Memories of Murder

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Gonzalo T Not a single frame is wasted. Unnerving and unsettling, yet strangely easy to watch. Like Parasite, it’s one of those rare films you wish you could unsee—just to experience it for the first time all over again. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review Charlotte H Clever, anxiety inducing, funny, thought provoking and beautifully crafted. Please, if any Hollywood producers are thinking of an American remake, don’t ruin the ending with a resolution, the ambiguity of the ending, his look to the camera, is just perfect. Don’t spoil it… Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/16/25 Full Review Jeremi B Il faut l’admettre d’emblée, Memories of Murder a pris quelques rides. Son rythme lent et contemplatif tranche avec les standards actuels du thriller, exigeant du spectateur un état d’esprit particulier, une sorte de lâcher-prise face à l’attente d’action ou de retournement spectaculaire. C’est un film qui demande à être vécu plus que regardé. Et malgré cette lenteur, il captive par sa richesse psychologique. Ce qui frappe, c’est le contraste entre le ton presque naïf du début, voire enfantin et la tournure sombre et introspective qu’il prend après une trentaine de minutes. On glisse progressivement dans une ambiance lourde, teintée de frustration et d’impuissance, reflet d’un système policier dépassé par son époque. Le regard sur la Corée du Sud des années 80 est précieux : peu connu du grand public, le contexte sociopolitique et technologique du pays est au cœur de l’intrigue. Les méthodes d’enquête archaïques, les tensions sociales, et la détresse des policiers face à une énigme qui les dépasse ajoutent une épaisseur au récit que l’on ne trouve pas dans les thrillers conventionnels. Les personnages ont chacun ses failles, ses obsessions, sa propre lecture de la vérité. Leur humanité rend l’histoire d’autant plus troublante. Et puis vient cette scène finale... une conclusion brute et poignante, suspendue dans le doute. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/10/25 Full Review Alexander Sinclair Harrington A Now here lies a motion picture most deserving of the highest praise, verily, the very pinnacle of the cinematic arts. From its masterfully woven narrative, to its richly drawn characters, its haunting atmosphere, exquisite cinematography, stirring music, and deliberate yet gripping pacing... this work chills the soul in the most profound manner. I have indulged in a fair number of films in my time, and I dare say that Korean cinema ranks amongst the finest in the world. Memories of Murder is no mere exception; rather, it stands at the forefront of this remarkable tradition. A true masterpiece in every sense. Real cinema. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/26/25 Full Review James J Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder is one of the most immaculately crafted films ever made. Released in 2003, its direction, pacing, and tonal control feel decades ahead of their time. It shifts effortlessly between grim procedural and quiet existential horror, never losing focus or momentum. Visually, it’s stunning—fog-drenched hills, rain-soaked fields, and oppressive interiors all shot with precision and weight. The script is lean and layered, every scene revealing more about the case and the characters unraveling within it. Song Kang-ho delivers a performance of rare depth and vulnerability, equal parts gripping and heartbreaking. Few films haunt you like this one. It lingers, not because of what it shows, but because of what it refuses to explain. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/18/25 Full Review Anton E One of the finest films blending the genres of detective mystery and dark comedy. What struck me most was how the movie gradually shifts your perception of the characters — you go from resenting them for their obsessive desire to prove the suspect guilty, to feeling utterly helpless alongside them when they realize, too late, that they may have gone after the wrong man. The film’s ending is especially powerful. The use of the final shot — where the main character stares through the screen, as if looking directly at the audience — feels particularly appropriate. It’s as though he’s still searching for the one he’s been hunting the entire film, only to find himself lost, with nothing but uncertainty. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 06/15/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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