Pratik Handore
Netflix’s ‘Kill Boksoon’ is a South Korean action-drama movie written and directed by Byun Sung-Hyun. It follows Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-Yeon), a legendary assassin who is also a single mother to a teenage daughter. While Bok-soon, dubbed “Kill Boksoon” due to her competency in violence, is an effortless killer, she struggles to parent her daughter, Gil Jae-Yeong. Although the movie ends with the mother and daughter reuniting despite the calamities Boksoon faces, the movie features an end-credits scene that sheds new light on the duo’s relationship. If you are looking for an explanation about the ominous end-credits scene of ‘Kill Boksoon,’ here is everything you need to know! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Kill Boksoon End Credits: Is Gil Jae-Yeong a Killer?
In ‘Kill Boksoon,’ we mainly follow the story of the mother, Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-Yeon), also known as Kill Boksoon, a legendary assassin who works for MK. ENT, a corporation that coordinates hits. Most of the film revolves around Boksoon as she tries to escape the life of crime to be with her daughter, Gil Jae-Yeong (Kim Si-a). During the climax, Boksoon kills her employer Chairman Cha and ends her association with MK. ENT. However, before dying, Chairman Cha revealed that he sent video footage of Boksoon and his fight to Jae-Yeong so the daughter could see her mother’s dark side.
During the film, a subplot revolves around Jae-Yeong hurting her classmate for clicking pictures of her with her girlfriend, So-ra. Later, Jae-Yeong comes out as a lesbian and has a violent streak, just like her mother. The end-credits scene provides a meaningful resolution to Jae-Yeong’s character arc by expanding upon the ending and explaining the changes Jae-Yeong undergoes throughout the story. The end-credits scene depicts Jae-Yeong visiting her old school one last time to say goodbye to So-ra.
Jae-Yeong embraces So-ra but quietly dishes out two threats to her ex-lover. She threatens to kiss So-ra in front of the entire class or murder her behind the school after hours. During the scene, Jae-Yeong appears unhinged and sure of herself, unlike previously seen. Jae-Yeong confidently walks out of the school and reminds her victim of the pain she caused him. The end-credits scene seems to imply that Jae-Yeong has accepted her violet streak and could follow in her mother’s footsteps.
The movie’s ending leaves a sense of ambiguity over whether Jae-Yeong watched the footage or not. When Boksoon returns home, Jae-Yeong’s behavior indicates that she is unaware of her mother’s criminal life. On the other hand, the end-credits scene implies that not only Jae-Yeong watched the footage but also empowered her. Before her final fight with Chairman Cha, Boksoon encourages her daughter to embrace her true self and not hide her actual personality.
During the end-credits scene, we see Jae-Yeong dressed in a red jacket, which indicates her affinity for violence. In the movie, Boksoon and Cha Min-hee both commit murders dressed in a red jacket. The color seemingly represents women who harbor violence within them and aren’t afraid to hone it. Similarly, an earlier scene implies that Jae-Yeong took the smoking habit from her mother. Thus, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that learning the truth about her mother empowered Jae-Yeong to accept her killer instincts.
As a result, the final scene all but confirms that Jae-Yeong is following in her mother’s footsteps. The scene concludes Jae-Yeong’s character arc as she is no longer afraid of her projecting her true self. Moreover, it also directly affects Boksoon’s story arc as the mother desperately tries to shield her daughter from a life of crime and violence, which she herself was subjected to as a teenager. Alas, the apple does not fall far from the tree after all.
Read More: Where Was Netflix’s Kill Boksoon Filmed?
