Memories of Murder
Composite Score: 84.6
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Roe-ha Kim, Jae-ho Song, Byun Hee-Bong, Seo-hie Ko, No-shik Park, Park Hae-il, and Mi-seon Jeon
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Writers: Bong Joon Ho and Sung-bo Shim
Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Box Office: $1.20 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Memories of Murder is Bong Joon Ho’s adaptation of the stage play Come and See Me by Kwang-rim Kim about provincial police detectives in the 1980s struggling to solve a serial murder case in their small town. The story is based on the true events of South Korea’s first documented serial killer, with details and locations inspired by the actual case. The film stars Song Kang-ho as Detective Park Doo-man, a local detective who claims to have “the eyes of a shaman” that can see criminal tendencies in the eyes of his suspects, and Kim Sang-kyung as Detective Seo Tae-yoon, a detective from Seoul who is determined to solve this case by the book, focusing on documents and proper police procedure. The film remains one of the best crime thrillers of the century, keeping the audience guessing and engaged for its entirety. It has been applauded as one of the best Korean films of all time and, more specifically, one of the best films from writer/director Bong Joon Ho.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Memories of Murder is an excellent film worthy of a watch from most audiences, but it is also a very difficult film to watch. The details of the serial murders include some pretty dark stuff, and the practices of the police in interrogating and seeking out suspects tend to be just as dark and difficult to process. These aspects are necessary to the character of the film, but they don’t make it an easy film to palate. Some viewers might want to do a little bit of reading up on the content warnings of this film before committing to it fully.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Memories of Murder provides a prime example of how great the genre of mystery/crime thriller can be. It delivers quality content on all of its levels: The mystery is easy enough to follow but impossible to predict. The crimes are sickening but not to the point of forcing you to turn it off, just to get you to root against the perpetrator. The thrills are high, keeping you guessing and on the edge of your seat as you strive to see how this will all work out. To top it all off, Bong offers a bit of social commentary on the divide between rural and urban society and on the state of policing in South Korea even while keeping the police – the primary objects of his criticism – as compelling protagonists. Song and Kim aid in his endeavor by providing excellent performances as increasingly overwhelmed and underprepared detectives, scrambling as they fall into the depravity that the chase drives them toward.
The greatness of Memories of Murder lies in its excellent execution of so many facets, with well-acted leading performances and a story that is one of the most compelling and engaging of its genre, deserving a place of recognition. Its content can get a little heavy, meaning this isn’t necessarily a film for the constant rewatch list, but you will be hooked once you start it. It is currently available to rent on most streaming platforms to get that watch going.
