Lady Vengeance

A Christian musical procession gathers outside a prison to witness the release of Lee Geum-ja. This event symbolizes the transformation she underwent during her imprisonment, where she was initially seen as a villain but later emerged as an inspiring figure for prison reform.

Thirteen years prior, Geum-ja was convicted for the kidnapping and murder of a young boy named Won-mo. Her youthful beauty and naïve confession gained widespread media attention, marking her as a notorious criminal even before she entered prison.

Upon her release, Geum-ja feigns benevolence, but beneath her facade lies a fierce desire for vengeance against those who destroyed her life. She begins to reconnect with fellow ex-inmates to gather resources for her revenge plot.

Geum-ja takes a job at a pastry shop, where she starts an affair with a young assistant named Geun-Shik. His youthful presence serves as a constant reminder of what Won-mo could have grown to be, further fueling her desire for retribution.

Geum-ja uncovers shocking truths about her past; she was wrongfully accused of Won-mo's murder. The detective who led her case orchestrated the crime's manipulation to ensure her confession would hold up, making her a scapegoat.

Geum-ja learns that her daughter, who was taken from her, has been adopted by Australian parents and is now a teenager named Jenny. Despite the language barrier, they travel back to Seoul to rekindle their relationship, a move filled with both anticipation and anxiety.

As Geum-ja devises her plan for revenge, she sets her sights on Mr. Baek, the man who exploited her in her youth and was responsible for Won-mo's death. With the support of Jenny and fellow ex-convicts, she prepares for a confrontation with him.

Geum-ja and Jenny face Mr. Baek, who now holds power as a preschool teacher. The encounter turns violent as Baek attempts to have thugs eliminate them, forcing Geum-ja to defend both herself and Jenny fiercely.

After incapacitating Baek, Geum-ja finds sinister memorabilia connected to his previous crimes. Driven by the pain of lost lives, she decides to enact her revenge in a torturous manner, ensuring Baek feels the weight of his actions.

Geum-ja and the families of other missing children gather at the school, uniting in their shared grief and collective rage. They initiate a plan to violently punish Baek, ultimately deciding to take justice into their own hands.

In a harrowing resolve, the group of grieving families brutally murder Mr. Baek. They bind themselves in secrecy through a group photo, sealing their shared act of vengeance and ensuring that their pain remains a clandestine memory.

Post-revenge, Geum-ja meets again with the detective and the bereaved families at her bakery. They share their burden, reflecting on the pain and closure brought about by their disturbing actions against Baek.

During a poignant moment at the bakery, Geum-ja encounters the ghost of Won-mo, who reflects the age he might have reached. This vision serves as a painful reminder of everything lost due to the events that spiraled out of control.

In the film's emotional climax, Geum-ja imparts heartfelt wisdom to Jenny, encouraging her to choose a life of purity, analogously represented by tofu. Their shared tears signify a release of long-held pain and the rekindling of their mother-daughter relationship.