132 minutes of perfectly measured film

Rating: 10/10 (9 January 2020)

Like a five star dish, every minute of this film is superb, respecting the time it asks of you, the viewer, as it takes you through a roller coaster of highs and lows. It is not overly dramatic nor does deplete you emotionally, which is my typical fear with Korean dramas and thrillers. I must reiterate that you will not leave this movie with a sense of innocence lost, like your first reading of The Lord of the Flies or your first watching of Oldboy. The comedy cuts through the perfectly balanced two hours and change experience that Bong Jong Ho has prepared for you.
Avoid spoilers at all costs and dive in at the marvel of the story it can tell within two hours, as Hollywood struggles with two part films and making coherence out of overly packed blockbusters like Star Wars.
Perhaps a permanent entry into the Top 250 films of all time.