I, the Executioner (Korean: 베테랑2; RR: Beterang 2; lit. Veteran 2) is a 2024 South Korean action crime film co-written, directed and produced by Ryoo Seung-wan, starring Hwang Jung-min and Jung Hae-in. The sequel to Ryoo's 2015 film Veteran, it follows veteran detective Seo Do-cheol teaming up with a young detective, Park Sun-woo, in a high-stakes pursuit of a serial killer.
The film premiered in the Midnight Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2024. It was released theatrically in South Korea on September 13, 2024.
Plot
Veteran detective Seo Do-cheol and his team in the Violent Crimes Investigation Unit dedicate their lives to fighting crime, often at the expense of their personal lives.
When a professor's death is linked to a series of previous murders, the entire nation is shaken by the emergence of a serial killer. As the detectives race to piece together clues, the killer taunts them by releasing a video online, revealing his next intended victim and plunging the country into further chaos.
Amidst the turmoil, the unit enlists the rookie detective, Park Sun-woo, whose strong sense of justice quickly catches Do-cheol's attention.
In September 2015, a month after the release of his film Veteran, Ryoo Seung-wan and production company Filmmaker R&K confirmed that they agreed to make a sequel, which they originally expected to be made within two to three years.[4][5][6] In December 2021, Ryoo revealed that he had finished the script for the sequel and planned shoot it at the end of the following year.[7]
Principal photography began in December 2022.[12][10][11] Filming took place at the Daejeon City Hall on January 8, 2023.[13] In July 2023, Ryoo announced that the project recently completed filming and had entered post-production.[14] The film is produced by Filmmaker R&K, which Ryoo owns with wife Kang Hye-jung.[15]
Release
I, the Executioner was selected to be screened out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on May 21, 2024.[16] The film was also screened in the Special Presentations section at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2024.[17]CJ ENM released the film in South Korea on September 13, 2024.[15][18]
Reception
Box office
I, the Executioner opened in South Korea on September 13, 2024. It grossed US$30 million from more than 4 million admissions over its first six days of release.[19] As of 1 November 2024, the film has grossed US$$53.7 million at the local box office and accumulated 7,248,584 admissions.[3]
