Cult 101: Memories of Murder (2003) 4K Restoration
Director: Bong Joon Ho Run Time: 131 min. Rating: NR Release Year: 2003
Starring: Byun Hee-bong, Kim Roi-ha, Kim Sang-kyung, Song Jae-ho, Song Kang-ho
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Cult 101 at Gateway Film Center
A celebration of the best cult films of all time.
See more Cult 101About the film:
Memories of Murder originally premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival where Bong Joon Ho won Best Director.
In 1986 Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, after two women are found raped and murdered, Seoul detective Seo Tae-yoon is brought in to help local detective Park Doo-man with the investigation. As more bodies are found, the pair realize they have a serial killer on their hands.
“Compelling thrills, visual prowess, dark comedy — it’s all vintage Bong, and the first real sign of a master in complete command of his craft.”
– John Nugent, Empire
Inspired by true events, Bong Joon Ho’s sophomore feature blends true-crime with social satire and even comedy in his typically masterful fashion. Memories of Murder (2003) marks the first of the filmmaker’s critically acclaimed projects with frequent collaborator Song Kang Ho (2019’s Parasite).
About the filmmaker:
Bong Joon Ho is a South Korean filmmaker known for the meticulous directing, social critique, blending of genres, and quick tonal shifts in his movies, many of which he also co-wrote. He gained a cult following with his darkly comedic feature debut Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) before breaking box-office records in his homeland with crime drama Memories of Murder (2003) and monster movie The Host (2006). He followed up with the critically acclaimed Mother (2009) before making his mark on English-language cinema with the spectacular sci-fi fantasy Snowpiercer (2013) and the fantasy adventure Okja (2017), which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. His 2019 film Parasite is often hailed as his masterpiece; it won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and became the first foreign language film to receive the Academy Award for Best Picture. His newest film, Mickey 17 (2024), is based on the sci-fi novel Mickey7 by Ashton Edward.
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