18/24
Rookie detective Park Sun Woo and Seo Do-Cheol, a veteran of the Violent Crimes Investigation Division team, pursue a serial killer who turns their world upside down
Follows Beterang (2015). Ryoo Seung-wan’s follow-up to his 2015 action comedy Veteran is a high-octane crime thriller that sees him reunite with Hwang Jung-min and a stellar supporting cast for satisfying and predictable effect, old-school cops who, more often than not, employ violent techniques in the course of their work.
But they get results and their superiors trust them
Hwang reprises his role as Do-cheol, arguably the most talented of the group. He’s a lot like Ma Dong-seok’s character in the series The Roundup, just a simple guy who knows his job and has his own ways of doing it, but isn’t afraid to have some fun now and then.
It feels like he’s more confident when making muscular action thrillers like this one, peppering the proceedings with humor but not overdoing it when necessary
The team’s abilities are tested once a vigilante serial killer comes to the public eye and is, annoyingly, constantly called upon by some pesky live streamers who definitely step up their game after the average smugglers. And so it is here; I, the Executioner is reminiscent of The Unjust in the way it questions morality and tests the judgment of a desperate cop.
And we hope it does
The plot offers an intriguing examination of vigilantism and how it can be perceived as simply being in the public eye, but it trusts the viewer to know more than that. To make up for all the murders, there are the aforementioned instances of humor that are welcome to lighten the mood, and they fit in very well.
Highly recommended for fans of crime thrillers
Plus, much like The Roundup series, there are plenty of great chases and visceral action scenes, culminating in a climactic sequence of fist-pumping satisfaction that feels well-earned.