Review of Decision to Leave (2022) by Jluis_001 — 15 Oct 2022

It can be said that Park Chan-wook is a director who seems to overcomplicate certain matters, but I think his desire to be intricate is much more than a pretentious element on his part, but rather what motivates him as a filmmaker.

Now, to make the follow-up of a film like The Handmaiden was going to be a tough job, even for him, surpassing himself was more than just a challenge.

For my part I don't think he succeeded, but that in no way means that this is a lesser film.

Decision to Leave is something that could be categorized as a love story. One that is far from simple, but not really complicated either.

Here what at first seems like curiosity, quickly turns into an obsession. An obsession that does not seem to be repressed and yet never explodes even though the two people involved are fully aware of the situation, and both reciprocate their feelings.

The chemistry between the leads is essential for that and they both deliver. In their scenes together there's more meaning in what they reflect physically than in what they express with words and that is not easy.

The questions raised by their interactions is the spice of this film and what provides most of its suspense.

The concept of self-destruction looms large between the motivations locked in two unreliable people as to what their emotions are expressing and what they are hiding, so at the conclusion, it becomes quite clear that the sad ending was all they were going to be able to aspire to.