Burning (2018)

Director: Chang-dong Lee
Stars: Ah-in Yoo, Steven Yeun, Jong-seo Jun
Runtime: 148 minutes

Synopsis: Jong-su bumps into a girl who used to live in the same neighborhood as him, who asks him to look after her cat while on a trip to Africa. When back, she introduces Ben, a mysterious guy she met there, who confesses his secret hobby.

Performances: 10/10
Screenplay: 10/10
Costumes/Makeup: 7/10
Editing: 8/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 9/10

Verdict: A pure display of raw and elegant storytelling, "Burning" acts as yet another argument as to why Korean cinema is one that should be looked at more often.

The movie, which follows three protagonists played by Ah-in Yoo, Jong-seo Jun, and Steven Yeun (of "Walking Dead" fame), who give three of the best performances I've seen in a while and truly make their characters, with the help of a script that continuously contributes to their development, ones I won't get over anytime soon. From the very first second to the last, they made me forget that I was watching actors perform, and are a big part of the reason why "Burning" felt so incredibly real.
The movie, which to my surprise was snubbed at this year's Oscars, is also perfectly written and juggles between different tones in an astonishingly smooth way.

The best way of experiencing Chang-dong Lee's masterpiece is to watch it completely blind. It's a movie that rewards patience before anything else, and one that took me days to entirely process. So if two and a half hours long slowly paced Korean films don't scare you, definitely seek this one out!

FINAL GRADE: 10/10

To see how "Burning" compares to other movies released in 2018, click here.