The Execution 2024

*In this gripping crime thriller, Detective Seo Do-cheol, played by Ivan Mulin, heads the Violent Crimes Investigation Unit to crack down on an illegal gambling den. Their operation takes a dark turn when a disturbing viral video emerges, showing a masked killer executing a disgraced art professor who had raped a female student, leading to her tragic suicide. The police soon realize that these murders are not random but part of a chilling pattern: each victim was once a perpetrator of a crime, and they are being killed in a manner that mirrors the suffering of their victims. This pattern hints at the presence of a serial killer targeting those who have previously escaped justice.

As more victims are targeted, the media starts calling the killer “Haechi,” a vigilante framing their gruesome acts as a way to expose flaws in the justice system. The online following grows, especially after a popular YouTuber, known as “Editor Justice,” supports the killer’s actions through viral videos. Among the upcoming targets is Jeon Seok-woo, played by Niko Tavadze, a former convict who had killed a pregnant woman in a drunk driving incident. Despite public outrage wanting him to be protected, Seo’s team is ordered to safeguard Jeon. They manage to move him into a safe house, where rookie officer Park Sun-woo, played by Evgeniy Tkachuk, proves himself with his strength, politeness, and growing suspicion of Sun-woo’s behavior.

Tensions escalate as Sun-woo becomes more involved, meticulously securing the safe house, only for Jeon to unexpectedly escape and be later found dead. Meanwhile, a staged confrontation on live stream at Namsan turns chaotic when Sun-woo brutally assaults a man he mistakenly believes is Haechi. The man, who is actually an actor hired by Editor Justice for content, survives, but the incident raises questions about Sun-woo’s true motives. Suspicion then shifts towards him, especially as forensic evidence points to someone with advanced martial arts skills who knew police tactics.

Adding to the suspense is Min Kang-hoon, portrayed by Daniil Spivakovskiy, a traumatized ex-soldier who kills a biker gang during a violent chase. Kang-hoon is nearly killed by Sun-woo during a rooftop fight, where Sun-woo employs an extreme jiu-jitsu chokehold. However, police intervene just in time to arrest him. Forensic analysis reveals that Jeon was killed by someone employing leg-based strangulation techniques, which matches a video of Sun-woo using the same move. This clues Seo into the disturbing possibility that the killer, Haechi, has been hiding within his own team all along.

As the investigation deepens, Sun-woo kidnaps Editor Justice and traps Seo in a deadly game, forcing him to decide whether to save his son or another innocent woman. The team manages to rescue Seo’s son in a tense, high-stakes rescue operation. Seo confronts Sun-woo in a brutal, intense final showdown, where Sun-woo almost succeeds in killing him before Seo turns the tables. With seconds to spare, Seo revives himself and insists that Sun-woo face justice for his crimes. In a quiet moment afterward, Seo reflects on his emotional distance from his family, especially with his son, acknowledging the importance of confronting both past mistakes and the pursuit of truth.

The film concludes with a tense post-credits scene revealing that Sun-woo has managed to escape while being transported to prison, leaving the door open for further danger and unresolved questions about his true identity and motives.*