Assassins (2020 film)

Last updated
Assassins
Assassins 2020 poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ryan White
Produced by
  • Ryan White
  • Jessica Hargrave
CinematographyJohn Benam
Edited byHelen Kearns
Music by Blake Neely
Production
company
  • Tripod Media
Distributed by Greenwich 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.

Contents

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]

Related Research Articles

Kimjongilia (Korean: 김정일리아) is a documentary film directed by N.C. Heikin that tells the stories of North Korean prison camp survivors and escapees from the country. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2009.

<i>Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work</i> 2010 American film

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is a 2010 documentary film about the life and career of comedian Joan Rivers, also featuring Melissa Rivers, Don Rickles and Kathy Griffin.

<i>Linsanity</i> (film) 2013 American film

Linsanity is a 2013 American documentary film about the rise of Asian-American basketball player Jeremy Lin. The film was directed by Evan Jackson Leong.

<i>Happy Christmas</i> (film) 2014 film by Joe Swanberg

Happy Christmas is a 2014 American comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Joe Swanberg. It stars Swanberg, Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, and Lena Dunham. Like most of Swanberg's previous features, the film's dialogue was entirely improvised.

<i>Dreamcatcher</i> (2015 film) 2015 film by Kim Longinotto

Dreamcatcher is a 2015 British-American documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto focusing on Brenda Myers-Powell, a former professional who runs The Dreamcatcher Foundation, a charity which helps women in Chicago leave the sex industry. The film won the World Cinema Directing Award in the documentary category at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Showtime Networks acquired the rights to the film on 23 January 2015.

<i>Whose Streets?</i> 2017 American film

Whose Streets? is a 2017 American documentary film about the killing of Michael Brown and the Ferguson uprising. Directed by Sabaah Folayan and co-directed by Damon Davis, Whose Streets? premiered in competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, then was released theatrically in August, 2017, for the anniversary of Brown's death. It was a nominee for Critics' Choice and Gotham Independent Film awards.

Ryan White is a documentary producer and director best known for his Netflix documentary film Pamela, a Love Story, Amazon Prime's Good Night Oppy, which won five Critics Choice Awards including Best Documentary and Best Director, and his Emmy-nominated Netflix series The Keepers. White's previous films include the HBO movie The Case Against 8, which won Sundance's Directing Award and was nominated for two Emmys, the documentary film Ask Dr. Ruth, and Coded, which was shortlisted for the Academy Award.

<i>The Dissident</i> 2020 American documentary film by Bryan Fogel

The Dissident is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Bryan Fogel. It follows the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi Arabia's effort to control international dissent.

<i>The Fight</i> (2020 film) 2020 American documentary film

The Fight is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg. Kerry Washington serves as a producer under her Simpson Street banner. It follows legal battles that lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had faced during the Trump administration.

<i>Not Going Quietly</i> 2021 American film

Not Going Quietly is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Nicholas Bruckman and produced by Amanda Roddy, following Ady Barkan, embarking on a national campaign for healthcare reform. Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Bradley Whitford serve as executive producers.

City So Real is an American documentary miniseries directed by Steve James, revolving around the 2019 mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and social upheaval following the murder of George Floyd. It consists of 5 episodes and premiered on October 29, 2020, on National Geographic.

<i>Us Kids</i> 2020 American film

Us Kids is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Kim A. Snyder, following members of the March for Our Lives movement after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.

<i>Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street</i> 2021 American documentary film

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Marilyn Agrelo.

<i>Cryptozoo</i> 2021 American film

Cryptozoo is a 2021 American adult animated drama film written and directed by Dash Shaw. It features an ensemble cast as Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Angeliki Papoulia, Zoe Kazan, Peter Stormare, Grace Zabriskie, Louisa Krause and Thomas Jay Ryan. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2021 and was released by Magnolia Pictures in the United States on August 20, 2021.

<i>A Glitch in the Matrix</i> 2021 film by Rodney Ascher

A Glitch in the Matrix is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Rodney Ascher. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 31, 2021, and was released theatrically and on digital platforms on February 5, 2021, by Magnolia Pictures to generally positive reviews.

<i>Desert One</i> (film) 2019 American film

Desert One is an 2019 American documentary film directed and produced by Barbara Kopple. It follows Operation Eagle Claw, a mission that was an attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis by rescuing 52 embassy staff held hostage.

<i>All Light, Everywhere</i> 2021 American film

All Light, Everywhere is an 2021 American documentary film, written and directed by Theo Anthony. It follows the biases on how humans see things, focusing primarily on the use of police body cameras.

<i>Try Harder!</i> 2021 American film

Try Harder! is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Debbie Lum. It follows students at Lowell High School as they apply and hope for admission to the college of their dreams.

<i>Hunt</i> (2022 film) 2022 South Korean spy action film by Lee Jung-jae

Hunt is a 2022 South Korean espionage action thriller film directed by Lee Jung-jae in his feature directorial debut, starring Lee and Jung Woo-sung. It was invited to the non-competitive Midnight Screening section at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. It was released theatrically on August 10, 2022, in South Korea.

<i>Little Richard: I Am Everything</i> 2023 American film

Little Richard: I Am Everything is an 2023 American documentary film, directed and produced by Lisa Cortés. It follows the life and career of musician Little Richard. Dee Rees serves as an executive producer.

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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.