User reviews

It seems to me that the hallmark from some of the best Korean Thrillers I have seen (Burning, Memories of Murder, Parasite, Chaser) are that they leave you unsatisfied and mildly infuriated at the end by the unclear ending, and by the incompetence of the protagonists.

It works both ways, because the incompetence of the protagonist to nail down the 'bad guy' who the audience knows is already guilty builds tension and suspense, and often is done with an extremely deft touch which makes their incompetence hilarious. But at the same time, it feels like it goes too far. The amount of coincidences and stupid decisions from the characters is almost too unbelievable. It should be so simple to catch and keep hold of the bad guy, but somehow they can never quite do it, which again, also leads to the tragicomedy nature of many of these films which is so entertaining, but also a little ridiculous and infuriating.

I think whenever you watch foreign films, no matter how hard you try, you miss a little something, and I would say I probably don't fully understand or appreciate what exactly this film was getting at. What am I supposed to feel? That no matter what you do, providence always has a way of intervening? That life is unsatisfying and that there are never any clear and clean answers and things are never quite as simple and rational as we hope?

All of this being said, of course it is an excellent movie. Well made, dramatic, but also very funny at parts, and I guess this review is proof that it makes you think. But the ending will leave you feeling somewhat unsatisfied, which might be the point.

The Chaser is a perfect circle of a hero's journey. The hero gets a call for adventure and during this he transforms.

The cinematography is quite gritty and the camera knows its place to create some well done frames. All actors do a great job. I couldn't quite grab the performance of the killers acting. Sometimes he seems a bit shallow. I think that character wasn't developed deep enough. But the cutting manage to disguise it quite well.

There are some plot holes which, in my opinion, are not that bad. Because the story focuses on the hero's journey and the circumstances that lead to his development. The pacing is spot on. Not one minute of the 125min feels stretched out or redundant.

If you liked I saw the devil (with 144min was a bit long), this will also be a treat for a killer evening. My recommendation for a triple korean killer feature: 1) I saw the devil.

2) The Chaser.

3) Memories of a murder.

One of the better Korean movies I've watched, I usually find Korean movies to be either over acted or downright cheesy but I watched this to the end even though I found the lead character a bit over the top and as I often wonder after/during Korean crime movies ''Are the police really that bad''

I rather liked it, directed by Na Hong-jin, but not as much with his later one of the The Wailing (2016) and having that folk horror element. I know that some prefer this and it is rather nasty and the girl having a bad time but it is thrilling and exciting, and again I like all the unusual buildings, gardens and streets and shops of South Korea. But again I don't really like with all the Asian humour. I know that the cops, certainly in these films, are silly and lazy but I don't really like all the slapstick, especially in the middle of a serial killer. Nevertheless this is very good, Kim Yoon-seok much running around, splendid with the girl's daughter and it makes for a change with all this fighting but without guns.

Honestly, I'm not going to say much other than that this movie was a package full of frustration. I couldn't enjoy the movie because you knew all along who was the culprit, and you just continuously watched how people made the wrong mistakes. I think you know what I mean, you'll be going like "AHH COMON MAAAAAAAAAN!!!".

Not sure if I was watching it in the wrong mood, but still, this movie does not deserve its score. I normally like Asian movies, but this one was just slow and painful. I also hate to be the negative guy, I mean, it's just that always knowing who the killer is, is just stupid. That's a part of the mystery. I do not recommend this movie to be honest, it's extremely frustrating.

The first half of the film had scenes which felt unnecessarily prolonged, while the story took its time create a real rhythm.

However the second half of the film completely took off. It became extremely disturbing and suspenseful for the rest of the film without any pointless scenes, which is exactly what you want from a crime thriller.

The acting and directing were also superb.

Excellent Korean serial killer chase movie. Well made, brutal and near perfect.

A pimp and ex-cop with a couple of girls missing sends a prostitute with flu who just wants a day off to a very unpopular customer's house. The other girls complain this guy is a freak and the cop starts to think he's the one kidnapping his girls, presumably to sell them. In fact, this john has been straight up wasting them because he's a serial killer. So when the pimp ex-cop tells the prostitute with the flu to memorise the guy's address and text it to him from the shower when she gets there the plan goes belly up and we end up with a something of an unpleasant situation.

This film looks like it's going to be all action and brawling and it does start out that way, but the mid-section is mostly procedural drama. That sounds boring but it's so smoothly handled, whilst remaining dramatic and unpredictable, that you won't get bored.

There is plenty of violence, lots of twists and turns and funny moments. The fact that the serial killer was based on a real-life one adds a creepy vibe to the whole thing. Definitely recommend this one.

This is a fun movie with strong acting and a good screenplay, however, like a lot of other Korean films, it is too long and the pace is too slow. There are a lot of flat spots in the middle that bog down the plot.

Chaser was a solid crime thriller that honestly had some interesting story and plot points that were made in a very good way that fits very well in a modern society .Story was like i said well made and it had good characters in it,but the best ones were our detective and killer and their talk in a station was well made to.Actors were also good as their characters and they done a good job in that segment.Ending had some captivating ideas that will shock some people but i also liked it how it was done.The Chaser was another good Korean thriller that done another good job

The south korean crime thriller The Chaser has often been compared to the likes of David Fincher's "Se7en". While at times it does remind us of Se7en, the treat here is a bit different. The Chaser's directing is undeniably very good. Photography and filming are a feast to the eyes. Plus, The Chaser doesn't forget to make itself believable: details like the main character running and slipping on the floor while chasing a suspect getting up instantly will make you interested on the uncertainty of that chase's outcome, as of the plot's outcome. And that is only an example. However, this is also The Chaser's flaw. While trying to be realistic, there are periods where the movie stalls, ruining the pace with more details, inconsequent characters are introduced, and one or two plot holes give themselves up. The Chaser is a quality crime thriller, even if it builds up too much expectations to end up flattening them. Visit thefadingcam blog for more!

Since David Fincher's Se7en, the serial killer genre has been plague by the same tropes: an insane (yet, smart) killer that torments the detective and the audience with his shocking taste for gory, elaborate murders. From mainstream thrillers, such as The Bone Collector-- to torture porn films reminiscent of the Saw series-- contain blatant Fincher's elements.

The Chaser follows the formulaic Se7en conventions;the film never transcends the genre. However, despite having a generic plot, the film manages to be entertaining with its excellent direction, and with the successful mixture of genres. The direction is astounding-- all the chase sequences are complicated, yet remain easy to follow. Like the most of the "Korean New Wave" films, it blends many different genres. In instances, it is horror, while in others it is comedy. The genre smashing never get out of control: it appears natural to the personality of the characters.

Despite being an entertaining,the film fails to reach greatness. The film simply contains too many directorial clichés that could of been easily avoidable. In addition,the soundtrack is poor, at best... it should belong on CSI type show, not in a major film.

I enjoyed watching the Korean film called The Chaser It is about a ex-detective turned pimp called Jung-ho. He is convinced that that his girls are running out on him. He sends one of his last remaining girls on a desperate last minute job. but he is too late and makes a bone-chilling discovery this home is the place that all the missing girls were last sent. He is now filled with fear. He goes on a terrifying chase through the city streets, suddenly a blood splattered suspect is thrown into the path of his car. Jung-ho is sure he has caught the killer who is involved. Be he has a lack of evidence to give to to police. Which means that the killer could soon be freed by the police force. I thought that there was a lot of good action happening in this film. and i found it to be a great Korean thriller.

The sub-genre of 2000s Korean crime thrillers is so good that even just pretty good ones like The Chaser are worth watching.

The intensity, brutality, and unpredictability makes them gripping but often quite exhausting watches (in a good way) and The Chaser is no exception in this regard.

It doesn't shy away from violence or depicting a police force that does far more harm than good, and features a good pace, solid acting and directing, and a story that mostly works despite it hitting many beats familiar to those of police procedurals, regardless of whether they're deconstructions and/or Korean.

Also: not related to the film exactly, but that poster is excellent.

This movie is good but not great . The best thing in this movie is acting .

Great movie with a great story. very well-made, -directed, and -acted. kept me invested throughout. and it was really good at making me feel the emotions it wanted me to feel. very suspenseful. recommended by Anas (1 viewing)

This is really not everyone's cup of tea. The film is indeed very well made, but I found it so good and disturbing that I actually don't want to see it again. It is very unpredictable. Yeong-hie Seo was exceptional as the last abductee Mi-jin Kim.

The police is depicted as completely incompetent idiots, actually. Not sure if this was the intention or if this is the norm, because I've seen the police act in similar fashion in other films. They really do the strangest things

Storywise, I expected a lot, I mean a lot more than what I've seen, since the movie is rated 7.9, but in the end, it delivered something else. It delivered the message, the true message that the producer wanted us to see. You can see all the flaws in the system, the police, the above all politician, the lazyness and carelessness the police men showed towards the accused murderer. You can see how prostitution is something normal and legal, like an everyday job, the even commercialise it. South Korean and Japanese acting always seems to touch me emotionaly, they all act so well. But like I said, storywise, I expected at least some what little twist at the ending, but I was sorely dissapointed. Anyway 7/10, nothing more, nothing less.

The path "The Chaser" takes is not the one usually taken or in the light for that matter. There's menacing atmosphere to its from dawn to dusk struggle, which is strangely inviting in its occasional humorous tone. The premise of serial killer is straightforward, but it has subtle details, the eerily real life feel in the streets and closed doors.

It focuses on a retired officer now branching to the other side of the law as a pimp. He loses girls on frequent basis recently, and while this man is the crude anti-hero, he's still protective of his girls, for many reasons. He decides to investigate it and soon finds out that a client might be involved, and so the night turns into a figurative and literal chase before the client gets another victim.

Acting is really well done throughout, the former detective looks very brash and unkempt, although he is completely driven to solve this case. The antagonist appears to be a man without empathy, he might look dazed or startled when faced against adversities, yet there's a hint that he would snap at a moment notice without even realizing the gravity of his actions.

Another good thing is the use of locations. The movie never seems far fetch, the situations are well designed and they do resemble the quiet time or bustling area. There's a slight tone of humor as well, the occasional banters give more respites even though the case gradually becomes more sinister.

"The Chaser" is a compellingly dark story, unapologetic for its bold moments and entirely riveting for one night stand.