[FILM] Memoir of a Murderer

My head is losing the memories. But my hand remembers the habit of killing.

Kim Byeong-soo

It has been a very long time since I last watched Korean cinema but hey, no regrets starting it again with some classics. Memoir of a Murderer was definitely something I have heard of but did not get the chance to watch until Netflix started streaming it days back.

The thriller is based on a South Korean novel written by Kim Young-ha with the main character Byeong-soo being a murderer who ends the lives of people who he thinks deserves to die. Murders of young women are happening in towns but the story only truly begins when Byeong-soo accidentally hits a car driven by a policeman Tae-joo who is hiding a secret in his trunk.

I have to admit that film has got me hooked since the first minute. The cinematography and especially the greenish hue really gave me the chills; it is as if I am in the bamboo forest and am one of those unfortunate slain victims of Byeong-soo. The constant flashbacks as cleverly illustrated by the precise editing also captured the essence of an Alzhemier’s patient well. But what left a deeper impression of me was the acting. It was superb and Sol Kyung-gu and Kim Nam-gil really did executed their roles well. My favourite scene was the one where Byeong-soo got his memories mixed up (again) when in the deserted house in the forest, much to the annoyance of Tae-joo although that part soon turned into a bloody and ultra-violent struggle between both men.

Would recommend watching this show although preferably to watch it in the day; the show just gives literal chills.