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Plot Summary

The Villainess (2017) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 129 min · Korean
Echo score 73
JustWatch #18,900 8
Directed by
Byung-gil Jung
Starring
Ok-bin Kim, Eun-ji Jo, Ha-kyun Shin, Seo-hyeong Kim, Sung-Jun, Ye-Ji Min

Sook-hee is a highly trained assassin molded by a powerful criminal organization. She was recruited as a sleeper agent with the hope of eventually gaining her freedom. Seeing an opportunity, she decides to escape her dangerous past. However, when painful secrets from her history are revealed, Sook-hee embarks on a violent quest for revenge, determined to eliminate anyone who stands in her path and confront the forces that shaped her.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Villainess
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Villainess (2017)

Where can you watch The Villainess? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Hi-YAH and Fawesome: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Villainess: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Villainess (2017) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

In the film's gripping opening, we are introduced to a skilled female assassin who moves through a dimly lit hallway. With precision and deadly efficiency, she dispatches a multitude of foes using her expertise in firearms and close-quarters combat. Upon entering a room to confront her boss, Park, she eliminates all the henchmen and him, showcasing her formidable combat abilities. However, as she attempts to flee, she finds herself cornered by police, wearing a chilling yet composed grin.

We then see our protagonist in an undisclosed facility, where she is subjected to drugging and plastic surgery. During her recovery, flashbacks reveal an unnamed man with a mustache, who attempts to resuscitate her following a breath-holding exercise, calling her Sook-hee. This facility is revealed to be a front for South Korea's intelligence agency, overseen by the determined Kwon-sook. She informs Sook-hee that her death has been faked to grant her a fresh start, providing her with a new identity as Chae Yeon-soo. Initially apathetic, Yeon-soo expresses a desire to die, but Kwon-sook reveals she is pregnant, presenting a deal: undergo training as an agent and earn her freedom after ten years of service. Yeon-soo reluctantly agrees and gives birth to a daughter, Eun-hye, during her rigorous training.

While going through a tattoo removal procedure, a flashback immerses us in Yeon-soo's turbulent past - a tattoo received from the mustached man when she was just 20, as she was discovering her deadly capabilities. This begins to weave a pattern of her life as Sook-hee, a highly trained assassin with a tragic history that includes being captured and tortured, only to be rescued by the same man with a mustache, ultimately known as Lee Joong-sang.

As Yeon-soo embarks on her first assignment, a tragic moment triggers a flashback to her childhood, where she witnessed her father's murder, hiding in fear. This impactful memory involves Jang-Chun, a figure connected to her father’s fate. After a series of harrowing revelations, it becomes clear that Joong-sang shaped Sook-hee into the lethal assassin she is today.

Completing her initial mission, Yeon-soo moves into her own apartment, unaware that a male agent, Jung-Hyun-soo, has been placed next door to monitor her. As they grow closer, hints of Yeon-soo’s past emerge, revealing her tumultuous relationship with Joong-sang, which was tainted by betrayal and manipulation. Her yearning for a normal life is shattered as she discovers Joong-sang's treachery, leading her on a violent path of vengeance.

Tragedy strikes when a mission alongside her friend Min-ju ends in disaster, leading the agency to suspect Yeon-soo may be a double agent. Hyun-soo provides comfort, deepening their bond. However, the agency's machinations continue, including a staged wedding that culminates in a heart-stopping moment—when Yeon-soo must decide whether to assassinate Joong-sang, shocked to discover he is alive.

The plot thickens as Joong-sang contacts her, exposing the agency's true intentions and the danger they pose to her daughter. In a dramatic turn of events, Yeon-soo is taken into custody by the agency while Joong-sang's gang pursues her family. The story spirals into chaos, culminating in a devastating explosion that claims Hyun-soo and Eun-hye.

Fuelled by grief and a thirst for retribution, Yeon-soo embarks on a relentless pursuit of Joong-sang and his associates. In a heart-pounding showdown, she confronts Joong-sang, exchanging chilling words that echo her profound transformation into the very weapon he crafted. Their final encounter is nothing short of explosive, culminating in an intense chase and battle, ultimately ending with Yeon-soo standing over Joong-sang's fallen body—her grim smile reflecting the culmination of her brutal journey, as she emerges from the wreckage, surrounded by law enforcement.

Last updated: November 03, 2024 at 14:57

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Plot questions answered

The Villainess Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Villainess (2017): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why does Sook-hee agree to become a sleeper agent for the intelligence agency?

Sook-hee agrees to become a sleeper agent because Kwon-sook reveals she is pregnant and offers her a deal: complete ten years of service as an agent and earn her freedom. Initially wanting to die, Sook-hee reluctantly accepts to give her daughter a chance at a normal life while also gaining an opportunity to escape her deadly past.

  • sleeper agent
  • Kwon-sook
  • intelligence agency
  • pregnancy
  • freedom deal
Q2

Who is Lee Joong-sang and what was his relationship with Sook-hee?

Lee Joong-sang is the mustached man who rescued Sook-hee after she was captured and tortured. He trained her into the lethal assassin she becomes and shaped her into a weapon. Their relationship is complex, he was her mentor and savior, but also someone who manipulated and betrayed her, ultimately turning her into a deadly tool for his own purposes.

  • Lee Joong-sang
  • mentor
  • assassin training
  • betrayal
  • manipulation
Q3

Why does Sook-hee seek revenge against Joong-sang?

Sook-hee seeks revenge after discovering Joong-sang's betrayal, he manipulated her into becoming an assassin and later betrayed her trust. When he resurfaces and reveals the agency's dangerous intentions toward her daughter, combined with the loss of her child and Hyun-soo in the explosion, her grief transforms into a relentless quest to eliminate him and everyone responsible for destroying her life.

  • revenge
  • betrayal
  • Joong-sang
  • grief
  • daughter Eun-hye
Q4

How does Sook-hee's daughter Eun-hye die in the film?

While Sook-hee is taken into custody by the agency, Joong-sang's gang targets her family. The situation escalates into a catastrophic explosion that claims the lives of both her daughter Eun-hye and the agent Jung-Hyun-soo who was monitoring her. This devastating loss fuels Sook-hee's transformation into a vengeful force.

  • Eun-hye
  • explosion
  • Hyun-soo
  • death
  • family
Q5

What happened to Sook-hee's father and how does it affect her?

Sook-hee witnessed her father's murder as a child, hiding in fear during the traumatic event. This childhood trauma is triggered during her first assignment as an agent, with Jang-Chun being the figure connected to her father's death. The unresolved grief and rage from this moment drive much of her emotional turmoil throughout the film.

  • father murder
  • childhood trauma
  • Jang-Chun
  • flashback
Q6

Why does the intelligence agency fake Sook-hee's death?

The agency fakes Sook-hee's death to give her a fresh start as a sleeper agent. By making her appear dead, they can insert her into society with a new identity (Chae Yeon-soo) while maintaining control over her. This allows them to use her combat skills covertly while keeping her bound to ten years of service in exchange for eventual freedom.

  • fake death
  • new identity
  • Chae Yeon-soo
  • sleeper agent
  • agency control
Q7

Why does Joong-sang betray Sook-hee?

Joong-sang betrays Sook-hee by shaping her into a deadly weapon and then using her for his criminal operations while also working against her interests. His betrayal becomes complete when his gang targets her family during her custody, leading to the explosion that kills her daughter. His manipulation of her into assassination work and subsequent actions demonstrate he viewed her purely as a tool rather than a person.

  • Joong-sang betrayal
  • criminal organization
  • weapon
  • manipulation
Q8

What is the significance of Sook-hee's tattoo and why is it being removed?

Sook-hee received the tattoo from Lee Joong-sang when she was 20 years old, as she was discovering her deadly capabilities. It represents her transformation into an assassin and her connection to Joong-sang. During the film, she undergoes tattoo removal, symbolizing her attempt to erase her past identity as Sook-hee and start fresh as Chae Yeon-soo, though her violent history continues to resurface.

  • tattoo
  • Lee Joong-sang
  • identity
  • assassin
  • removal
Q9

Who is Jang-Chun and what is his connection to Sook-hee's father?

Jang-Chun is the figure directly responsible for murdering Sook-hee's father, a trauma she witnessed as a child while hiding in fear. This pivotal event establishes the deep-seated violence in her past and connects to her later life as an assassin. Her first mission as an agent triggers the painful flashback of this childhood murder.

  • Jang-Chun
  • father murder
  • childhood
  • revenge
Q10

Why does Jung-Hyun-soo die in the explosion?

Jung-Hyun-soo, the agent assigned to monitor Sook-hee who eventually becomes her love interest, dies alongside her daughter Eun-hye in the explosion. While Sook-hee is in agency custody, Joong-sang's gang targets her family, causing the explosive device to detonate. His death represents the final destruction of the normal life she desperately wanted.

  • Hyun-soo
  • explosion
  • death
  • love interest
  • family
Q11

What happens in the opening scene of The Villainess and why is Sook-hee cornered by police?

The film opens with Sook-hee, already a highly trained assassin, eliminating her boss Park and his henchmen in a hallway display of lethal efficiency. She then attempts to escape but finds herself cornered by police, wearing a chilling grin. This scene establishes her formidable combat skills and sets up her capture, leading to the intelligence agency's involvement in transforming her identity.

  • opening scene
  • assassin
  • Park
  • police
  • escape
Q12

How does Sook-hee become such a highly trained assassin?

Sook-hee becomes a highly trained assassin through rigorous training orchestrated by Lee Joong-sang. After being rescued by Joong-sang following her capture and torture, he molds her into a lethal weapon, teaching her firearms and close-quarters combat. The intelligence agency later continues her training over a decade while she serves as a sleeper agent, enhancing her deadly skills.

  • assassin training
  • combat skills
  • Lee Joong-sang
  • weapon
Q13

What happens at the staged wedding and why is Sook-hee shocked to see Joong-sang?

The agency orchestrates a staged wedding as part of their operation. During this event, Sook-hee is shocked to discover Joong-sang is alive, she believed he was dead. She is then forced to confront whether she can assassinate him, a moment that reveals the deep emotional conflict between her past connection to him and her current mission.

  • staged wedding
  • Joong-sang alive
  • assassination
  • shock
Q14

How does The Villainess end and what happens to Sook-hee?

The film ends with Sook-hee confronting Joong-sang in an explosive final showdown. After a intense battle and chase, she kills him, standing over his fallen body with a grim smile reflecting her complete transformation into the weapon he created. She emerges from the wreckage surrounded by law enforcement, victorious in her revenge but utterly alone, having lost both her lover and daughter.

  • final showdown
  • Joong-sang death
  • revenge
  • ending
  • alone

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Villainess, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Villainess tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about vengeful assassins like The Villainess

Highly trained killers confront their past in a violent quest for justice and identity. If you enjoyed the violent revenge quest and tragic backstory of The Villainess, explore these other movies featuring highly trained assassins who turn against their creators. These films share a dark tone, complex narrative, and heavy emotional weight as characters seek vengeance and reclaim their identity.

  • vengeful
  • brutal
  • tragic
  • gritty
  • relentless
  • tense
  • Tone: dark, vengeful, tragic
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives often follow a non-linear structure, revealing the protagonist's traumatic past through flashbacks that fuel their present-day rampage. The journey is one of unraveling a conspiracy, confronting betrayers, and achieving a pyrrhic victory that leaves the protagonist permanently scarred, both physically and emotionally.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here based on the central archetype of the traumatized assassin, the theme of breaking free from manipulation, and the high-intensity, action-driven pacing of a personal vendetta. They share a dark, gritty tone and explore deep themes of identity, trauma, and the cost of vengeance.

Emotionally heavy revenge thrillers like The Villainess

Vengeance stories where the violence is matched by the heavy emotional stakes. For viewers who liked the intense action and deep emotional pain in The Villainess, this section features similar brutal revenge thrillers. These movies combine fast-paced, graphic violence with complex character-driven stories about trauma, betrayal, and the high personal cost of vengeance.

  • brutal
  • tense
  • tragic
  • relentless
  • gritty
  • vengeful
  • Tone: dark, bittersweet, tense
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot is propelled by a grievous personal loss or betrayal that shatters the protagonist's world. Their quest for revenge is as much about processing their trauma as it is about punishing the guilty. The climax often brings resolution but at a significant personal cost, leading to a bittersweet or bleak conclusion where the hero is forever changed.

Why they belong together: This thread connects films that masterfully blend extreme, high-octane action with a narrative grounded in heavy emotional drama. The similarity lies in the balance of spectacle and substance, where every punch and gunshot is fueled by a deeply felt, tragic motivation, creating a powerfully gripping and somber viewing experience.

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Movies Like The Villainess

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Every angle

The Villainess (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Villainess in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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