Mantis

Mantis (사마귀) is a 2025 South Korean crime action thriller directed by Lee Tae-sung in his feature directorial debut. Set in the same lethal universe as the 2023 Netflix film Kill Boksoon, the story expands upon the high-stakes world of corporate contract killers after the collapse of its governing entity, MK Enterprise.

The film follows Lee Han-ul, an legendary A-grade assassin codenamed "Mantis". After taking an extended vacation, Han-ul returns to South Korea only to discover that MK Enterprise's charismatic leader, Cha Min-kyu, has been killed, throwing the entire hitman industry into lawless chaos. Eager to break away from corporate control and chart his own path, Han-ul decides to launch an independent startup agency—Mantis Company—alongside his long-time friend and fierce training partner, Shin Jae-i.

However, starting a business in a bloody power vacuum proves volatile. Dok-go, a retired legendary killer and one of MK Enterprise's original founders, returns from retirement determined to rebuild the company and re-establish rule over the market. As ambitious tech investors, rival killers, and conflicting emotional loyalties collide, Han-ul, Jae-i, and Dok-go find themselves on an inevitable crash course where personal pride and survival eclipse all professional rules.

The core message of Mantis explores the collapse of traditional patriarchal corporate structures and the anxieties of a younger generation navigating freelancing and autonomy. While Kill Boksoon focused on motherhood and parental legacy, Mantis shifts the lens to workplace dynamics, professional jealousy, and generational transition. The film criticizes how capital and institutional power exploit human connections, showing that when structural rules break down, personal rivalries and long-suppressed inferiority complexes inevitably tear friendships apart.

The film offers multiple interpretive layers:

Mantis reflects Netflix Korea's strategy of creating expanded cinematic universes from standalone hits. Beyond action aesthetics, the film mirrors contemporary Korean social issues—specifically youth unemployment, corporate restructuring, the rise of startup culture, and the intense pressure of performance comparison in competitive workplaces. Upon its worldwide Netflix release on September 26, 2025, the film generated strong viewership across Asia and Europe.

Audience and critical reception highlighted several aspects of the film:

• Praised: Critics praised the stylish action choreography—particularly Yim Si-wan's dual-sickle combat and Park Gyu-young's longsword routines. The soundtrack by Dalpalan and the energetic chemistry between the young leads were widely commended.
• Criticisms: Some viewers felt the middle act suffered from excessive business negotiation and investor dialogues, diluting the adrenaline. Others noted that it lacked the deeper emotional weight of Kill Boksoon.
• Verdict: A visually inventive and fun action spin-off that succeeds as a stylish genre exercise, even if it trades emotional gravity for workplace action-comedy elements.