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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

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Memories of Murder

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 10 2006 03:15 AM

Empire Magazine

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 10 2006 03:15 AM

AV Club

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 28 2006 03:15 AM

Sight and Sound

tomato
A-

Nick Schager

Almost single-handedly resuscitates the moribund serial killer genre.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 15 2006 08:17 PM

Lessons of Darkness

tomato
4/5

Pablo Villaca

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 | Sep., 11 2006 03:18 PM

Cinema em Cena

tomato
3/5

Marc Savlov

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 06 2006 03:16 AM

Austin Chronicle

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 05 2006 03:38 AM

Boston Phoenix

N/R

Derek Adams

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 09 2006 03:16 AM

Time Out

tomato
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 06 2005 07:48 PM

Film Threat

tomato
10/10

Josh Ralske

...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: | comment Comment | Sep., 08 2005 10:59 PM

All Movie Guide

tomato
4/5

Scott Weinberg

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: | comment Comment | Aug., 16 2005 09:39 AM

DVDTalk.com

tomato

Stephen Hunter

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: | comment Comment | Jul., 29 2005 02:25 PM

Washington Post

tomato

Desson Thomson

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 28 2005 03:51 PM

Washington Post

tomato
3/4

Stephen Whitty

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: | comment Comment | Jul., 21 2005 03:11 PM

Newark Star-Ledger

tomato

Frank Scheck

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 21 2005 02:11 PM

Hollywood Reporter

tomato

George Wu

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 21 2005 12:16 PM

culturevulture.net

tomato
3/5

Ken Fox

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 15 2005 01:36 PM

TV Guide's Movie Guide

tomato
4.5/5

Manohla Dargis

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: | comment Comment | Jul., 15 2005 11:22 AM

New York Times

splat
3/5

Christopher Null

straightforward, with minimal flourish

Full Review Source: | comment 1 Comment | Jul., 11 2005 04:54 PM

Filmcritic.com

tomato
4/4

David Sterritt

Suspenseful, surprising, and psychologically rich.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 23 2005 02:55 PM

Christian Science Monitor

 
 
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