Assassins is a 2020 American documentary film, directed and produced by Ryan White. It talks about the assassination of Kim Jong-nam and the two assassins who were tricked.

Assassins
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRyan White
Produced by
  • Ryan White
  • Jessica Hargrave
CinematographyJohn Benam
Edited byHelen Kearns
Music byBlake Neely
Production
company
  • Tripod Media
Distributed byGreenwich Entertainment
Release dates
  • January 26, 2020 (2020-01-26) (Sundance)
  • December 11, 2020 (2020-12-11) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Indonesian
  • Vietnamese
  • Malay
Box office$36,390[2]

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020. It was released on December 11, 2020, by Greenwich Entertainment.

Synopsis

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The film follows the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, as he is assassinated by two young women who were tricked and thought they were participating in a prank show.

Release

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The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020.[3] Shortly after, Magnolia Pictures acquired distribution rights to the film.[4] Due to the subject matter, the film struggled to find distribution, with Magnolia opting to release the film internationally instead, and Hulu acquiring rights to the film before dropping it.[5] In September 2020, Greenwich Entertainment acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[6] It was released on December 11, 2020.[7] In June 2021, Assassins was granted art movie status following an initial rejection by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) in May 2021.[8]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Assassins received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 98% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 42 reviews, with an average of 7.9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "A deft and illuminating journalistic investigation, Assassins depicts the mechanics of North Korean politics to a chilling effect."[9] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 74 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Assassins". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "Assassins (2020)". The Numbers. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  3. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  4. ^ McNary, Dave (January 31, 2020). "Magnolia Buys North Korean Murder Documentary 'Assassins'". Variety. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Thompson, Anne (October 23, 2020). "How Award-Winning Filmmakers Make Dangerous Documentaries That No Major Distributor Will Touch". IndieWire. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  6. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (September 9, 2020). "Greenwich Entertainment Acquires Sundance Documentary 'Assassins'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  7. ^ Legaspi, Althea (November 11, 2020). "Exclusive 'Assassins' Trailer: Documentary Examines Murder of Kim Jong-un's Half-Brother Kim Jong-nam". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  8. ^ "'Assassins' finally earns art movie status after initial denial". koreatimes. 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  9. ^ "Assassins (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "Assassins Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
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