Assassins (2020 film) explained

Assassins
Director:Ryan White
Music:Blake Neely
Cinematography:John Benam
Editing:Helen Kearns
Distributor:Greenwich Entertainment
Runtime:104 minutes[1]
Country:United States
Gross:$36,390[2]

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.

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

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

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

Critical reception

Assassins received positive reviews from film critics. It holds approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews, with an average of . 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]

Notes and References

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