Memories of Murder (2003)
South Koreaโs first Zodiac killer.
Presentation:
The film that put Bong Joon Ho into the spotlight as one of Koreaโs best directors on par with Hollywoodโs. The film is a detective police procedural following the story of Koreaโs first serial killer in a small, rural province in 1986. The film is bleak yet offset with some dark humor, adjacent to Zodiac but less precise, focusing more on the detectivesโ emotional perspective and turmoil. The film has its ups and downs particularly with inconsistent tone, but you could also interpret it as different Korea sensibilities, which commonly balance humor, drama and thriller aspects.
Conclusion:
A great film to witness Bong Joon Hoโs prior works if you enjoyed his modern masterpieces. This film isnโt as masterful, but you can definitely see the similarities and groundwork for his future movies. Itโs still a captivating story and youโll be dying to get to the bottom of it, so much so youโll probably research the events after the film and try to do a little detective work yourself. A great film in its own right if you wanted real performances of police officers in despair, racing the clock to catch a heinous criminal.
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