Memories of Murder (2003)

Director: Bong Joon Ho

Stars: Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim, Roe-ha Kim
Runtime: 132 minutes

Synopsis: In a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.

Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 9/10
Editing: 8/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Verdict: Before David Fincher's "Zodiac" came out, Bong Joon Ho surprised the world with a somewhat similar film, also based on a true story, in which a trio of detectives work together on a case that involves the rape and murder of young women.
Considered by many, myself included, to be one of the best crime dramas ever made, "Memories of Murder" came out in 2003, a year that saw Korean Cinema reach a whole new level on the International scene as it also saw the release of the original (and I wish only) "Oldboy".

What makes "Memories of Murder" such a fascinating and memorable watch is not only the incredible performances and beautiful cinematography, but also the fact that it isn't really about the case itself, but more about the way it was handled and the relationship between the detectives. All three of them, played by Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim and Roe-ha Kim, are incompetent, egotistical personalities that clearly aren't equipped to handle such an investigation and even less qualified to be working together. They're obsessed in finding the culprit, or rather a culprit, not because it's the right thing to do, but because they want to be able to brag about it. They're prepared to use extreme methods in order to feed their egos, leading to them working against each other rather than together.

When it comes to movies like this, the detectives are usually portrayed as being the heroes of the story, but in that case their stubbornness led to more murders being committed. The fact that it's all based on real events makes the watch even more disturbing than it already is, and Bong, through both his writing and directing skills, knew exactly what to focus on in order to make it as gripping as possible. If you're a fan of films such as "Zodiac" or "Prisoners", then this is certainly not a movie to miss.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10