Mantis (2025)

Based on the action-filled trailer for Mantis, I was ready to love this film. It looks like a John Wick-type world of assassins and fighting… but I just didn’t get it.

This South Korean film takes place in a weird earth where assassins are treated like rock stars. A killer contract is called a “show” and there are recruiters and it’s treated like a legitimate business. Again, I just don’t “get it”. Is it a comedy? Is it satire? It’s just a weird concept for me to understand.

The film is about Mantis, a young hotshot, who wants to negotiate his seven-year contract. He goes on vacation and returns tries to run his own assassin company with his former training partner and crush.

The worst part about this film is that there just wasn’t enough action. The various sparring or fighting felt like it didn’t matter, since it’s treated like a comedy.

I guess if you like John Wick, but with blades only, this could be worth checking out.

Update: The reasons why I was so confused about all the Mantis, is because this is the sequel to Kill Boksoon (2023), a film which I have not seen. It was not made clear that this was a sequel, so all the rules established in the first film (like the explanation of the bloody knife) would make sense for the second film. That is the failing of the filmmaker. They should assume someone has not seen the first film, and not rely on the viewer to do homework before the second film.

Queen Mantis (2025)

Queen Mantis
netflix.com

The final 8th episode of the mystery/thriller crime show Queen Mantis just aired on Saturday, September 27, 2025. This South Korean show is based on the French television show, La Mante. I have not seen the 2017 French show, but I might track it down to see how faithful the Korean show was to it.

The story is about an imprisoned serial killer woman, who’s work inspired a new series of murders around the city. It’s up to a special team of police investigators, led by the serial killer’s son. He has to get his mother’s advice and insights in trying to catch the new killer. That sounds very Silence of the Lambs.

I will confess that I found the show very slow paced. Not much happens in the first four episodes, and the backstory revealed by his mother, I didn’t find that interesting. Of course, she was abused. Of course, after her first murder that she got a taste for it and continues… You do not have to waste my time trying to explain her story. Everyone’s figured it out or have concluded as much… what I am more interested is in the current crime.

The other problem that most people will have is that they really have to pay attention and likes reading subtitles.