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Movies / On DVD / Memories of Murder
Memories of Murder

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Memories of Murder (2003)

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88 %
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Reviews Counted: 33

Fresh: 29

Rotten:4

Average Rating: 7.6/10

Consensus: Memories of Murder blends the familiar crime genre with social satire and comedy, capturing the all-too human desperation of its key characters.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 2 hrs 7 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Jul 15, 2005 Limited

Synopsis: Based on a true story, Memories of Murder is a Korean suspense thriller offering an unusual fusion of death and laughter, while recollecting truly nightmarish events. This is a true story. In... Based on a true story, Memories of Murder is a Korean suspense thriller offering an unusual fusion of death and laughter, while recollecting truly nightmarish events. This is a true story. In a small town outside Seoul, over the course of six years, 10 women were raped and murdered in a 2km radius. Korean society's first serial killer took the lives of 10 victims, ranging from a 71 year-old grandmother to a 13 year old schoolgirl. As time went on, the methods of the killer grew more bold and well-planned. One victim was stabbed 19 times in the chest, while another victim was found with nine pieces of a peach embedded inside her. Other than the victims, the killer left not a single shred of evidence. Over 3,000 suspects were interrogated. At least 300,000 police took part in the massive investigation. But not a single person was indicted for the crimes. This is a story about the detectives. At a time in Korea when a murder investigation only meant grilling those who knew the victim, for these officers everything was a new experience. There was no profiling mechanism, nor any idea of preserving the crime scene for forensic investigation. Only search and interrogation based on the detectives' sense of duty and persistence. In this age of ignorance, two detectives at the bottom of an ill-supported police force, have only themselves to rely on to face this horrific series of events. The film reminisces about a time of innocence when the inability to comprehend such heinous acts led to unbelievable mishaps and harrowing nightmares. Both death and laughter infuse the "Memory of Murder." -- © Palm Pictures [More]

Director: Joon-Ho Bong

Director: Joon-Ho Bong
Studio: Palm Pictures

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Release:

Aug 9, 2005

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Reviews for Memories of Murder

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
10/10/06
AV Club

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
10/10/06
Empire Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
09/28/06
Sight and Sound

Almost single-handedly resuscitates the moribund serial killer genre.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
09/15/06
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

Utiliza seu mistério (real) envolvendo o primeiro serial killer sul-coreano para fazer um forte comentário político e, no processo, cria uma narrativa tensa (mas também divertida) povoada de personagens tragicamente ineptos.

comment Comment
09/11/06
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
08/06/06
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Time Out

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat

...merits mention alongside Silence of the Lambs and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer...offers an incisive analysis of the culture that produced the crime.

Full Review Source: All Movie Guide | comment Comment
09/08/05
Josh Ralske
All Movie Guide

Low-key, unassuming, and crafty in the way it slowly gets under your skin, Memories of Murder is a sly and smart thriller.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
08/16/05
Scott Weinberg
DVDTalk.com

What's singular in all this is the director's angle into the material, which is subtle, difficult to pin down, elusive.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
07/29/05
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An involving and skillfully mounted film from Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho that's based on a true story.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
07/28/05
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Bong not only has an eye for beauty there are some gorgeous shots of the country's farmland but for the absurd.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
07/21/05
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Uses dark humor, incisive characterizations and social commentary to infuse its familiar detective tale with a distinctive flair.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
07/21/05
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A great opening and...a visceral, heartbreaking ending

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
07/21/05
George Wu
culturevulture.net

The foregone conclusion only adds an extra layer of fatalism to this tale of ineffectual authority and abusive power.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/15/05
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Memories of Murder is such a taut, effective thriller it's a shame you have to read subtitles to gauge just how good a movie it is.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
07/15/05
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

straightforward, with minimal flourish

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 1 Comment
07/11/05
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Suspenseful, surprising, and psychologically rich.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
06/23/05
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

Establishes Bong as a helmer with a distinct vision of his own, supported by a strong cast that's totally at one with the material.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/23/05
Derek Elley
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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