Former serial killer Byung Soo gets diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The doctor tells him that it's due to the aftereffects of a traffic accident 17 years ago, the same accident that stopped him from his killings and allowed him to live a normal life with his dear daughter. So when a series of murders occur near his town, Byung Soo gets worried whether the killings are his doing during his memory lapses. But then he comes across Tae Joo and instinctively realizes that he is the serial killer. He reports this to the police. Byung Soo tries to find firm evidence that Tae Joo is a psychopath but only raises Tae Joo's interest in him and his daughter. And now, with his memory slipping, Byung Soo must find a way to protect his daughter from Tae Joo. (Source: ShoeBox) ~~ Adapted from the novel "A Murderer's Guide to Memorization" (살인자의 기억법) by Kim Young Ha (김영하). Edit Translation
- English
- magyar / magyar nyelv
- dansk
- Norsk
- Native Title: 살인자의 기억법
- Also Known As: Salinjaui Gieokbeob , A Murderer's Guide to Memorization , Sarinjaui Gieokbeop
- Screenwriter: Hwang Jo Yoon
- Screenwriter & Director: Won Sin Yun
- Genres: Action, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological
Where to Watch Memoir of a Murderer
Cast & Credits
- Sol Kyung Gu Main Role
- Kim Nam Gil Main Role
- Kim Seol HyunEun HeeSupport Role
- Oh Dal SooAn Byung ManSupport Role
- Hwang Seok JungJo Yeon JooSupport Role
- Kil Hae YeonMariaSupport Role
Reviews
MEMOIR OF A MURDERER is undoubtedly a very different sort of film. For the most part, it keeps you tensed and makes you interested in the screenplay. The film moves with a good pace, and there's hardly any unnecessary scene in the entire duration. The thrills are highly impressive and the emotional scenes too are well handled.
Sol Kyung-gu delivers a first-rate act. This is his first film I've seen and in many scenes he simply outdoes many South Korean actors. He never shows any inconsistency in the performance and is an actor to watch out for. Another praise to Kim Nam-gil, who wonderfully plays the character he's given. He's superb and is different in the portrayal of the kind of role he plays. Seolhyun is decent. Oh Dal-su is excellent as always.
There's some good humour which had me laughing out loud. The action is undoubtedly very well crafted and the final block will have the action buffs cheering up with energy. The cinematography is splendid and the visual/special effects are a treat to watch.
Director Shin-yeon Won makes the film not just enjoyable, but also a memorable one. The writers Jo-yun Hwang and Young-ha Kim also have done an excellent job. The final shot is totally jaw-dropping and is not to be missed.
MEMOIR OF A MURDERER is a marvellous and watertight action thriller which is a must see for South Korean movie lovers as well as those who love thrillers, dramas and action films. The film is a class apart and seriously, I enjoyed it more than any other South Korean action thriller. Now I'm waiting to watch the director's cut soon.
Prepare To Develop A Twitch From This Film, It Will Make Your Brain Hurt
What a fascinating twisty turny story this was about a serial killer chasing another serial killer! I had seen a clip of this film weeks ago and it immediately peaked my interest. That clip was the one of our main character Byung Soo rear ending a younger man Tae Joo with his car, then coming to find out Tae Joo has a bloody body in his trunk. That interaction was so well done and gripping I had to see the movie.I'll start with the acting. It's great all the way around, but especially from Sol Kyung Gu (Byung Soo) and Kim Nam Gil (Tae Joo). Those two acted off of each other so well! The daughter's actor Kim Seol Hyun was good as well, but her peak didn't really happen until the revelation about her father much later on into the film. There's some really nice cinematography in this. A couple unique shots stood out to me and I loved, then some others were meh and could've been tweaked. Specifically shots within the bamboo forest. Some of those could've been so cool if done differently. Overall though, really well shot! The music score was also really gripping, especially with the use of hard drums. Definitely made the suspense cling to you.
So with that all aside, let's move onto the plot. Like I stated before, the overall plot is really interesting. A serial killer would know how to track down another serial killer! Just by the way he thinks and plans. The dementia and alzheimers definitely made for another interesting plot device to keep the story going and make it more difficult for out main character. Whom I believe could've taken down Tae Joo sooner if not for the illness weighing him down. Sometimes though, the mental aspect felt overused a tad and it made things unclear what was real for awhile. Which could be very confusing for casual viewers. However, I don't consider myself one of those so I thought the solid not knowing was a highlight of the film, because it keeps you guessing and questioning. There's a period of the film where it kind of backpedals a bit, but eventually gets you moving forward again and I quite liked that.
That last act of the film was really solid, including the revelation that Byung Soo wasn't wrong or guilty of the current crimes being committed. Which led to an amazingly choreographed fight scene in the house. Another scene that happens before this that I really liked was the friend cop lighting the cigarette only for its flame to show Tae Joo's face in the shadows. That was really cool, shocking and very horror-esque. Dude opened the pack too early, because I'm pretty sure those cigarettes were meant to be lit after capturing Byung Soo but I could be wrong?
I am aware that this film is based on a book, which now I want to read. As well as there being a directors cut with an alternate ending. I didn't like this alternate ending and think viewers should stick to the theatrical cut, since the other cut is too obvious for me and not gripping like this one. Definitely watch the film though and don't get it mixed up with Bong-Joon Ho film "Memories of Murder" completely different film! Both worth a watch though!