Acclaimed Korean Action-Thriller The Old Woman with the Knife Available Free for Limited Time
Starting Friday, June 13th through Sunday, June 15th, Coupang Play’s giving fans a chance to stream The Old Woman with the Knife (Korean title: Pagwa) for free—for 72 hours only. The announcement came on June 9th, and it’s already sparking interest among action-thriller lovers.
Released back in April, the film follows Jo-gak (played by Lee Hye-young), a killer in her 60s working for a secretive group called “disease control.” They’re basically a shadow organization that wipes out what they call “cockroach-like” people. Things heat up when Jo-gak runs into Tu-woo (Kim Sung-cheol), a mysterious assassin tracking her down.
One of the coolest things about this movie? It’s based on Gu Byeong-mo’s novel, and director Min Kyu-dong pulled off something a bit unusual. “There were many who believed an action-noir film with a female killer in her 60s as the protagonist was impossible, which made the planning stage difficult,” the director said, opening up about the film’s early challenges.
The acting is a major reason why the movie hits so hard. Lee Hye-young nails the role of Jo-gak, showing both her cold, ruthless side and the hidden vulnerability underneath. She said, “It was a difficult time with many injuries while performing the action scenes, but that allowed me to immerse myself more in the work.” She also gave props to co-star Kim Sung-cheol, saying, “He could have freely performed action scenes with stunt actors, but I felt sorry that I couldn’t go all out due to differences in physical strength and physique.”
Kim Sung-cheol had just as much respect and emotion wrapped up in the role. “After finishing the last scene, I saw the director crying and I cried with him,” he said, adding that he shared a strong sense of teamwork with Lee. “I felt a special camaraderie with Lee Hye-young, and because we had each other, we were able to complete more vibrant action sequences.”
The movie’s already been well-received around the world. It’s been invited to about 10 big-name film festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival, the 43rd Brussels Fantastic Film Festival, and the 15th Beijing International Film Festival. So yeah, it’s not just some regular action flick—it’s been recognized for its storytelling and direction.
Right now, The Old Woman with the Knife is out in North America (yep, including the U.S. and Canada), and it’s getting ready to drop in places like Taiwan, Japan, and more parts of Asia. There are also plans to roll it out in Europe and South America soon.
Other cast members like Kim Mu-yeol, Kim Kang-woo, Yeon Woo-jin, and Shin Si-ah are also getting love for their roles. Their performances help elevate the movie, making it more than just intense action—it really dives deep into human emotions and struggles.
One of the deeper themes in the film is age. Jo-gak might be older and physically worn, but she proves that her age doesn’t define her strength or purpose. As the story goes on, you can feel how hard she’s fighting—just to keep her identity, and to keep living with meaning.
And if Coupang Play offering this for free sounds familiar, it’s ’cause they did something similar with Dark Nuns, an occult thriller starring Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-been. That film also caught attention, especially with Kwon Hyuk-jae (from Troubleshooter and Count) directing it.
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