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Memories of Murder (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:29
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: Memories of Murder blends the familiar crime genre with social satire and comedy, capturing the all-too human desperation of its key characters.
Synopsis: Based on a true story, Memories of Murder is a Korean suspense thriller offering an unusual fusion of death and laughter, while recollecting truly nightmarish events. This is a true story. In... Based on a true story, Memories of Murder is a Korean suspense thriller offering an unusual fusion of death and laughter, while recollecting truly nightmarish events. This is a true story. In a small town outside Seoul, over the course of six years, 10 women were raped and murdered in a 2km radius. Korean society's first serial killer took the lives of 10 victims, ranging from a 71 year-old grandmother to a 13 year old schoolgirl. As time went on, the methods of the killer grew more bold and well-planned. One victim was stabbed 19 times in the chest, while another victim was found with nine pieces of a peach embedded inside her. Other than the victims, the killer left not a single shred of evidence. Over 3,000 suspects were interrogated. At least 300,000 police took part in the massive investigation. But not a single person was indicted for the crimes. This is a story about the detectives. At a time in Korea when a murder investigation only meant grilling those who knew the victim, for these officers everything was a new experience. There was no profiling mechanism, nor any idea of preserving the crime scene for forensic investigation. Only search and interrogation based on the detectives' sense of duty and persistence. In this age of ignorance, two detectives at the bottom of an ill-supported police force, have only themselves to rely on to face this horrific series of events. The film reminisces about a time of innocence when the inability to comprehend such heinous acts led to unbelievable mishaps and harrowing nightmares. Both death and laughter infuse the "Memory of Murder." -- © Palm Pictures [More]
Director: Oh Bong-Joon
Director: Oh Bong-Joon
Studio: Palm Pictures
Reviews for Memories of Murder
Almost single-handedly resuscitates the moribund serial killer genre.
Utiliza seu mistério (real) envolvendo o primeiro serial killer sul-coreano para fazer um forte comentário político e, no processo, cria uma narrativa tensa (mas também divertida) povoada de personagens tragicamente ineptos.
...merits mention alongside Silence of the Lambs and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer...offers an incisive analysis of the culture that produced the crime.
Low-key, unassuming, and crafty in the way it slowly gets under your skin, Memories of Murder is a sly and smart thriller.
What's singular in all this is the director's angle into the material, which is subtle, difficult to pin down, elusive.
An involving and skillfully mounted film from Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-Ho that's based on a true story.
Bong not only has an eye for beauty there are some gorgeous shots of the country's farmland but for the absurd.
Uses dark humor, incisive characterizations and social commentary to infuse its familiar detective tale with a distinctive flair.
The foregone conclusion only adds an extra layer of fatalism to this tale of ineffectual authority and abusive power.
Memories of Murder is such a taut, effective thriller it's a shame you have to read subtitles to gauge just how good a movie it is.
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