Memórias de um Assassino

Honestly, like I said, it's a good film but could've been better.

A good storyline combined with even better storytelling will make you feel totally hooked to the plot. You'll find yourself asking "Wait what?! Now happens next??" - after all, that is what we all like about good mystery thrillers, right? Well, this one is no exception. Good news is, there are multiple twists in it - making it even more watch worthy.

But unfortunately, although the plot that was being developed initially would seem perfectly balanced and flawless, it eventually loses the flow somewhere in the second hour - and continues to do so until the end. I was questioning myself throughout the first one hour "This one surely should've had a higher rating. Why this low?" Well, my take is that the disrupted flow is to blame for that.

Anyway, it's still a good watch. Definitely worth trying! Happy watching :)

The creativity of the whole plot is similar to "Memory Fragments", but too many reversals in the plot make the audience feel tired and weaken the theme. Especially in the end, we can't understand why we need to do more.

One of the biggest reasons other than availability in OTT that this classic has been missed en large by Indian audiences is that it is confused with Bong Joon-ho's immortal 2003 blockbuster Memories of Murder.

While Won Shin-yun's 2017 tale does not rise up to that level, it is nevertheless a compelling, gut-wrenching tale of deceit, violence and outright blatant evil that will constantly keep you guessing.

The brilliant Sol Kyung-gu plays a retired serial killer who is suffering from bouts of dementia and the onset of Alzheimer's Disease. He encounters another serial killer in the city only to have no one believe him because of his illness and to add insult to injury, the same killer starts to pursue his daughter as a love interest.

The story moves at breakneck speed from there, constantly throwing up unexpected surprises and twists till the audience is as confused and disoriented as the lead character with his constant memory lapses.

Following the same non-linear narrative as Memento (2000), the director excels at building up the suspense without ever dragging the narrative, threading the needle and keeping the audience on a knife edge.

A masterclass in storytelling among Korean thrillers. Watch the full director's cut if you want your mind blown again.

Highly recommended!

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.

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.