User reviews

A good South Korean thriller with a fantastic premise, but ultimately brought down by its over-the-top action sequences. Its really too bad the director though the movie needed more 'action scenes', when the suspense and storyline provides more than ample amount of excitement! South Korea is proving to be one of the most exciting filmmakers in the world, but this entry just barely lives up to that title. There are FAR more exciting and well put together SK movies out there, such as, 'Oldboy', 'Memories of Murder', 'Mother', 'I Saw The Devil', and quite a bit more.

Full Review at: www.simplefilmreviews.com/2014/05/confession-of-murder-2012.html

This movie was on my radar for a long time. Saw this recently n got thoroughly entertained.

I finished this 2 hour movie in one sitting without pausing or fiddling with my phone. I didn't even take a pee break.

The first 9 mins is filled with a brutal fight sequence n heart pounding chase sequence and then within 3 minutes it gives another jolt.

The car sequence is very entertaining n fans of Fast n Furious will enjoy it.

And the reason why the killer chose the alleys n rooftops rather than running straight is appropriately explained.

The plot in short - A serial killer after killing ten women appears before a cop and taunts him before disappearing for 15 years and after the expiration of the statute of limitations, the killer emerges again and publishes a book depicting the crimes he committed in the past with 100 percent accuracy and since the law cannot book him, the victims' family members try to kill the killer.

This movie was a strange mix of cartoon-funny, thriller, noir and drama, all packed in an adventure.

There are some twists you don't see coming, and when they do, they come down pouring. Some may find them predictable but considering the pacing of the movie I do not deem most of them predictable, except the first one, and this is not actually good all because of timing. Since I do not intend to share any spoiler here, it will be hard for me to explain my point of view, but I will give it a try: The movie twist-bombs you during a single scene of confrontation up until which you had time to dwell on possibilities but wouldn't, in my case at least, because I was too busy savoring the rich performances, an already gruesome and captivating story, and even if I saw a twist coming and try to wrap my head around it, it was hard for me to let the next twist sink in amid all the empathy the story and some of the performances forced me to experience. The shockers in this movie are serious in content and this crowd of twists causes a desensitization in the viewer that doesn't let the whole thing sink in. Where there could be a punch, these are like successive little slaps in your face.

I find the cartoonishly unrealistic scenes in the movie to be a treat. It was nice to watch but it also had a function: it gave a glimpse of the new characters that were introduced, the way a caricature does.

The social commentary is where the perfectly executed noir steps in. A great satire to public perception of psychopathy and how it is engineered by media. Might give some insight to those clueless people out there who haven't yet realized how we transitioned from denouncing behavior that exudes lack of empathy to glamorizing it, condoning the criminals it breeds, because, you know as well as I do how much we are attracted to people in Wall Street as they speculate and kill our future with a single phone call because of all that sexy hair and slick outfit and their "intelligence". Well, there is no "high functioning" psycho in the movie, but the commentary nails it nonetheless.

It is the pacing of the later twists with respect to twist content that led me to give this one an 7. The punch vs slap thing, in other words.

It is a great thriller tainted with abundance of stuff at the cost of more important stuff. The actors in this movie did a great job and character development could have been much better had the script allowed room for it. Come to think of it, this movie should have been at least half an hour longer. As it is, it feels like they crammed it all in 1.5 hour so as not to cut it short.

If you are binge thriller watchers, watch this one. It is a nice Korean thriller by all means. If you look for more in a movie, then I think it is still worth to give a shot. My guess is that you will be both delighted and disappointed but you will be nowhere near "what did I just watch?". No. This one's better than that.

The bad: Really highly improbable car stunt and other action scenes that had the likelihood and ludicrousness of comic book writing. People jumping from rooftops; out of moving vehicles onto hospital gurneys or tops of other cars while fighting as if no more dangerous than on a kitchen table top, etc. I wasn't sure if it was meant to be spoofing movies that go cheaply overboard in that direction, or not. Decided not, that they were serious. A sadly laughable distraction that lessened the intelligence of the storyline. The good: As others will state it has a novel crime thriller twist and turn structure not seen elsewhere. Kudos for that.

Overall score = 6.

I really liked the movie. If you like movies that hold your attention and are full of plot twist, this movie is for you. Hollywood dreams of being as creative as Korean thrillers, and this is one of those.

The movie starts out tense, catches your attention right away and honestly didn't expect as much twist as it had in the movie. Go beyond the IMDB average 7, this movie deserves to be appreciated.

Confession of Murder is a movie that starts off all over the place... with a lot of weird cinematic and thematic choices that make the movie look very unrefined, but by the end you're left with a movie that stands its ground as a decent enough crime thriller with very interesting twists and turns.

And while what I will remember about the movie is its overall plot, it still irritates me to think that the viewing experience too could have been so much better had the director trusted the core of his own movie a little more. The odd and intrusive pacing, the over-the-top action, the comically exaggerated settings, the commercialized reveals, the unclear camerawork, the choppy editing... all seem to point at a lack of confidence during the making of the movie. And I wish it wasn't the case because this movie had the potential to be a more-than-decent crime thriller with a fresh take on the genre.

But nonetheless, by the end of it, the movie offers you a solid 2 hours of entertainment and fun. So go for it if you have the chance!

Don't watch the trailer, go in blind. That's my advice before seeing this movie. I can't explain the plot, it will ruin the movie.

It's a great thriller in my opinion, where it falls short is the forced and Hollywood-esque action scenes, there is no need for them and they feel out of place.

I would have given this movie a higher score if the director had pulled back on the action scenes, the story and the characters are great. I really enjoyed this movie overall. It's a thriller that needs to be seen!

Wow, impressive opening scene. The film is so well made and with the serious plot, it is a pity some of the scenes were made as comical as they did. The comic relief seemed completely out of place for this type of film. Thankfully, they abandon this during the second half of the film. After the halfway mark, we're hit with twist upon twist - and its both fascinating and shocking. Shi-hoo Park was excellent in his role. Notably, Yeong-ae Kim was also excellent as Victim's Mom.

When the big reveal comes about who really wrote the book, a lot doesn't really add up and some of the character's actions are questionable, but that aside, this was one of the most intriguing Korean films I've seen. The action scenes are so well made, it feels as if you're part of the action. The film's final moments are indeed a heart pounding adrenaline rush.

I don't know exactly where to start. What I do know, is that the movie is incredible! Korean cinema has brought a lot of talent forward and they have made some incredible movies over the last 10-20 years. This just continues in that same line. Don't get me wrong, not every movie from Korea is phenomenal. But this one (that will clearly get a US remake sometime soon) has to be in the category of the great ones.

I don't want to spoil too much (the title does give you a hint, where this movie is taking you), but you will get more than just a question about morality here. There's also entertainment and suspense and a subplot that works pretty well. You might not understand some character motivations while watching it, but you will get it eventually.

I guess there is only one minor thing that you might be able to complain about. It's the fact that the movie could have ended a bit earlier. It seems that they "stretched" the ending. I still liked it, but I can see why people would have wanted it to end 10-15 minutes earlier, when "all is said and done" (though as it turns out, not everything had been done)

Jung Byung-Gil's (THE VILLAINESS) breakout film is brimming with so many great ideas and themes that it is bursting to the point of silliness. The creative editing and excellent camera work are on point, and the film never sits still enough to be boring, but even after the final twists and turns, you'll wish a few ideas stayed on the cutting room floor.

CONFESSION OF MURDER is the latest in a long line of excellent serial killer flicks from South Korea; some particular highlights of that list are I SAW THE DEVIL, THE CHASER and MEMORIES OF MURDER. This particular outing is slightly more unusual than most in that the actual killings are crimes of the past and thus the murderer is now unable to be brought to justice as something called the "statute of limitations" has now expired.

However, in all other respects, this is par for the course for the genre. Jae-yeong Jeong (WELCOME TO DONGMAKGOL) plays the hard-bitten detective hot on the trail of a slimy killer (played with relish by Shi-hoo Park) who's now become something of a media personality in a satirical sub-plot poking fun at the modern world's obsession with celebrities.

CONFESSION OF MURDER is unwieldy in places in its willingness to throw almost everything into the movie. It kicks off with an electric foot chase reminiscent of THE CHASER and closes with a motorway stunt lifted from TERMINATOR 2. Along the way there's some decent action which riffs on the BOURNE films along with a couple of unwelcome missteps into slapstick comedy.

Despite some oddball situations this remains compelling and engaging for the most part. The acting is strong, as is the direction, and the script doesn't disappoint. It's also unusual enough and tells a unique enough story to make it a worthwhile addition to this inventive and suspenseful sub-genre.

Asian thrillers have always fascinated me. This one is no exception. Although the climax could be much better. There are plenty of twists in the movie to keep you guessing.

Overall, a 6 1/2 out of 10 movie. The hero of the movie has actually done pretty good acting. The movie could have been shortened a bit. Running at the length of 1.54 minutes is a bit long. Although Korean movie "Memories of murder " is highly rated than this film. I suggest you to watch that also. Korean movies are always a delight to watch. Had to watch this with subtitles as my native language is not korean. Overall ratings: Direction 7/10. Story 9/10. Acting 8/10.

The latest Korean action-thriller to hit theatres in Singapore, 'Confession of Murder' is a gem of a film that can be compared to the likes of 'Old Boy' and 'Memories of Murder'.

At the heart of this movie is the tale of Detective Choi, whose quest is to capture the one thing that evades him. It's a very human resolve and one that is particularly relatable to the people of our time. We're not all cops searching for a suspect, but very much like Detective Choi, we have that one answer that we seek our entire lives and work hard to find out. The prevalence and influence of the media, plastic surgery, as well as blind devotion to a public figure have all been gracefully written into the script, and so surrounding that story is a context so rooted in reality that it could very well be our own daily lives.

The performances in this film are truly commendable, particularly those of the stuntmen for the deadly accurate execution of the stunts. In particular, the main actors brilliantly brought in the subtle aspects of their characters, in order to bring humanity to a larger-than life drama, effectively giving a hook for the audience to relate to the movie on a deeper level.

There is also dark humor in the movie, which brings some levity into an otherwise dark world that the audience becomes immersed in. One almost feels guilty for laughing, which is a testament to the irony of the humor. What makes the situation on screen so humorous is how exceedingly close it is to what would happen if such a thing were to take place in real-life. Such a thing is almost never portrayed in films for the sake of cinematic impact- but by doing the opposite, 'Confession of Murder' turns itself into almost a satire and criticism of popular culture.

This is one film that defines 'order in chaos' and does so with a great deal of style. The makers of it have taken a complex plot and planned it out with such precision that even to the non-Korean speaking viewer, the story being told is clear and concise. There is no beating around the bush with this film. The pacing is just right such that Confession of Murder never loses the audience's attention, and even at the most tumultuous times of this film (such as one of the many fast-paced dialogue exchanges), details are never lost. Even the action sequences have been tightly-choreographed in order to mould into the complex camera-work and it shows on screen as a beautiful and graceful wedding of skills from both cast and crew.

The twist at the end is also a reminder of what great cinema is and is capable of doing, i.e. shocking the audience by leaving out one aspect of the story and then revealing it at the end only to change the audience's entire perspective of what has happened all along. It is making the audience feel like they should have known better. It also proves the uncomfortable truth that we are capable of being fooled, and that reality as we perceive it is often imperfect.

In this film, the peripeteia then leads to a startling climax which fulfils the purpose of every character in this film before moving down into a resolution which leaves no loose ends untied. Indeed, 'Confession of Murder' is a film indeed worth watching and a tale highly relevant to our celebrity-obsessed times.

I can't tell anything from the movie, because everything would be spoiler. I was just amazed by the feeling of this movie.

It's a little bit faster, has more action involved, than most of the slow Korean thrillers. Maybe there is a little bit of Hollywood in it. The storyline is just amazing, the only bad things are some illogical, meaningless action scene, but I couldn't give other then 10 points because of that. I will be interested in the rating of this film, after hitting the theaters...

I recommend this to everyone, who likes original, interesting situations and story, and wicked twists.

A 2012 crime thriller from South Korea which goes kind of off the rails w/some problematic tone shifts. When the notion of an impending statute of limitations about to expire for a series of serial killings (is this a thing in South Korea?), the determined detective, Jung Jae-young, who was the lead investigator is at his wits end which doesn't help when the killer, Park Si-hoo, resurfaces, w/a book he's penned & becomes a media sensation which infuriates Jae-young since the book contains intimate details of the investigations w/the real killer, Jeong Hae-gyoon, getting wind of what's happening soon wants what's his; the attention & infamy. W/a cat & mouse game underway between killer & cop, the surviving family of the victims jump into the fray as well as they try to kidnap Si-hoo to compel him to reveal where his victims are buried (particularly the mother of a still missing daughter who also dated Jae-young) which ends up in a head to head to head match up between the three principles on live television where a reveal changes the dynamics at play. Once that last minute twist rears its head I pretty much had this one dismissed but other than the intriguing turn of events (please someone remake this one right!), there are too many veers of intention (a last minute over the top car chase, the humor in the shift in public opinion, et al) provides the narrative w/too many speed bumps to navigate.

There are no lack of examples when it comes to very sterling specimens of solid psychological crime thrillers to come out of South Korean cinema in recent years, and it's no different that Confession of Murder also belongs up there with one of the best the country has to offer in the genre. Written and directed by Jung Byoung-Gil, whose earlier film was the documentary Action Boys, he has shown that he's not all just about action, but has the knack in crafting a taut thriller with its fair share of twists, turns, and more importantly, providing it with such a tormented soul that will allow you to feel sympathetic for the victims involved, and root for retribution on the culprit. If that can be found out.

At first glance, the story seems simple enough, with Detective Choi Hyung-Goo (Jung Jae- Young) losing his opportunity to nab a masked serial killer who had claimed more than 10 victims in a random killing spree, with that obsession spiralling his life downwards with the ultimate insult added to injury when his mouth got slit by the killer's knife, leaving a deep scar he bears as a symbol to his failure. Fast forward to some 15 years, and with the Statute of Limitations expired, Lee Doo-Suk (Park Si-Hoo) comes out in the open to admit he is the killer responsible for the spate of deaths, and now releasing a book as a memoir and confession to his dastardly deeds. A little bit of an artistic license here I believe, since the Statute of Limitations is only for civil cases and not criminal ones like this, but let's not quibble and accept that it does pose an intriguing proposition, something like double jeopardy.

So begins the cat and mouse chase of trying to prove, or disprove that Lee was indeed that man more than a decade ago who had shattered the lives of many family members with his killings, and now arrogantly living the high life of a celebrity, no thanks to celebrity culture that we cannot understand fully, where cult followings grow out of the most bizarre of situations, and those who are good looking are automatically assumed improbable to doing the most wicked of deeds. With bodyguards in tow and the law shackled by its own statutes, there is little that Detective Choi can do except to sit back and witness media adoration, and rocket sales of a book that shouldn't have been published in the first place.

Similar to Park Chan Wook's Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, the events that unfold her include that of the impact to family, and how family decide to take it upon themselves in vigilante style to execute their brand of justice when the law gets paralyzed. In between the more emotional, dramatic moments where their pain get experienced with Lee's sheer audacity of a public appearance and confession, director Jung felt it was perhaps appropriate to inject extremely light comedy to diffuse heavier moments that were dangerously close to stagnating the narrative, with a wee bit of action for good measure as well. Something's not quite right, and there's more than meets the eye of course, when yet another man comes out to claim notoriety and responsibility to the serial killings, throwing everything you'd assume into disarray.

Which is a good thing of course, especially for the jaded amongst us who constantly think we have seen it all. What the story, also by Jung, did was not only to lapse into providing red herrings that were obvious, but to really invest an audience's time and emotions into the story. We learn about a select group of victims, and how their unnatural passing causes inexplicable pain to their closest ones, and the brilliance here is to make it really personal as well for Detective Choi, with vested interest to want to bring the murderer to justice, yet hampered by the same law he is sworn to uphold as an officer.

This primary dilemma, plus what I thought was the ultimate twist, followed by the obligatory finale pursuit, and emotional closure, was what made Confession of Murder a carefully thought out crime thriller, in a genre that's becoming increasingly challenging to have novelty and originality, but Jung showed there's still substance in the tank on top of having very polished and stylish production values rewarding the patient audience. Having the right cast was also half the battle won, with Jung Jae-Young as the detective and Park Si-Hoo the confessor sharing good chemistry opposite each other in this high stakes cat and mouse game. A definite recommendation!

Really liked this one. Good plot, good acting. With a bit less action à lá Fast & Furious, it could have been even greater.

Not the best South Korean movie and i love me the SK movies but this just got more and more stupid as it went along. I had to stop halfway through just to check i wasn't watching a comedy in the genres but no it said action thriller. The plot is stupid that a person can kill eleven people then walk away from their crimes after 15yrs then be allowed to profit from their actions. It's a great cast but like i said the story plot is just stupid and unbelievable.

It's a shame as could have been so so much better and enjoyable.

Featuring an intriguing premise, cleverly plotted for the most part & portraying a very unsettling side of society, Confession of Murder is another impressive outing from South Korean cinema that continues the Asian film industry's trend of delivering one solid revenge thriller after another without showing any signs of fatigue and even though it's not amongst the finest examples of its genre, it's a good one nonetheless.

The story of Confession of Murder concerns a police detective who is haunted by his failure to capture a serial-killer 15 years ago when, after the expiration of statute of limitations, the killer publishes an autobiography describing each one of his murders in gruesome detail through which he claims of repentance for his crimes. But his authenticity is soon questioned when another person claiming to be the real killer turns up.

Directed by Jung Byung-gil, this is his mainstream feature film debut & even though the story suffers from few scenes that are far too outstretched or predictable, it's a solid start to his mainstream career. Screenplay is another fine aspect as the twists are nicely timed & events unfold in a steady manner, camera-work shows a dynamic range from frequently edited cuts to lingering shots & music also has a nice vibe to it.

The performances are good with both lead actors constantly challenging each other but the one problem I have is with some sequences that seem unnecessarily exaggerated, not to mention the CGI elements which look mind-numbingly horrible. Yet, the best part is the society it portrays where the supposed serial killer becomes a media sensation due to his good looks & gets his own fan following despite the unforgivable acts he committed.

On an overall scale, Confession of Murder might be predictable despite its twists n turns and isn't further helped by its non-linear narration which doesn't contributing much to the cinematic experience anyway but it's another fine addition to the long list of dark thrillers South Korea has been churning out since the dawn of the new century. It is no masterpiece, not even close to one, but the final ride still feels more satisfying than a mere disappointment.