🦂Mantis (2025): Netflix’s Korean Assassin Thriller Unleashes a War in the Shadows – Plot, Cast, Release Date & Where to Watch

The shadows are no longer safe. Mantis, Netflix’s upcoming South Korean feature film, arrives on September 26, 2025, bringing a razor-sharp tale of assassins, betrayal, and survival in a world where loyalty is a weapon and death is the only certainty.

Directed by Lee Tae-sung and written by Byun Sung-hyun and Lee Tae-sung, Mantis is a stylish, blood-soaked thriller that asks: when the old order collapses, who dares rule the underworld?

⚔️ The Story: When Rules Collapse, Chaos Reigns

Mantis (Yim Si-wan), an elite contract killer, returns from a brief escape to ordinary life only to discover that Cha Min Kyu, the powerful head of MK Enterprise, is dead. With the organization fractured and vultures circling, the assassin world plunges into chaos.

Mantis chooses to walk away, but fate pulls him back.

• He reunites with J (Park Gyu-young), a lethal assassin and old trainee partner, who harbors unresolved feelings and resentment after being expelled from MK Enterprise.

• Standing in the shadows is Dok Ko (Jo Woo-jin), Mantis’s mentor and one of the original founders of MK Enterprise. Though long retired, Dok Ko returns to seize control of the company, trying to lure his former student back into the fold.

As rival assassins clash and new factions emerge, Mantis must decide: stand by his allies or carve his own bloody path in a world where no one can be trusted.

🎭 Cast & Characters

• Yim Si-wan as Mantis – The ace assassin torn between loyalty and freedom.

• Park Gyu-young as J – A fierce, conflicted killer with history and unfinished business.

• Jo Woo-jin as Dok Ko – A legendary assassin and Mantis’s former teacher, reclaiming power.

🎬 Style & Tone

With its 1 hr. 51 min. runtime, Mantis promises a tight, relentless blend of:

• High-octane action sequences—gunfights, knife duels, and assassin standoffs in neon-lit Seoul.

• A dark character-driven drama exploring fractured bonds, betrayals, and the twisted morality of killers.

• Slick cinematography and gritty atmosphere, reminiscent of The Night Comes for Us and John Wick, but infused with uniquely Korean storytelling depth.

This isn’t just about killing—it’s about survival in a crumbling empire of assassins.

🔥 Why You Should Watch Mantis

Netflix has been at the forefront of delivering Korean thrillers with global appeal (Kill Boksoon, Carter, Believer 2), and Mantis looks set to join that league. With its star-studded cast, tense power struggles, and stylish carnage, the film promises:

• Intense showdowns between mentor and disciple.

• Emotional weight through Mantis and J’s tangled past.

• A brutal exploration of power vacuums in the assassin underworld.

📅 Release Details

• Title: Mantis

• Type: Feature Film

• Country: South Korea

• Release Date: September 26, 2025

• Duration: 1 hr. 51 min.

• Content Rating: 18+ (Violence & Profanity)

• Streaming: Netflix (Worldwide)

🦂 Final Verdict

“The secret society of contract killers falls into chaos, unleashing a new breed of assassins. With old rules in ruins, who dares claim the shadows?”

That haunting line sets the stage for Mantis (2025)—a brutal, emotional, and stylish ride into the dark heart of Korea’s assassin underworld. Fans of John Wick and Kill Boksoon should mark their calendars—because this is one deadly dance you won’t want to miss.

🦂 Mantis slashes onto Netflix, September 26, 2025.