Dark entertainment

Rating: 7/10 (6 March 2020)

Absolutely brilliant in its first few scenes (and a damn good first hour), which set the tone for a wild ride and showcase director Park Chan-wook's impressive visual flair. The mystery of what's happening to this guy is intriguing, and as he himself tries to figure out, we get a very creative fight scene in the corridor (among lots of other things, cough, octopus). It's no wonder Tarantino liked this film so much, as its main theme is revenge, it goes for those big, squirm-inducing shock moments, and it's quite stylish. For me it fizzled a bit in the second half, as I saw more of the nemesis character and the story was revealed. Much as I tried to suspend disbelief (and not think too much about the misogyny), several big moments in the plot seemed contrived, and it seemed kind of messy, wanting focus. Still entertaining though, if you're in the mood for something dark.