Maybe something was lost in translation, but we really struggled to keep up with the narrative of Mantis. For an action thriller, it felt overtly complex, disjointed, and admittedly, we never found the right groove while watching it. Oddly, 70% of the runtime is talk-heavy, leaving little room for the action that could have saved it.
Mantis follows top assassin Mantis (Im Si-wan), who works for the biggest contract killing company, MK. But during his vacation, the MK leadership is assassinated, the company runs out of backers, and Mantis decides to reunite with friends to start their own fledgling outfit. This is easier said than done, especially within the convoluted world of assassins.
If only Mantis focused on what it does best, it could have been a much better film. The acting was solid with Im Si-wan in particular proving he was ready for this role. The action sequences were outstanding and our favorite out of the whole film (the climactic battle in particular had amazing tension and choreography). Unfortunately, the story fails spectacularly and Mantis focuses too much on it instead. The assassin world that the film wanted to build up was confusing and hastily developed, the main antagonist was unclear, and a major subplot involving a tech company goes absolutely nowhere. Even the supposed love story fizzles out, leaving an unsatisfying aftertaste. At its core, Mantis had the right ingredients for a gripping action flick, but the messy narrative overshadows the talent and spectacle. Even great action can’t stitch together a story that is broken.
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Mantis (2025) Movie Review: Messy Mantis
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