I haven’t seen many Korean films till now, and this film is only my third. And I must say, if Korean films are generally like this, then I’ve been missing out on a lot till now. I’m impressed, no doubt about it!
A Korean police detective, Lt. Choi was working on a serial killer case, which got all too personal as the killings went on. But after a chase on a rainy day which leaves him with a Joker-scar, the murderer altogether vanishes, and does not reappear again. But after the passing of the statute of limitations (15 years since the last crime), a self-confessed serial killer pens a memoir on his killings, ostensibly to repent for his crimes. But doubts begin to surface in the detective’s mind as the book-promotion campaign of the serial killer gets underway. Is the writer the serial killer? If so, why didn’t he have a clue of what happened to a missing woman connected to the case? But if not, then how did he know the intimate details of each of the murders? Questions abound within the detective, and the viewers. And on the other hand, some of the victims’ families decide to take matters into their own hands, and dispense their own band of justice. I won’t reveal any more of the story, but I promise this will be a real fun ride.
These two got some cat-and-mouse thing going on…
The film’s ambience is maintained for the most part, although I must say I wasn’t very enthused about some of the action scenes in the movie. In the sense that the action choreography itself was excellent, but it had no place in the psychological thriller CoM was meant to be. The action parts kind of ruin the atmosphere of the film, and their appearance feels a tad jarring. Also, sometimes the people’s reaction towards the murderer verge on the unbelievable.
The acting though, was not lacking in any department. Jung Jae-young as Lt. Choi is intense in his role. And Park Si-hoo, who plays Lee-Doo seok, was at his devious best as the self-confessed serial killer. Especially the intensity of the chemistry between them two. The movie doesn’t slack off anywhere in intensity, that’s for sure.
Worth watching, especially if you like psychological thrillers and Korean films.
RATING : 7.3/10
PROS :
– story
– acting
– mind-games
– atmosphere
CONS :
– unnecessary action scenes
– some parts are a bit too unbelievable
gamingotaku575 