Thanks to my friend Lacey for the hat tip on this one. I thought I had seen it, but turns out I was thinking of a different film. Another South Korean film that really illustrates the level of talent they have. This one is a police thriller based on a real-life series of killings, although I’ve read that it can also be seen as a metaphor for the competing political parties in Korea during the period in which the film is set. I must admit to being ignorant of that connection, but I might have to watch it again after I read up on it a bit.

The film deals with a series of killings in a small Korean town (city?). The local police are uneducated thugs, who care more about prosecuting someone than whether or not that someone is the right one. So to help solve the crime, an investigator is sent from Seoul, and his more “intellectual” methods of investigation bring him into conflict with the local detective in charge of the case. At its core, it’s nothing that we haven’t seen before, but writer/director Joon-ho Bong cements it well enough to Korean culture that it seems fresh. There’s still that aspect of slapstick silliness that I’ve noticed in other South Korean films. I’ve got to think that’s a cultural thing coming through. It wasn’t as jarring as it was in Confession of Murder, but it still grated on me, especially because there are some really chilling moments here. Without revealing too much, about :45 in there is a scene that takes place on a deserted road between the rice paddies that just made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Really well done.

I don’t think I liked it as much as some people have (probably because of that occasion breaking of tone I mentioned), and I found it a little predictable, but it’s still quite good. I think it might be made even better once I get the background on South Korean politics during that time period, if only by giving it a deeper context. The performances are good, and there are some interesting character arcs for the two detectives. IMDB gives it an 8.1, which was a little high for me. I’d feel pretty comfortable putting it in the 7.0-7.5 range, though. (running time 2:12)