Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon.
A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!?
I Kill U (South Korea, 2025); review by Chris Weatherspoon
Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Kang Sunwoo, a former promising taekwondo athlete, now lives a life of poverty and exhaustion. One day, while carrying the weight of her painful past, she is suddenly thrust into the spotlight when people notice her uncanny resemblance to a woman named Han Jiyeon. The problem is, Han Jiyeon is the main perpetrator of a ‘drunk driving hit-and-run death case’ and also the heiress of a major conglomerate. As public anger and media scrutiny intensify, the wealthy family secretly searches for a body double to protect their granddaughter. Thinking of her worsening mother’s illness and her lost dreams, Sunwoo accepts the dangerous proposal in exchange for a large sum of money. The mission seems simple enough — at first. But things quickly spiral out of control . . .
I Kill U (2025) is a stylish and chaotic action film from director Yoo Ha, known for gritty crime dramas like A Dirty Carnival (2006) and Gangnam Blues (2015). This one feels like a departure in some ways, faster-paced, slightly cartoonish at times, but still grounded in Yoo’s usual themes of class tension and corruption.
The film follows Sun-woo (played by former K-pop star Kang Ji-young), a former high school taekwondo champion who’s proud, stubborn, and not afraid to fight back when pushed. The setup for the plot will feel familiar to fans of Korean films. Now an adult, Sunwoo is struggling to care for her sick mother, and the medical bills are piling up. Enter Ji-yeon (also played by Kang), a wealthy chaebol heiress in legal trouble and a dead ringer for Sunwoo. Ji-yeon offers her a generous sum of money to switch places with her while she works to resolve her legal issues.
After the switch takes place, things spiral into something between a body-swap thriller and a revenge story. From here, a decent chunk of the movie plays like a comedy of errors, maybe not in the traditional sense, but it does lean into mistaken identity, power games, and one bad decision after another. The setup stretches credibility at times, especially when you add in Ji-yeon’s scheming half-brother Ho-jung (played by another former Kpop star, Lee Gi-kwang, in a strong film debut), who seems more concerned with taking control of the family business than doing the right thing.
Also in the mix are sleazy gangsters and shady fixers, further complicating the identity swap and blurring the lines between the corporate elite and the criminal underworld. However, Yoo Ha manages to juggle the competing factions to keep the story moving towards the several big reveals that cause Sun-woo to finally snap, permanently shifting the tone of the film.
Yoo Ha places Sun-woo in fight scenes that are well-choreographed but avoids going full Atomic Blonde by keeping the action grounded and realistic. Lead actress Kang Ji-young really sells both roles, with expressive eyes that convincingly portray both innocence and malevolence. The cinematography balances beauty and grit, reinforcing a murky world where privilege, violence and corruption bleed into one another. While the film has a clear anti-drug message, the drug scenes, such as karaoke rooms full of pills and needles, feel a bit over-the-top, almost like the film wants to make a point without quite knowing how.
Still, the film is fun, fast, and full of energy and even though the execution isn’t always subtle, it keeps you watching. The ending is a surprise, and while not everything lands perfectly, I Kill U is definitely worth the ride.
I Kill U won the 2025 Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) Award for Best Asian Film.
I, Kill (Japan, 2025); review by Joseph Perry
Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Martin Lee: Set in 1635, 35 years after the Battle of Sekigahara, Japan appears peaceful. But a monstrous creature called “Gun-kyo” that devours humans disrupts this calm. The shogunate burns down villages where Gun-kyo appears to hide the truth. Orin, a former ninja living quietly with her stepdaughter, is drawn back into battle after encountering Gun-kyo while seeking medicine. Blending historical setting with genre imagination, this series heightens Japan’s mysterious atmosphere through the unique Gun-kyo creature. The first two episodes of this six-part series premiere[d] at the festival.
As a hard-sell on new zombie cinematic fare caused by burnout on the subgenre, it’s rare for me to become interested unless a new take or twist is at play. I, Kill does a fairly nice job of delivering just that with its historical Japanese setting. Certainly, the series’ opening episodes follow some of the usual tropes, but population centers are smaller so that the Gun-kyo can easily wipe out entire villages swiftly, and the infection can spread rapidly. Lack of modern vehicles and weaponry means slower means of getting around and potential escape, and more difficulty in laying waste to the living dead.
As only the first two episodes of the series were screened for BIFAN, I can say that the set-up for future episodes is solid. The actors portraying the three main characters so far — Fumino Kimura as Orin, Sora Tamaki as her stepdaughter Toki, and Takahashi Katsumi as physician Genzaburo — give fine performances, and the supporting players are impressive, as well. The lighting in a few scenes look like that of lower-budget daytime dramas, but thankfully overall the shows look impressive regarding set design and creature makeup. The pacing is well timed, and reveals are introduced that make continuing with the series a well-considered use of viewing time.
I Kill U and I, Kill screened as part of Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, which ran from July 3–13, 2025 in Bucheon, South Korea.
