When the new documentary Assassins debuted a year ago at Sundance, it created quite a stir with its ripped-from-the-headlines approach to one of the most perplexing international events to hit the news desk in recent years. You may or may not recall that Kim Jong-nam, the older half-brother of Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un, was assassinated in the middle of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in February 2017. The hit was carried out by two young girls who wiped VX nerve agent, one of Earth’s most deadly substances, directly into his eyes and walked away without a care in the world – just like a scene out of a movie. The film was a hot commodity when it was acquired, but the sensitive nature of the story made certain distributors have second thoughts about releasing it. You see, although the two girls carried out the murder, it was largely believed to be ordered by Kim Jong-un himself. When you have the head of a country likely dishing out cold-blooded murder to his own family, it is reasonable to be concerned about what may happen if you release a documentary about the event.
While films like Assassins and the equally-controversial The Dissident may have many distributors passing out of fear, there are a few brave ones willing to accept the risk and release these important stories. Greenwich Entertainment and Kino Lorber have thankfully brought director Ryan White’s (Ask Dr. Ruth) latest effort to audiences who want to follow the twists and turns of the story beyond the headlines. The film follows Siti Aisyah and Đoàn Thj Huong, the two women who carried out the central event. Siti is an Indonesian woman who is first shown in cellphone footage at the beginning of the film with a smile from ear to ear as she celebrates her birthday with friends the night before the murder. Đoàn is a Vietnamese woman born to a farming life with dreams of becoming a famous actress. These two seem like any normal young women. They do not know each other, yet they find themselves at the same airport carrying out the same act to take down one of the most important figures related to North Korea. Who are these women, really, and how did they come to be involved in this plot? Are they cold-blooded killers or the victims of manipulation? These are the answers the film steadily unveils as it peels back the layers.
The film itself plays out with more tension that most narrative thrillers these days. Although the story can be easily researched, the way in which White crafts the film to deliver revelation after revelation will have your jaw on the floor. While the film can still be enjoyed after knowing the outcome, no major reveals will be spoiled here. Those who pay a slight amount of attention to the news know that Kim Jong-un is a bit of a maniac, but the way in which Assassins details exactly how he came to be in power and what he has done to ensure that he keeps that power is quite stunning. There was a hope that when Kim Jong-il ended his terrifying reign in 2011 that the world might be a safer place, but it turns out replacing him with what amounts to a petulant child does not make for a rosy future. The film gives just enough context to the events that led to the assassination of Kim Jong-nam to catch you up to speed, and it goes full-throttle into the intricate planning that was carried out by various figures that snaps into place like the best-written spy novel.
The film culminates in the trial of Siti and Đoàn, who you have gotten to know through a mixture of their family, their legal team and archival footage. The chilling footage of the attack conjures up a greater sense of sadness and outrage the more you learn about these two. It is so easy for big political entities to manipulate situations to their benefit, and the downtrodden will be the ones to suffer the consequences. The tension from the trial comes not from whether we will discover that these girls truly intended to kill Kim Jong-nam – we have a pretty clear sense of this by this time – but rather if the need for international diplomacy will end up railroading these two in the end. White gets an incredible amount of access that allows him to paint a fully fleshed-out picture of all of the figures involved. He chose to make this film in the thick of the process, so he had no idea how the chips were going to fall for these two. It is this lack of foresight that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the dust has completely settled. The ramifications of this story should shake you to your core. None of what happens in this film should be something that is just allowed to happen. Many people put a target on their back to get this story out, and the world is so much richer for it.
Video Quality
Assassins comes to DVD with an excellent 480p transfer that presents the movie really well. This film is a mixture of talking head interviews with healthy amounts of archival footage interspersed throughout, which provides different levels of visual quality. The recent interviews obviously look noticeably better than inconsistent archival footage, especially with the surveillance footage in the airport that is very chunky. Overall, the quality of each source seems to be derived from the best elements available. Skin tones look natural and details hold up fairly well. Colors are a bit flat and black levels are subject to some crush and compression artifacting. The image is a bit soft in certain situations with noticeable haziness under less favorable scenarios. This may not be a high definition presentation, but the image is very strong and quite pleasing given the format limitations.
Audio Quality
The DVD comes with both a Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 track that does everything it needs to do well. The film is presented with English subtitles to accompany the original non-English dialogue spoken in the film. Dialogue is pretty consistently clear throughout with only occasional moments where sounds from the clips muddle the clarity of the subject’s words. Surround speakers add a bit of texture to the proceedings, mostly in the form of musical cues and crowd chatter. This track appears to be free from any damage or other issues that would lessen your enjoyment. This presentation is about as good as the source material will allow.
Special Features
- Trailers: Kino Lorber has included the theatrical trailer for Assassins. Also included are trailers for Billie, Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine, Desert One, Harry Chapin: When In Doubt Do Something, Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President and Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.
Final Thoughts
Assassins is a searing portrait of international crime that is almost too incredible to believe. As you explore the lives of the two girls at the center of the madness, you will find your heart breaking at how easy it is for the vulnerable to be manipulated by those in power. Kino Lorber and Greenwich Entertainment have released a DVD with a very strong A/V presentation that gets the job done. This is truly one of the most thrilling documentaries to come out in the past year, and it deserves your attention. Highly Recommended
Assassins is currently available to purchase on DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the DVD.
Disclaimer: Kino Lorber and Greenwich Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
