In a time before DNA, CCTV and serial killers were ever really heard of, Memories of Murder tells the story of one of the more famous serial rapists / murderers in Korea who continued his reign of terror over the course of six years in a small town outside of Seoul.
From 1986 to 1991 the killer remained elusive, and as time went on, the methods of the killer grew more bold and well-planned. Ten women were raped and murdered within a 2 km radius, ranging from a 71 year-old grandmother to a 13 year-old schoolgirl.
One victim was stabbed 19 times in the chest, while another victim was found with nine pieces of a peach embedded inside her vagina. The killer never left a single shred of evidence. There were over 3,000 suspects who were interrogated, and at least 300,000 police took part in the massive investigation.
This movie centers around the main detectives who handled the case at a time in Korea when a murder investigation only meant interrogating those who knew the victim or harassing the most likely suspects.
Detective Park Doo-Man (Song Kang-Ho) and Detective Seo Tae-Yoon (Kim Sang-Kyung) were the main two officers who investigated these crimes, often with opposing viewpoints. One believed he could catch a criminal by looking into his eyes, and the other by reading words from a file. Both were wrong.
What made things even worse was the fact that there was no profiling mechanism, and no real way to preserve the crime scene for forensic investigation. All they could do was search for clues and interrogate suspects based on circumstantial evidence.
The actors do a great job bringing the characters to life, effectively portraying their frustration and persistence in finding the killer. Throughout the entire film, there are explosions of temper, fights and accusations; all out of desperation to bring the never-ending spree of violence to an end.
The police’s desire to nab the killer led to some desperate measures. As the case dragged on, the detectives searched out well-known fortunetellers in the area to get clues to who the murderer was. Of course, this led them in several wrong — and sometimes comical — directions.
Because this is based on true events, the story speaks for itself. The lighting, colors and ambience of the entire movie are very well done and reflective of the somber events that took place those many years ago.
The movie itself is a solemn reminder that not all stories have a happy ending, and not all evil is vanquished.
Memories of Murder (directed by Bong Joon Ho) will be in theaters for a limited time on October 19 and 20, 2020. You can also stream it digitally starting on October 27th if you prefer not to venture out to theaters just yet. If you like suspenseful crime dramas this movie will definitely resonate with you long after the credits have rolled.
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