Memories of Murder (2003) – 8/10 – Subtle, Haunting, and Amazing Cinematography
‘Memories of Murder’ is a South Korean police thriller based on the true story of ‘Hwaesong Serial Murders,’ which was South Korea’s first serial killer. It is the year 1986. A small Korean region has a serial killer on the loose, raping and killing women in grotesque manners. Two detectives are assigned to investigate the murders and bring in the culprit. They go through suspect after suspect, using questionable tactics like torture to force out confessions. The murders continue, so they bring in a third experienced detective from the big city, Seoul. They methodically work through the evidence as more murders continue and suspense mounts. The police are truly ill-equipped to handle something on this scale. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers. The filming is from the perspective of the detectives, but the atmosphere is dark, haunting, and dramatic.
This was my first time watching a Korean film, and I was impresed by what I saw here. The technicals were amazing, especially the cinematography, camera work, and haunting background music. The acting was sensational by the principal detectives, making you recognize their desperation every step of the way. You feel what they feel, allowing you to feel empathy for the monumental task they are undertaking with no prior experience. The pacing is not always fast, but you don’t notice it has slowed down. You go in with certain expectations, and it ends up surpassing them. I noticed a couple of flaws, such as a somewhat shaky camera out in the field. It might have been intentional to create more tension.
Would I recommend this? While not a must-watch, I enjoyed it enough to recommend it. I felt the subtitles and story were easy to follow without confusing me at any point. Many moments in the film reminded me of ‘True Detective’, ‘Insomnia’, ‘Zodiac’, and ‘Silence of the Lambs.’ If you enjoyed any of those, this film is on that level.
