Category Archives: Korean Movies

Crime, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Thriller

Memories of Murder

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Memories of Murder – is a South Korean crime thriller released in 2003. The movie is based on true incidents of serial killing that occurred between 1986 and 1991 in  Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea. In a small city, a woman is raped and murdered. Soon the detectives realize it is just one of the many serial killings that occur. A local detective and a detective from Seoul with conflicting personalities have to team up to track down the killer and stop future murders.

This movie is directed by Bong Joon-ho prior to The Host. If you are fan of crime thrillers and serial killings this would be a must watch for you. The story is so intriguing and plots open up with even more complicated knot as the movie progresses. You might have seen similar plots in many movies in the recent times (I will leave that for your guessing :)) . But still this one is class apart from all those I have seen. As you see in The Host even in this movie there are some strong social takes. Weaving the current state of affairs into a script is brilliance of Bong Joon-ho. The lead actors Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung have given very engaging performances and the transfer in their personalities as the movie progresses is brilliant. 

Overall this movie is one of the best movies made on serial killing. This one is a must watch for all movie buffs.

Must Watch

Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, SciFi, Thriller

The Host

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The Host – is a South Korean science fiction and thriller released in 2006. As a side effect to the release of toxic waste into the Hans River an unknown mutated giant creature originates and starts attacking people. An affected family stands against all odds to fight the creature.

I was not very fascinated by the plot of a creature coming out of a river but still wanted to watch this because of the rave reviews it has got. I ended up liking this movie! For the firsts, it is not another Godzilla type movie. This has a very strong political statement against the US military dumping toxic wastes into the river. The movie has it scary, satirically funny and emotional moments. Apart from the socio-political statement what stand out in the movie are the way the screenplay has been written and the characterization of the people in the family. Everyone character is carefully thought and is a representation of various people in Korean society. There is a scene where in the father describes why his first son is so dumb and blames himself for the upbringing of his son. You would see many such instances which have been crafted in a satirical fashion. The lead characters Song Kang-ho and the girl Go Ah-sung playing his daughter has performed very well. Director Bong Joon-ho should be credited for taking up such a subject and telling a compelling story!

If you do not watch this movie superfluously but pay attention to the details of the scene and the plot you would enjoy it. This one is yet another master piece of South Korean Cinema.

Must Watch

Drama, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews, Suspense, Thriller

Old Boy

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Old Boy – is a South Korean suspense thriller movie released in 2003. A man named Oh Dae-su is abducted and imprisoned in a dark room for 15 years. In the meantime he learns his wife is murdered, he is the prime suspect for the murder and his daughter is adopted by a Swedish family. After 15 years he is released on the roof top of a tall building. He is out to find the reason why he has been tortured to this extent and vows to take revenge on his abductor.

The movie is known for its unique plot. It is strictly for mature audience for its content and it is gross in parts. The tone has been set like that to give the impact of the torturous life the lead character has gone through. As the movie progresses Oh Dae-su discovers the identity of the kidnapper and the story unfolds. The screenplay is done brilliantly and the climax would leave you dumb stuck. It is a movie that has the potential of keeping you disturbed and at the same time give a feeling of having watched a brilliant movie. The plot of keeping a man abducted in an unknown room for unknown reason has been used in various movies which had released later including the recent Tamil movie Ivan Vera Mathiri. Overall this is a must watch if you have open mindedness and have a strong heart.

Must Watch – not for the weak hearted

Action, Crime, Drama, Genre, Korean Movies, Must Watch, Rating, Reviews

A Dirty Carnival

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A Dirty Carnival – is a South Korean neo-noir film released in 2006. An upcoming film director Min Ho has to read a gangster’s life to create the script for his gangster movie. He follows and interviews his high school friend turned gangster Kim Byung-doo to understand the life of a gangster and make his movie. When the movie is released it is so close to the reality of the crime Byung-doo was involved in that he now has to kill Min Ho to save his secrets.

Sounds similar? Well this is the movie that many of the movie buffs have compared with Jigarthanda. Only the central plot is similar but the genre, treatment, the actual conflict and where the movie heads to is vastly different. They are two different movies with different story. So stop comparing the two movies.

A Dirty Carnival is a very serious gangster movie in itself. The movie is so realistic to the life of gangsters. You would see some realistic looking fights rather than the cinematic fights with visual effects. The movie right from the start follows Kim Byung-doo who is leading the life of a gangster and struggling to make his ends meet with an ailing mother, dependent brother and sister. The story is about his rise to power, his love for his childhood friend, his interactions with Min Ho for the movie script and the final conflict he gets into where he would have to kill his friend to live free. The story is very engaging right from the start. You would have the experience of looking into the life of a gangster. The performances, character buildup have been done very well. The editing of the movie is outstanding. If you are fan of gangster movies watch this one definitely.

Must Watch – for gangster fans