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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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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: Oh Bong-Joon

Director: Oh Bong-Joon
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 critic A-Z)
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An almost perversely conceived hybrid -- noirish thriller, social satire and virtual Korean Keystone Komedy with a dash of political attitude.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
06/23/05
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film's storytelling strategy is unique and its point-of-view mutable and disarmingly subjective.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
06/21/05
Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Village Voice
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The script is as sloppy as Song (Kang-ho)'s unkempt cop, sprinkled with intriguing ideas and imaginative details that, like the investigation, simply get lost in blind alleys.

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
06/09/05
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

For a film about women getting brutally attacked and dispatched, the movie has no sense of urgency or underlying dread.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment 1 Comment
06/17/05
Jason Clark
Jason Clark
Slant Magazine

Bong Joon-ho does an exemplary job balancing a mystery with both humorous and dramatic elements.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
11/04/03
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Fledgling director Bong Joon-ho received the best new director award at the San Sebastian Film Festival and he shows a deft, talented hand at the helm.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
11/10/03
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Bong Joon-ho does an exemplary job balancing a mystery with both humorous and dramatic elements.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
11/04/03
Laura Clifford
Laura Clifford
Reeling Reviews

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
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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
Derek Elley
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Memories of Murder offers a ruminative and affecting approach to a genre not known for its emotional content.

Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | comment Comment
09/16/03
Jeremy Heilman
Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.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
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Horribly, gorily fascinating and slightly unfulfilling

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
08/12/04
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]

Manages to transcend the popular and cliched genre by focusing on the emotional toll dealing with such crimes has on the detectives.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
08/10/04
Mariko McDonald
Mariko McDonald
Film Threat

What's most remarkable about it is the way Bong builds real suspense and plays the chilling moments straight while leaving himself room for nonsense and horseplay.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
04/15/05
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

straightforward, with minimal flourish

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

...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
Josh Ralske
All Movie Guide

Uneven movie has tonal problems.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
04/06/04
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

A refreshingly mature thriller that succeeds in its ambitious attempt to blend quips and killings.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/06/04
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

Almost single-handedly resuscitates the moribund serial killer genre.

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