Memoir of a Murderer

Not to be confused with the 2017 Japanese film 'Memoirs of a Murderer'.

A very clever script delivers a nail-biting movie, with a great premise. 'Memoir of a Murderer' is an interesting mystery thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. The fact that Byung-su - excellently portrayed by Kyung-gu Sol - suffers from dementia, adds to the suspense. As the film progresses one wonders whether the reality is indeed as he perceives it to be. Is Buyung-su's mind really playing tricks on him, or does he actually remember events as they happened? This mystery intensifies towards the end as the film is filled with twists and surprises.

'Memoir of a Murderer' is another perfect example of great South Korean cinema. I enjoy the unpredictability of their films, and this is no exception. Brilliant!

Memoir of a Murderer suck's you in from the very beginning. That's what SK writers are so good at doing. They don't rush the development of characters. They give them believable backstory's then let it play out at a slow rate. A lost art for U. S. writers.

Even tho the main character was a serial killer now with dementia you really feel for this guy, the sense of loss he is living with. I'm not going to give anymore away plot wise, but if you want to watch some great films look up the SK ones, they have taken over Hollywood.

I'm glad they did, you can only watch so many Superhero films without losing your mind....

I can only assume that to be true - I only watched the theatrical cut. Which is more than fine - don't get me wrong, but from what I've read about the Directors cut ... that is where the money is at. Or the cuts ... or the action ... or the extended ending for that matter.

Having said all that, the movie is another great example of an excellent (thriller) movie from South Korea. I am almost surprised I haven't heard anything about an American Remake yet. They probably can't keep up remaking those great movies ... sometimes getting them (somewhat) right, but also often just plainly failing in getting to the core that made movies like this one great.

Excellent performances and a moral complexity that will make your head spin. And that is without all the narration, the what is real and what is not. Just when you think you've guessed everything right ... another twist will sweep you of your feet. But it is the humanity of the story, it is the character driven (great) acting that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And scenes where a match lights up the dark revealing ... something "sinister". And being more shocking (as in horror) than your average horror movie from the States.

So while I have unfortunately not seen the Directors cut (yet), I can only imagine I would like it even better and go the full 10/10 on it ... be it as it may, this is an excellent watch as well.

A couple of days ago I reviewed a Japanese movie, with the lowest rating possible, and there I stated that I rarely come across good Asian movies, unless they are Korean, and once again it's been proven right. What a difference when you watch a Korean and a Japanese movie. Memoir Of A Murderer (or Salinjaui Gieokbeob) is a movie with surprisingly good twists and turns. The acting is much better than any Japanese movie where they tend to overact all the time. I wouldn't score this movie high for the acting but for the story itself, which is entertaining to follow and with a good mystery feeling. So once again I'm impressed by the Korean movie makers, clearly the best out of Asia.

The lead is one of SK's finest actors, and the actor who plays the younger villain is also extraordinarily talented. The stalking and fight scenes are well executed and become vicious as they would between two serial killers. Writing, direction, and acting are all excellent, though there are definitely some plot holes, especially about the "daughter", and a rather strange open-ended bit at the end. Still, this is a fine movie: SK simply knows how to make them.