An almost perversely conceived hybrid -- noirish thriller, social satire and virtual Korean Keystone Komedy with a dash of political attitude.
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.
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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Reviews for Memories of Murder
The film's storytelling strategy is unique and its point-of-view mutable and disarmingly subjective.
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.
For a film about women getting brutally attacked and dispatched, the movie has no sense of urgency or underlying dread.
Bong Joon-ho does an exemplary job balancing a mystery with both humorous and dramatic elements.
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.
Bong Joon-ho does an exemplary job balancing a mystery with both humorous and dramatic elements.
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.
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.
The foregone conclusion only adds an extra layer of fatalism to this tale of ineffectual authority and abusive power.
Memories of Murder offers a ruminative and affecting approach to a genre not known for its emotional content.
What's singular in all this is the director's angle into the material, which is subtle, difficult to pin down, elusive.
Manages to transcend the popular and cliched genre by focusing on the emotional toll dealing with such crimes has on the detectives.
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.
...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.
A refreshingly mature thriller that succeeds in its ambitious attempt to blend quips and killings.
Almost single-handedly resuscitates the moribund serial killer genre.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
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