The Assassin(s)

August 15,1974. The day the first lady was shot.

DramaCrimeThrillerAction

★ Shortlisted by Ariane, Frances, Mitch Allen, Sharon

Programme: Gala Presentations
Year: 2026
Runtime: 131 min
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean / Japanese
Premiere: World Premiere

In 1974, a shooting shocks South Korea. Detective Cheol-gu, who witnesses the attack, Jae-hwan, the city desk editor whose coverage is suppressed, and Young-il, a rookie reporter, begin to dig beneath the cover-up. As their pursuit of the truth deepens, they come to confront forces meant to remain unseen.

From the TIFF programme

Based on the attempted assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-hee, the latest from Hur Jin-ho (TIFF ’23’s A Normal Family) is a large-canvas procedural about police and journalists determined to uncover a seemingly impenetrable conspiracy.

Based on the attempted assassination of South Korean President Park Chung-hee, the latest from Hur Jin-ho (TIFF ’23’s A Normal Family) is a large-canvas procedural in which a handful of police officers and journalists risk everything to root out a seemingly impenetrable conspiracy. With an all-star cast including Lee Min-ho (Gangnam 1970), Park Hae-il (TIFF ’22’s Decision to Leave), and Yoo Hai-jin (A Taxi Driver), The Assassin(s) is a suspenseful tale of perseverance in the face of overwhelming corruption.

August 15, 1974. Gunshots are fired during the president’s speech at the 29th Liberation Day ceremony. President Park survives, but First Lady Yuk Young-soo and a young girl are killed. Security officers seize the assassin, Mun Se-gwang, a Korean Japanese man deemed a Maoist radical. But did he act alone? There were six shots fired, but Mun’s pistol only carried five bullets.

Inconsistencies in the official report accumulate, but every time the press or police make inquiries, they’re accused of being communists or ordered to leave the incident alone. A senior inspector (Yoo), a veteran journalist (Park), and a rookie reporter (Lee) resolve to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth, despite threats against their careers — and lives.

Returning to TIFF for his third Gala Presentation, Hur is a skilled conductor of set pieces, multi-threaded storytelling, and character development. His heroes are confronted with danger at every turn, but forge ahead with the conviction that a free press is essential to a functioning democracy, and the truth, however ugly, will always set you free.

Content advisory: extreme violence, coarse language, mature themes