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A frantic and taut Korean serial killer thriller. One classy, if bloody and messy, gut wrencher of a movie.
All Critics (30) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (24) | Rotten (6)
I've more or less had it with this stuff, but the film is distinguished by the grubby velocity of his foot chases, and the effectiveness of its craft (not to mention the unglamorous resolution of at least one character's fate). Feb 4, 2010 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
I've more or less had it with this stuff, but the film is distinguished by the grubby velocity of his foot chases, and the effectiveness of its craft (not to mention the unglamorous resolution of at least one character's fate).
Michael Phillips
Easily the best cop thriller since The Departed. Feb 2, 2010 | Full Review…
Easily the best cop thriller since The Departed.
J. R. Jones
The Chaser is an expert serial-killer film from South Korea and a poster child for what a well-made thriller looked like in the classic days. Jan 28, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
The Chaser is an expert serial-killer film from South Korea and a poster child for what a well-made thriller looked like in the classic days.
Roger Ebert
The pessimism of Na's slick debut rings false. Dec 30, 2009 | Full Review…
The pessimism of Na's slick debut rings false.
Nick Schager
South Korean first-timer Na Hong-jin offers nasty thrills, manic foot chases and some genuinely subversive riffs on the police procedural. Dec 30, 2009 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…
South Korean first-timer Na Hong-jin offers nasty thrills, manic foot chases and some genuinely subversive riffs on the police procedural.
Aaron Hillis
A grisly serial-killer thriller that develops into a howl of outrage at the ineptitude of the system. Oct 18, 2008
A grisly serial-killer thriller that develops into a howl of outrage at the ineptitude of the system.
Justin Chang
With its erratic pacing and sadistic hero, what starts as an intriguing procedural quickly descends into a tenuous game of cat-and-mouse that is buoyed up by frequent gut-churning violence. Nov 3, 2018 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
With its erratic pacing and sadistic hero, what starts as an intriguing procedural quickly descends into a tenuous game of cat-and-mouse that is buoyed up by frequent gut-churning violence.
Kaleem Aftab
...finds its tonal footing in the final third, when Jung-ho makes the transition from darkly comic clown to film-noir anti-hero. Oct 11, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
...finds its tonal footing in the final third, when Jung-ho makes the transition from darkly comic clown to film-noir anti-hero.
Josh Larsen
click to read full review Mar 26, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…
click to read full review
Joseph Proimakis
A gritty, stylish crime thriller that's initially suspenseful and compelling, but eventually becomes pedestrian, unsurprising, preposterous and even somewhat tedious. Dec 31, 2009 | Rating: 5.5/10 | Full Review…
A gritty, stylish crime thriller that's initially suspenseful and compelling, but eventually becomes pedestrian, unsurprising, preposterous and even somewhat tedious.
Avi Offer
A sizzling film noir that evokes the disillusionment of a once self-confident "tiger" economy. Dec 30, 2009 | Full Review…
A sizzling film noir that evokes the disillusionment of a once self-confident "tiger" economy.
Louis Proyect
Unlike the directors of Infernal Affairs, Hong-Jin refreshingly fuels his philosophical engine with montage. Dec 30, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
Unlike the directors of Infernal Affairs, Hong-Jin refreshingly fuels his philosophical engine with montage.
Joseph Jon Lanthier
A surprising and intelligent Korean serial killer thriller that defies the viewer's expectations at every turn and combines taut suspense with black humor to insert an unlikely (anti-)hero in a completely unpredictable plot and hold the audience by the throat.
Super Reviewer
Well.....That was a molotov cocktail of a noir film. Truly blew me away with its absurd plot and dark characters. You really can't find something this special in american cinema. Its a film that can grabs you at first frame and never lets go.
An ex-cop fired for corruption now working as a pimp investigates when his girls start to go missing, leading him to a serial killer who is holding one of them hostage. The Chaser is not really what I was expecting. I was hoping for a kind of serial killer version of Heat but rather than a charismatic criminal mastermind like a Hannibal Lecter, the villain here is just a nasty, sadistic little scumbag. He is also caught very early on in the film and spends much of it in custody as our "hero" tries to track down the missing girl before he is released for lack of evidence, which kind of dispenses with the mystery aspect of the story as well. For these reasons the film skirts a little too close to torture porn for my tastes and so it didn't appeal to me as much as it might have. On the plus side, it is a very well made film with solid performances all round, nice photography and skilled direction which makes for a quality thriller that will be worth a look for those interested in the serial killer genre. I was just hoping for a little more.
A classically made movie that is tense, captivating, and excellently paced. About every Korean movie that I've seen, I've dug the gritty, realistic, and riveting nature of the stories but always desired for more thematic or moralistic content and "The Chaser" is no different. The director takes us for a ride and he knows he is. What I especially admired about this movie was how there weren't any special mechanics, unique camera angles, or "indie-like scenes" that puzzle the mind; he lets the engrossing story do its work -- a classically made movie. The director's confident with the content that he has (Performances all around was superb, screenplay was engaging, and pacing was near-perfect). Extremely tense and frantic thriller that is sure to entertain; even the comic relief worked. On the contrary, there isn't much to it afterwards. "The Chaser" falls short from being a masterpiece... but that's many of the Korean movies that have been coming out nowadays. "The Chaser" is highly recommended. Adjusted the rating from 3 1/2 to 4 stars.
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