Barba Azul

What can I say about Korean crime and horror movies? When it comes to plot twists and character development Hollywood isn't even close. The plot centers around a middle aged Doctor whose life is in turmoil. He seems like your ordinary guy. This is one of the best movies I have seen in awhile it kept me enthralled.

The elaborate plot and the portentous South Korean setting prove vital in keeping this thriller thoroughly engaging. There's an undertone of horror right from the start of the movie but it's not overdone. What stops me from rating it higher are the convenient plot contrivances that pop up during the climax. It's a neat twist (after twist) at the end alright, but at times, it felt like two completely disjointed stories were being told.

Also, if you've seen your share of thrillers, the climax reveal wouldn't come across as a shocker either. The serial-killer element is what kept me wholly invested in the narrative - the trope, unfortunately, did not get the kind of layered treatment that I expected. Soo-Youn Lee unravels the twists in a slow-burn fashion, but the genre thrills are solidly placed. I'll admit it - it did work my brains for a good while, except for that ending. Why I keep mentioning the finale so much is because it made me feel like the writer initially took me on a mysteriously thrilling ride, then later took me on a completely different, less-thrilling one with an okay end-result. In other words, it felt very ready-made. Like, having to eat frozen food over freshly cooked.

Jin-Woong Cho delivers a chilling performance as the introverted doctor steadily losing control over what's happening around him. There are a few well-executed nightmare sequences that tease the director's interest in visual horror. There isn't a whole lot of violence (for a serial killer flick) but a decent amount of gore. If you are interested in a serial killer movie with umpteen psychological-thriller elements that need to be picked apart piece-by-piece, Bluebeard should be right up your alley.

Watch this movie because a lawyer who has a website about crime recommended it.. thought it would be a great watch.. but its just an average movie with predictable not so clever twists..

Bluebeard, obviously inspired the French folk tale of the same name, is a psychological thriller with many ups and downs that left me somewhat confused. Some parts of the movie were brilliant, others were underwhelming and even the resolution is partially satisfying and partially disappointing.

The story revolves around a young doctor who has recently been starting to work in a clinic in a suburb of Seoul that is infamous for its numerous serial killer cases. The young doctor doesn't seem to have the best relationship with his divorced wife, fails to bond with his progressively estranged son, has socially awkward behavior, is constantly overworked and lives in a very small apartment due to serious financial problems. One day, he overhears his anesthetized patient and landlord mumbling about decapitating a human being. When the torso of a woman is found in a river a few days later, the doctor immediately suspects his aged landlord and his awkward son to be partners in crime and a duo of dangerous serial killers. The young doctor starts investigating independently, thus putting himself in great danger.

On the positive side, the movie oozes with a mysterious and almost surreal atmosphere from start to finish. The settings are sinister and at times claustrophobic. Lead actor Cho Jin-woong does an incredibly convincing performance as shy doctor who is gradually losing control of everything around him. The movie includes a few nightmarish dream sequences that are visually stunning and flirt with the horror genre. The simple but creepy soundtrack blends in perfectly. The story is intriguing enough to keep you watching until the lengthy resolution unfolds.

On the negative side, the film has a slow and sluggish pace. One expects the film to shift into faster gear at a certain point but this just never happens. Some of the minor twists are somewhat predictable, as most of them simply turn out to be nightmares which isn't too creative. The resolution overstays its welcome and tries to surprise with a double twist. This only works when a movie is thoroughly thought through like the brilliant A Tale of Two Sisters but Bluebeard is filled with incongruities and leaves you scratching your head rather than being amazed by a clever plot.

In the end, Bluebeard is worth your attention if you like slow-paced atmospheric psychological thrillers that challenge you to think along. However, the movie overuses its plot twists which end up being confusing or even nonsensical. Genre fans can give it a try but if you aren't too familiar with Korean thrillers yet you should watch A Tale of Two Sisters, Memories of Murder and I Saw the Devil before giving this one a try.

Note: Check me out as the Asian Movie Enthusiast on YouTube.

"Bluebeard" is about a doctor who moves into town for business, but suspects that the local butchers are actually murderers.

The first thing to understand about "Bluebeard" is that this is not your typical South Korean thriller that showcases a serial killer. The violence is tempered, with only a small amount of bloody imagery, none of which is particularly graphic. There are no highlight suspense sequences or exhilarating moments of intensity. Instead, this movie builds uncertainly with no therapeutic release for the viewer at all. This is not a crowd-pleasing feat of fun entertainment. It's more like a technical exercise in creating a traditional murder mystery with a lot of misdirection on the part of the filmmakers. This is a glacially paced movie that focuses heavily on psychology. And in that sense, I thought it did a good job.

If you decide to watch this movie, make sure that you're in a thinking mood. "Bluebeard" requires a bit of effort on the viewer's part because you must pay attention to the little details in order to appreciate the misdirections. In classic murder mystery style, I was constantly trying to figure out how to make sense of all the clues and pinpoint the identity of the murderer. And that theory changed as more evidence was presented to me.

I do think that some viewers will find this movie to be too slow for their liking. Again, there's not much "excitement" to this one, and it moves as slow as molasses in January. Even the answer to the murder mystery itself is revealed in a very matter-of-fact way. Some people may not be a fan of that either, especially if they're expecting a more intense conclusion.

But I do think that the positives of "Bluebeard" outweigh any negatives. I previously mentioned the proficiency of the murder mystery elements, but this film has very good direction as well. The director here is Soo-youn Lee, who previously gave us "The Uninvited" from 2003 – a very impressive psychological horror film that I strongly recommend. If you've seen that one, you'll know what to expect from "Bluebeard." Performances are also very good, across the board.

If you're in the mood for a slow burn, check it out.