'Assassins' Overseas Reviews: "Which is more reminiscent of the political thriller legend, 'JFK' or 'All the President's Men'? [K-EYES]"

*This content was translated by AI.

"A political mystery that fills the gaps in actual investigations with imagination"

Overseas critics recalled the classics of political thrillers: Oliver Stone's 'JFK' and Alan J. Pakula's 'All the President's Men'

Overseas reviews of the film 'Assassins'

With the film 'Assassins' set to be released domestically on the 23rd, overseas critics who saw it earlier at the Toronto International Film Festival described the work, which deals with the 1974 Park Jeong-hui (President) assassination attempt, as reminiscent of Hollywood political thriller legends Oliver Stone's 'JFK' and Alan J. Pakula's 'All the President's Men'.

Director Heo Jin-ho's 'Assassins' is based on a shooting incident that occurred at the Gwangbokjeol (Liberation Day) commemoration ceremony of Park Jeong-hui (President) on August 15, 1974. Park Jeong-hui (President) survived, but his wife, First Lady Yuk Young-soo, was shot and killed. Also lost her life was high school student Jang Bong-hwa, who was present at the scene. The film depicts the process of criminal Cheol-gu (Yoo Hae-jin), social affairs editor Jae-hwan (Park Hae-il), and rookie reporter Yeong-il (Lee Min-ho) tracing the truth behind the incident based on official statements and unanswered questions surrounding the event.

On the 20th (local time), Variety, a U.S. entertainment specialty magazine, introduced 'Assassins' in its review as "a Korean popcorn thriller dealing with an actual assassination attempt," evoking Oliver Stone's 'JFK'. Variety film critic Sidhant Adlakha evaluated that the film turned the gaps left in the public investigation into a political mystery by filling them with imagination.

'JFK' is a 1991 film directed by Oliver Stone that traces the mysteries surrounding the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963. It is considered a representative political thriller dealing with political conspiracy theories due to its approach of questioning official explanations of actual events and exploring multiple possibilities. It won two awards at the 1992 Golden Globe Awards for Best Director and Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.

Variety appears to have found 'Assassins' reminiscent of 'JFK' in that it gradually raises audience curiosity by uncovering unexplained parts one by one from the 1974 incident.

In particular, what Variety focused on was not so much the outcome of "who is the culprit" but the process of seeking the truth. Reporters and police officers in the film visit relevant officials, examine documents, and pursue circumstances that do not match official statements. Variety explained that as viewers follow this investigative process, the puzzle of the incident gradually comes together, while pressure from government institutional investors and media outlets is also layered on top.

Screen Rant commented, "It seems to be a dramatization of the Korean version of the Kennedy assassination case, with unresolved bullets, contradictory evidence, and suspicious circumstances," while Canadian outlet NEXT also evaluated that 'Assassins' evokes conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination as it delves into the 1974 incident.

In this process, the detective Cheol-gu, played by Yoo Hae-jin, is portrayed as someone who tried to prevent the assassin from entering the event venue on the day of the incident. However, he was forced to stop his actions due to orders from superiors and, after the incident occurred, was instead held accountable. Variety pointed out that this character becomes an important catalyst triggering the pursuit by those investigating the case.

Jae-hwan, played by Park Hae-il, is a veteran reporter already weary of the world but does not let go of the case, while Yeong-il, a rookie reporter played by Lee Min-ho, pursues the mystery of the incident after directly witnessing the shooting at the scene. With added pressure and censorship from the KCIA on news organizations, the reporters' investigative process itself creates the tension of a thriller.

Other overseas critics also evoke another classic political film alongside 'JFK'.

French-language reviews mentioned Alan J. Pakula's 1976 film "All the President's Men" (which also has a Korean title "Everyone Is the President's People"), alongside Oliver Stone's "JFK," in depicting journalists' investigative reporting. InReviewOnline similarly noted, "This film does not succumb to the excessive paranoid imagination of the JFK style. It completely eschews the film's characteristic flashy and excessive style, instead opting for solid realism."

In other words, it is far from Oliver Stone's flamboyant direction that displays conspiracy theories spectacularly; rather, it leans closer to calmly following the investigative process. Next Magazine also specifically pointed out the veteran editor character played by Park Hae-il, saying it "gives off the atmosphere of 'All the President's Men'," emphasizing that he is a character who pursues evidence to the end despite violent government suppression.

Additionally, some reviews even mentioned 'The Parallax View', which deals with political conspiracies, tracing the film's lineage.

'All the President's Men' differs from 'JFK'. While 'JFK' is a conspiracy-driven political thriller that aggressively explores multiple possibilities tied to a single historical event, 'All the President's Men' is a journalistic film in which two reporters covering the Watergate scandal verify materials and testimonies one by one to trace the concealment of power. Starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, it won four Academy Awards in 1977, including Best Supporting Actor and others.

Director Heo Jin-ho previously explained in an interview with overseas media that he wanted to make this film "a story where reporters pursue the truth of the incident against power, like 'All the President's Men'," and that through the form of a mystery thriller, he aimed to convey the atmosphere of 1974 Korea.

The fact that the overseas critical community views 'Assassins' as closer to the latter means the film is interpreted not as a sensational conspiracy exposé but as a work that places emphasis on "people seeking the truth."

Another overseas review mentioned both films and evaluated 'Assassins' as a work that draws together the political mystery of 'JFK' and the investigative journalism style of 'All the President's Men'. The Hollywood File commented, "You can see shadows from both 'JFK' and 'All the President's Men.'"

The film does not stop at simply recreating actual events. Variety evaluated that although the film inserts fiction into the gaps of the incident, it meticulously builds up the process of reporters and police pursuing documents and testimonies to complete a single political thriller. However, it also noted that the conspiracies and hypotheses presented by the film are less about new discoveries regarding actual historical facts and more about cinematic imagination constructed based on the gaps in the incident.

InReviewOnLINE stated, "The reporter team led by Park Hae-il relentlessly digs into contradictions in official statements but is repeatedly beaten by government officials and frustrated," adding that this relationship sustains the film's tension. Next Magazine also noted, "It is a story of reporters pursuing the truth even amidst the government's cruel and violent media suppression, and also a detective drama of local police who do not trust the official conclusions of state power."

Of course, there are no reviews that are entirely positive. Some outlets expressed regret that "too many subplots were crammed in to be fully absorbed even with the long runtime." However, these same outlets commonly evaluated that "the film's strength lies not in investigative sophistication but in its emotional and civic resonance," placing more weight on the message than on the shortcomings.

'Assassins' was unveiled at the Toronto International Film Festival last September as a world premiere. Since then, overseas media have highlighted its evaluation as a tense thriller, along with the process of reporters and police pursuing the truth of the incident and the way it recreates the political atmosphere of 1970s Korea. The film is currently leading in pre-sale rates and will be released in domestic theaters on the 23rd.

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*This content was translated by AI.