80
A haunting score and beautifully atmospheric cinematography by Kim Hyung-gu round out the achievements of this unique and engaging Korean thriller.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
100
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
Suspenseful, surprising, and psychologically rich.
80
A powerful, slow-burning portrait of human fallibility.
80
Washington Post by Desson Thomson
As exciting for its narrative twists and turns as for its Korean textures and rhythms.
80
The Hollywood Reporter by Frank Scheck
Uses dark humor, incisive characterizations and social commentary to infuse its familiar detective tale with a distinctive flair.
80
The New York Times by Manohla Dargis
What distinguishes Memories of Murder, setting it apart from rank-and-file thrillers, is its singular mix of gallows humor and unnerving solemnity.
67
Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov
Becomes something of a rainswept Korean koan on both the nobility and futility of persistence in the face of obviously insurmountable odds.
90
Village Voice by Michael Atkinson
It's an altogether remarkable piece of work, deepening the genre while whipping its skin off, satirizing an entire nation's nearsighted apathy as it wonders, almost aloud, about the nature of truth, evidence, and social belonging.
90
It takes enormous skill to pull off such a high-wire act without diminishing the gravity of the situation, but Bong and his first-rate cast are up to the task.
50
Seattle Post-Intelligencer by Sean Axmaker
The script is as sloppy as Song's unkempt cop, sprinkled with intriguing ideas and imaginative details that, like the investigation, simply get lost in blind alleys.
The real event that this film is based on is a murder mystery that is unsolved to this day, thus giving viewers no clear answer or a satisfying sense of closure. But in spite of that, Memories of Murder is still filled with dramatic conflict and is extremely captivating all throughout. I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the very end!