A great film in virtually every way.

Rating: 9/10 (10 March 2005)

This is a great movie. The music is excellent, the acting is superb, and the plot is intelligent. The directing has artistic merit, and I would say it is as good as in movies like Requiem for a Dream and Amelie. However, the movie is more like Requiem for a Dream in its darkness and pacing (rising action to intense climax). It is a psychological thriller though, so in that respect is nothing like Requiem for a Dream (don't take the comparison too far). Anyways, the only complaint I can make about this movie is that there is one major fighting scene that is not very well done. In addition, there are some plot elements some people may not find believable enough for their tastes, but these people probably don't enjoy psychological thrillers in general. This movie is certainly not for young people or really conservative types. It is definitely for those people who like to watch mindf*ck type movies. Highly recommended. In fact, I would say this is the best movie I've seen all year, and this year I watched Requiem for a Dream, Hotel Rwanda, The Sea Inside and Brazil. Unfortunately, I simply cannot see the upcoming Hollywood remake doing it justice. Chan-wook Park (director) and Min-sik Choi (lead actor) are just so good that I think it is unlikely anyone in Hollywood will be found that matches their talent. The action scene will be improved in the Hollywood remake, though. Still, see it in Korean. It's almost guaranteed that the Hollywood version will be inferior.