Review of Memories of Murder (2003) by Rene S — 24 Dec 2008

Memories of Murder is the story of South Koreas first recorded case of a serial killer, and the rural cops who have been given the job of solving the case. The film was directed by Joon Ho Bong, who also did a film called The Host that I loved.

While Memories of Murder isnt a perfect film, it is extremely good. The story is sharp, engaging, and works on a level beyond simply being an interesting suspense thriller. (Though it does that amazingly well also).

The performances are pitch perfect from top to bottom, and the characters are dense, layered, and completely interesting. Visually Joon Ho Bong knows how to construct a scene. Youll find intrigue, and suspense galore here.

If it sounds like Im gushing all over for this thing, thats because I am. As good as it is though, its not problem free. There are some scenes I thought were a bit unnecessary, a few moments that dragged, and some comedy that may have been a bit out of place - these are minor gripes though.

Overall Memories of Murder is a fantastic piece of work, and its worth checking out. Of course, if you don't like good movies then I guess you should avoid it at all costs.