Review of Memories of Murder (2003) by Aditya M — 16 Aug 2018

"Let me tell you about America. They've got the FBI. If you watch how they investigate, you know how? Their heads are spinning like a top. Analyzing things. You know why? It's 'cause they got so much fucking land. If you don't use your brain, it's too much ground to cover. So they have no choice, those FBI bastards. But our Republic of Korea, using just your two legs you can run all over it. So it's said, Korean detectives investigate with their feet. That's folk wisdom, you bastard. So brainy geeks like you can go the hell to America.".

So says the small-town Detective Park to the big-city Detective Seo, who has arrived to help investigate two violent murders. That's a fantastic monologue, but Park may be way off with his earthy wisdom. It soon becomes clear that what they are facing is a completely new kind of crime, one that a small town (or for that matter, a big city) just isn't prepared to deal with...

'Memories of Murder' is mesmerizing, a five-star telling of South Korea's first identified serial killings. Watch it on a rainy evening for best results.