A young woman is raped and murdered in a small South Korean town. The police force looking at the case may be from a rural area, but they have seen their share of murders. Except there's one thing that makes this one different: no evidence. It appears that the killer is a professional - he's systematic enough that they have nothing to go on. Soon after, there is another murder. And then another.
"Memories of Murder" is based on the true story of the first serial killer case in South Korea from 1986 - 1991 which remains unsolved.
Leading the case are two different detectives with two very different methodologies - one from the big city, one from the country. I know that sounds like every buddy cop movie ever but the movie is good enough to make it seem fresh and real. Aside from the almost total absence of guns, there's another aspect that makes this movie rise above the formula - it counterplays the drama of the situation with black humor. South Korea, after all, was under a dictator at that time and police brutality was not unusual. In one scene of the movie, when a detective is unhappy that a suspect will not confess, he dropkicks him after a running start. In a later scene, same situation, another dropkick of the suspect.
Scenes like these are at the heart of why this movie works - it has such a delicate balance to strike and it succeeds. We want justice so we root for these cops but we watch them use brutal tactics and it reminds us of that they're not exactly "the good guys". We want them to succeed to catch the killer and yet, in moments that show their bumbling ineptitude, it works as comedy. It's a very strange and unique stew of feelings and genres.
"Memories of Murder" does all of these things well - it's smart, it twists, it turns, it leaves us guessing. So what's wrong with it? The problem is just the movies format. Police officers trying to track down a serial killer in a procedural drama is something we've (perhaps literally) seen a hundred times before. They find clues, they investigate leads, they bring in suspects - even if these elements are done well (and they are) they can't possibly have the same impact after 3,000 episodes of "Law and Order" have aired.
A very good film - interesting and entertaining - and with a very strong and memorable ending. But it just doesn't rise to the level of being great.
6/10.
Total "Top 250" Movies Seen: 370.
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