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The Old Woman with the Knife

Play trailer 1:21 Poster for The Old Woman with the Knife 2025 2h 11m Action Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 27 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Aging assassin Hornclaw has seen it all, but she never expected to mentor a reckless rookie like Bullfight. As their unlikely bond deepens, cracks form in the underworld they navigate together. When Hornclaw discovers someone wants her dead, she's thrust into a deadly game of deception. With enemies closing in and trust in short supply, survival means staying sharp--both blade and mind.
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The Old Woman with the Knife

The Old Woman with the Knife

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Critics Consensus

Visually slick, thrillingly bloody, and provocatively intense, The Old Woman with the Knife is elevated by Lee Hye-Young's ferociously compelling performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Siddhant Adlakha Variety 03/23/2025
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 has an inordinate amount of detail, which the film metes out in awkward ways Go to Full Review Wendy Ide Screen International 03/17/2025
There’s plenty that is familiar in this extravagantly bloody action picture. But Lee is terrifyingly effective in the role, and the fight sequences are impressively visceral. Go to Full Review Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness Jan 12
3.5/5
... that it seeks to go deeper, to demonstrate the ripples caused by violence and how that stunts one’s ability to see beyond the cruelty one causes and one can cause. Go to Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall Dec 2
3/5
The action and drama are sharply directed by Min Kyu-dong and played with plenty of emotional spark. Go to Full Review Karina Adelgaard Heaven of Horror Nov 25
4/5
...a gorgeous genre-mix that I initially liked, but the ending was much better than I ever expected. Go to Full Review Katie Smith-Wong Flick Feast 06/09/2025
4/5
A compelling, bloody and intense thriller that shows heroines come in all ages with Lee Hye-young shining as a badass. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Paul 05/17/2025 Riveting and very suspenseful See more Steve C @RT19610513 May 17 Probably inspired by John Wick See more Avindu G @RT86379654 Apr 26 An aging wanderer steps on a shard from her own shattered past; A raging orphan trying to stitch the past and present together. Old lady is an attractive novelty to the intense action and the quenching bloodshed of the genre. But the abrupt flashbacks and inconsistent character arcs diminish the shine of this movie. Yet there's plenty of action to enjoy thanks to the powerful visuals and cinematography. Therefore investing your time in this movie is not a bad idea. See more Luke T @LightSyson Apr 24 More of this is needed. Fantastic lead. And convincing. There was no 'american style' girl boss never get hit nonesense. The action feels visceral and intense. Great story. Its equally as good in its quiet moments as it is in its action sequences. Both leads deserve massive acolades See more Darren D @DarrenJD Apr 7 Kyu-dong Min's "The Old Woman with the Knife" is a visually slick, yet compelling, bloody, & intense thriller that delves into its own rich history of storytelling & demonstrates how the trail of violence can affect those who witness it & how it ripples through their lives. Lee Hye-Young's performance is ferociously compelling, often delivered with a cold demeanour between the violent action sequences. This old woman is a badass. See more Matt V @RT35477969 Mar 31 What starts as a great action movie with an interesting and well played main character, turns into something else towards the end that really makes this a must watch. See more Read all reviews
The Old Woman with the Knife

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Cast & Crew

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Min Kyu-dong

Director

Lee Hye-young

Hornclaw

Shin Sia

Young Hornclaw

Sung-Cheol Kim

Tuu

Yeon Woo-jin

Dr. Kang

Kim Mu-yeol

Ryoo

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The Old Woman with the Knife

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The Old Woman with the Knife

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Movie Info

Synopsis Aging assassin Hornclaw has seen it all, but she never expected to mentor a reckless rookie like Bullfight. As their unlikely bond deepens, cracks form in the underworld they navigate together. When Hornclaw discovers someone wants her dead, she's thrust into a deadly game of deception. With enemies closing in and trust in short supply, survival means staying sharp--both blade and mind.
Director
Min Kyu-dong
Producer
Min Jin-soo
Screenwriter
Min Kyu-dong, Kim Dong-wan
Distributor
Well Go USA Entertainment
Production Co
SooFilm
Genre
Action, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
May 16, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2025
Runtime
2h 11m