‘The Old Woman with the Knife’ Review: A South Korean Assassin Drama Bogged Down By Flashbacks

variety.com:

Siddhant Adlakha Min Kyu-dong’s South Korean action-drama “The Old Woman with the Knife” adapts Gu Byeong-mo’s novel of the same name with results at once languid and overstuffed.

While it features an enticing premise, slotting a 65-year-old woman into the underground assassin genre (a position usually reserved for grizzled men and young vixens), its story remains rooted in an inordinate amount of detail, which the film metes out in awkward ways.

Of course, as with any film of this nature, it’s worth first asking whether its fireworks are worthwhile. The answer is yes and no: Initial visual speed bumps render combat frenetic to the point of incomprehensible.

This lack of distinct geography initially robs the film of cohesion, and while it does eventually find its groove, its major illusion — surrounding its elderly assassin character (codenamed Nails, Hornclaw, and Godmother) — is never quite convincing.