Lack of good storyline.

Boring

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

After about twenty minutes, we get the idea that the cops are corrupt, violent and stupid. But this movie belabors the point well beyond need be. I don't even care they never solved the case; from their ineptitude, that was a foregone conclusion from the start. I find it had to believe that there wasn't a single DNA lab in the Far East in 1986. Plus DNA results even today don't come back in a matter of hours like on CSI, or in days from overseas like in this movies. So 30 years ago, it would have taken considerably longer to get those comparisons from Korea to the US and back. I did like the lady cop. She had her stuff together.

How you gonna deliver such a powerful drama that gets us all worked up, just to leave us hanging!! This was a great movie. It wasn't so much about the victim's deaths or the murderer as it was about the people who were having to investigate it. I love movies that focus in on that aspect because you know that this stuff really stays with the investigators long after things come to an end. The cases they never solve haunt them. This is supposed to be a thriller and it does come with some suspense but it is more dramatic mystery than anything else. That was a bummer for me because I was never really on the edge of my seat so I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for big thrills and suspense. However, if you are looking for a mystery this is a great choice.

In Memories of Murder, Bong Joon Ho makes the audience feel the uncertainty and frightfullness the characters feel. This film has everything, with commentary on human nature to Korean politics. The directing and cinematography is absolutely beautiful, giving many shots of our main characters together in frame to show both their differences and similarities. The story is gripping all throughout, giving every character an arc, and the ending is absolutely astounding, if not all that satisfying. Bong Joon Ho put in years of work and it completely shows in this film.

Simply put, this is a well-made film. The story is gripping and realistic (and real), the characters are interesting and the actors engaging, the themes are explored in depth, the visuals are striking and original, the music and sound design are immersive, and the 2 hour runtime is expertly paced. It's a tense and thrilling story, a detective mystery with gray morality and no clear resolution, so it will leave you feeling unsatisfied and even scared at the world around you, but it feels real and humane.The central conflict is between two detectives solving a murder case. The older one wants to get fast results and isn't afraid to manipulate the evidence to get a conviction, whereas the younger one is more idealistic and wants to be sure of the killer's identity. But ideals are hard to cling to in the real world, as the movie shows.'Memories of Murder' has great photography. It layers its shots so that there is always something going on in the background, movement and detail and even some kind of mini-story, so I suggest you watch with a close eye.David Fincher's 'Zodiaz' is a very similar film, and a good one, so to fans of either one I recommend the other.