Assassins (2020 film)

Assassins
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRyan White
Produced by
  • Ryan White
  • Jessica Hargrave
CinematographyJohn Benam
Edited byHelen Kearns
Music byBlake Neely
Production
company
  • Tripod Media
Distributed byGreenwich Entertainment
Release dates
  • January 26, 2020 (2020-01-26) (Sundance)
  • December 11, 2020 (2020-12-11) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Indonesian
  • Vietnamese
  • Malay
Box office$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 a 98% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 42 reviews, with an average of 7.9/10. 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]

References

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