toll on him as his enemies killed his wife and child. Ji-wo sought out the gang that killed his wife and son but was killed due to overwhelming numbers of gangster after dispatching several of them. Hornclaw came and killed the remaining gang. Seeing the demise of her mentor's family, Hornclaw sworn to not have any attachments.
Decades later, Hornclaw is now a seasoned assassin in her sixties and has become a legendary figure in the underworld who is renown for quietly assassinating target with her poisoned-tipped hair pin. She has been dissatisfied with the organization directions in the present day as they are now act more like a pure assassin-for-hire organization than a noble assassin organization. She faces upheaval when Bullfight, a skilled young hitman, seeks to partner with her. Unaware of his true identity, she fails to recognize their past connection. As tensions rise, their relationship spirals into a deadly confrontation fueled by vengeance and survival.
Cast
[edit]- Lee Hye-young as Hornclaw
- Shin Si-ah as young Hornclaw[4]
- Kim Sung-cheol as Bullfight
- Yeon Woo-jin as Dr. Kang
- Kim Mu-yeol as Ryoo
- Ok Ja-yeon as Cho-yeop
- Kim Kang-woo as Director Son
- Choi Moo-sung as Jang-bi
Production
[edit]In February 2024, Kim Sung-cheol was cast in the film as protagonist.[5] In June 2024, Lee Hye-young was cast as the main character in the film.[6]
Release
[edit]The Old Woman with the Knife had its world premiere in the Berlinale Special section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on 20 February 2025.[7][8][9]
The film was invited to the competition section of the 43rd Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival held from April 8 to April 20, 2025.[10] Later on April 30, it was released theatrically in South Korea.[11]
The film is selected at the 24th New York Asian Film Festival to be held from July 11 to July 25, 2025 for its New York Premiere in Prime Picks.[12] It will have its first screening on July 12 at the Film at LOOK Cinemas W57.[13]
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]The film was released on April 30, 2025 on 641 screens.[14][15]
As of July 5, 2025[update], the film has grossed US$3,852,545 from 550,316 admissions.[14][1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2025". KOFIC. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ Park Jae-hwan (January 17, 2025). 민규동 감독 신작 '파과' 베를린국제영화제 공식 초청 [Director Min Gyu-dong's new film 'Breakthrough' officially invited to Berlinale]. KBS Media (in Korean). K Star. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ Economou, Vassilis (January 16, 2025). "Berlinale Special expands its selection with diverse new additions". Cineuropa. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ Kim Kyung-hee (January 20, 2025). 배우 신시아, 베를린 초청작 '파과'로 강렬한 스크린 복귀 [Actress Cynthia makes a powerful screen return with Berlin premiere 'Breakthrough']. MBC Entertainment (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ Moon Ji-yeon (February 14, 2024). [단독] 변요한 아닌 김성철..영화 '파과' 주인공 됐다 [[Exclusive] He became the protagonist of the movie "Breakthrough"]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ Kim Myung-mi (June 14, 2024). 이혜영, 영화 '파과' 주인공 캐스팅…60대 女 킬러 파격 변신[공식] [Lee Hye-young casts the main character in the movie 'Breakthrough'... 60's 女 killer radical transformation [Official]]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
- ^ Dalton, Ben (January 16, 2025). "Berlinale reveals Special, Panorama, Generation and Forum titles". ScreenDaily. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (January 16, 2025). "Justin Kurzel Series 'The Narrow Road To The Deep North' Starring Jacob Elordi Among Titles Added To Berlinale Lineup". Deadline. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ "The Old Woman with the Knife". Berlinale. February 4, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
- ^ Yeon Hwi-seon (March 20, 2025). "이혜영, 존 윅 위협하는 치명적 노인"...'파과', 브뤼셀 판타스틱 영화제 초청 [공식] ["Lee Hye-young, a deadly old man who threatens John Wick"...'Breakthrough' invited to the Brussels Fantastic Film Festival [Official]]. OSEN (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ Kim Bo-young (April 30, 2025). '파과' 오늘 개봉…민규동 작사·김성철 가창 엔딩곡 MV 공개 ['Breakthrough' opens today… Ending song MV written by Min Kyu-dong and sung by Kim Sung-chul released]. Edaily Star (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "NYAFF and FLC Announce First Highlights of the 2025 New York Asian Film Festival, July 11–27". Film at Lincoln Center. June 11, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ "New York Asian Film Festival 2025: Forbidden Fairytale". Film at Lincoln Center. June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
- ^ a b "Daily Box Office". KOBIS (in Korean). Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- ^ "The Old Woman with the Knife, 2025 at KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Box office: Korean films". KOFIC. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
