Beautifully shocking...shockingly fresh

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2005)

Forget everything you know about conventional cinema. No stereotypical wire fighting here, just a twisted story, ultra-violence and tragedy - all presented with a tremendous sense of irony and an in-your-face style that puts most American action/suspense/genre pictures to shame. Director Chan-wook Park intends to disturb and shock the viewer with graphic scenes that dare the audience to look away. The subject matter is disturbing and really challenges social taboos, but hey, so does South Park. Min-sik Choi is the Gary Oldman of Korean cinema. Menacing one moment, as helpless as a kitten the next. One of the most powerful single performances I've ever seen.
Modern cinema's much needed blood transfusion flows from Korea.