We are reviewing the 2023 Netflix action flick starring the talented duo of Jeon Jongseo and Kim Jihoon. Get ready for some serious revenge to get your blood pumping.
This is my second Lee Chunghyun movie and the second one in which his real-life girlfriend Jeon Jongseo stars, too. I was honest and admitted I didn’t like The Call at all (which is an unpopular opinion I believe) but I wasn’t hesitant to pick up Ballerina at all as the premise sounded fantastic and I love seeing Kim Jihoon play villains like every sane person here. This also marks a reunion for these two Money Heist: Korea co-stars which was fun! I will immediately say that I was definitely not disappointed and this movie was a fun experience during my plane trip to Prague last month. Revenge flicks are definitely something I enjoy watching – especially if the justice is served right. So let’s get into Ballerina and see what it’s about.
From MyDramaList: Ok Ju used to work as a bodyguard. She excels in physical activities like martial arts, sword fighting, gunmanship, and motorcyle riding. Ok Ju is friends with Min Hee, who is a ballerina. Min Hee asks Ok Ju for a favor. She wants Ok Ju to take revenge on Pro Choi. Ok Ju soon risks her life for Min Hee.
No spoilers ahead:
The premise of the movie is very simple but good enough to be invested in the whole revenge. Although the premise says the female leads are friends, I was even getting some slight sapphic vibes but that might have been my brain coming up with things during Pride month – cut me some slack. Jokes aside, Ballerina definitely tackles some pretty serious issues and manages to really make you wonder if any man on this Earth is normal at this point. I wish I was joking or being dramatic, but I’ve seen so many similar things to the ones being portrayed in Ballerina happening in my own country and it’s still just as horrifying that women have to live in fear to this day. Jeon Jongseo was a very believable protagonist here – she was cold enough for you to believe that she’ll really take revenge but also able to portray some cracks in her character’s facade when it came to her friend. I really loved her fighting scenes and the way she oozed charisma and a real bad-ass attitude throughout the whole movie. She really did great here.
Kim Jihoon as the villain is something that will simply never be a miss for me. Ever since I’ve seen him in Flower of Evil, I knew that this man was just going to haunt me forever. It doesn’t help that he’s handsome like no one else and has such a memorable presence in everything he stars in, even if it’s a side role. His acting was great here and really made you hate him from start to finish. I was just waiting for his character to be blown up at any given moment and the hatred I felt for Choi Pro, the pro scumbag, was insane. I really lived for the scenes between Ok Ju and him because the action was actioning for sure. So much adrenaline during some scenes and some great fighting overall. They did their damn thing in this movie.
Ballerina is hard to comment on without spoiling absolutely everything but I will say that it’s very thrilling, keeping you on your toes and full of satisfying revenge actions to really get you invested in the story. The cast is fantastic and they work so well together until the very end. While Ballerina isn’t bringing anything revolutionary to the table nor is it going to be the most emotional movie you’ve ever seen, it bring exactly what’s needed and promised – action, revenge, and good acting. Sometimes, that’s exactly what we need. So if you haven’t seen Ballerina yet and are in the mood for something thrilling this weekend – give it a shot. It gets a solid 8/10 from me for its genre and I’d even watch it again if I stumble on it, even though it had my blood boiling at times.
Now, when is Kim Jihoon doing a rom-com like the incredible Love To Hate You again?