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Deliver Us from Evil
Movie

Deliver Us from Evil

2020 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

A retired contract killer goes on a bloody rampage when a young girl finds herself at the mercy of gangland human traffickers and only one man can come to her rescue, with an arsenal of weapons and years of experience in the art of killing.

Overall Series Review

This is a South Korean action thriller focused on a retired hitman's mission of protection and personal redemption. The core of the plot is a desperate rescue operation in Thailand, where the protagonist attempts to save a kidnapped child while being relentlessly pursued by a vengeful Yakuza enforcer. The narrative is driven by classic noir tropes of violence, duty, and personal ties, specifically a father's protective instinct. The film's energy is placed on frenzied action sequences and a bloody cat-and-mouse chase across international settings. The characters are defined by their capacity for extreme violence, their professional history, and the moral weight of their decisions. The plot's focus is on resolving a criminal conflict and a revenge plot, not on delivering a social or political lecture. A notable character is the protagonist's transgender helper, who is portrayed as a capable and essential aid whose identity is secondary to her practical role in the mission.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics2/10

The story centers on the personal merit and competence of a killer in a life-or-death scenario. The characters, who are Korean, Japanese, and Thai, operate within an international criminal underworld where professional conflict and revenge drive the plot. The narrative avoids framing the conflict through the lens of race or systemic oppression.

Oikophobia2/10

The film utilizes a gritty, international crime setting (South Korea, Japan, Thailand) as a backdrop for its violent action. The South Korean-produced film does not engage in self-hatred or demonize its home culture or ancestors. Corruption and crime are depicted as universal problems in the underworld, not as unique failings of a particular civilization.

Feminism2/10

The central dramatic engine is the male protagonist’s desperate mission to save his young daughter, making fatherhood and protective masculinity the core theme. The female characters are the child victim and the male helper. Motherhood is not attacked but is a necessary component for the protagonist’s protective drive. Men and women are distinct, with the men being the agents of violence and the women being the objects of protection or assistance.

LGBTQ+4/10

The plot includes a transgender female character who functions as a competent sidekick to the protagonist. Her gender identity is a non-factor in her ability to assist with the high-stakes operation. The character is integrated into the narrative as a functional person with human motivations, but the presence of alternative sexuality is noted as a clear element within the film.

Anti-Theism1/10

The film is a secular action-crime thriller. The plot focuses on assassins, gangsters, and kidnappings. There is no significant engagement with or hostility toward traditional religion, specifically Christianity. Morality is judged by the characters' actions within a criminal framework of protection versus violence, not by a lecture on subjective moral relativism.