Netflix viewers were blown away by a new Korean revenge thriller, with many referring to the lead actor as the “female John Wick.”
The action-packed film “Ballerina” was available to stream on Netflix on October 5, starring Jun Jong-seo, who won Best Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards for her performance in the psychological thriller “The Call.”
Directed by Lee Chung-hyun and featuring music composed by rapper, singer and producer GRAY, the film is set in the bright, bustling capital of South Korea, Seoul.
Ballerina tells the story of lonely ex-bodyguard Ok-ju (Jun Jong-seo), who reconnects with her former classmate and best friend Min-Hee (Park Yu-rim), a professional ballerina.
Shortly after restoring their friendship, Min-Hee dies in a staged suicide, leaving behind a cryptic note that reads, “Please get revenge for me!” … I know you can help me.”
Explosive: Netflix viewers were blown away by a new Korean revenge thriller, with many describing the lead actor as the “female John Wick”
The handwritten request prompts Ok-ju to use her investigative and defense skills to find her friend’s killer and seek revenge.
The former bodyguard is tasked with single-handedly taking on a brutal gang that runs an underworld full of drugs, violence and horrific crimes against women.
Can Ok-ju protect her friend in a way she couldn’t when she was alive?
The film has received an impressively rare 100 percent rating on film review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes.
Netflix viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to encourage others to watch the action thriller, calling it “the best” movie they’ve seen in a long time.
One impressed viewer said: “Ballerina on Netflix was so good!” while another wrote: “Ballerina on Netflix is a pure 10000000/10.”
Another fan wrote: “Ballerina is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while,” while another said: “I just saw the best movie ever and it’s called Ballerina.”
Two viewers compared Ballerina’s female lead to Keanu Reeves’ retired killer character in the John Wick series.
Excitement: Ballerina tells the story of former bodyguard Ok-ju, who reconnects with her former classmate and best friend Min-Hee (pictured middle)
Impressed: Netflix viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to encourage others to watch the action thriller, calling it “the best” movie they’ve seen in a long time
One wrote: “Ballerina on Netflix is a Korean woman, John Wick. 100% gangster with a brutal tone.”
The other said: “As much as I love little Keanu (and the 7 fake Keanu accounts that follow me), the lady fighting in Ballerina would totally own John Wick.”
Another fan of the film described the production as “another very solid Korean revenge thriller,” adding that they “liked the visuals.”
A recent viewer who was in awe wrote: “Entertaining, stylish action thriller with a leisurely paced plot.” The pre-climax fight sequence is absolutely magnificent…”
Another recently released Korean drama about the dark world of organ harvesting has been dubbed by fans as the next Squid Game.
“Bargain,” streaming on Paramount+ since Oct. 5, won best screenplay at the Canneseries Festival this year, the first Korean series to win such an award.
The cruel thriller is not for the faint of heart and revolves around sex fraud and violent crime. A middle-aged man is lured to a motel room to have his organs harvested by strangers – before an earthquake strikes, leading to a fight for survival.
Revenge: After discovering her friend’s body, Ok-ju must use her investigative and defense skills to find her Min-Hee’s murderer and seek revenge
One-Woman Mission: The former bodyguard is tasked with single-handedly taking on a brutal gang that runs an underworld full of drugs, violence and terrible crimes against women