"For a film about women getting brutally attacked and dispatched, the movie has no sense of urgency or underlying dread." - Jason Clark

Welcome to South Korea - the land of film-magic. A tour de force thriller, balancing on the thin border between humour and horror - an experiment, which most fail to grasp - in bongs hands, it feels as easy as ever.

For the most part reasonably entertaining, with nice cinematography and an interesting portrayal of police procedure, but dragged on from one suspect to the next without much point. There was a certain lack of suspense that was strangely at odds with an almost silly tendency at times toward the melodramatic. Some interesting things were going on thematically for a while, but in the end it wore a little thin.

First. Bong treats his film as was it his little kid, his wife, whatnot. Caressingly picking out images, colors (it seems), lines. Each framing becomes more than a depiction; a study in the depicted. Second. I think my love for a film like this, storywise, boils down to that odd korean cultural element that I most certainly do not understand. The sounds, habits, language. It makes so many things acceptable. Like having a both stupid and wise clown-cop in the leading role. How did that work out??

This movie's really damn intense. I need to see it again sometime.

Had no expectations for this one since I really didn't like The Host, so I was pleasently surprised by this movie. The "funniest" movie about a serial killer I've ever seen. And a great thrill too.

What makes this movie so unique is the country and the government it takes place under.

I'm not sure how many of the scenes in this film were meant to be comedic, but for me it shifted cleanly between a dark comedy and a serious drama without unbalancing its tone. Toward the end the film abandons its comedic pretension and swerves dangerously close to melodrama, but strong characters and a curious metaphorical conclusion transform the missing resolution from a flaw into an insight. The film's style is impressive throughout, and makes standard procedural scenes a delight to take in.

One of the best films of the decade. The cinematography is really impressive, and the unconventional storyline works on multiple levels.

very good thriller with an unusual winning combination of humor ( think hapless police) and suspense. has moments of beautiful imagery and an effective score as well. recommended.

When it's good, it's really great. It just seemed a little inconsistent.

This is a beautifully directed, well-acted and utterly haunting piece of art. The cinematography remarkably creates a wistful, sombre tone that underlies the fascinating narrative (loosely based on a true story). The director interlaces the dramatic tension with some hilarious moments of police ineptitude and the story is so twisted the audience becomes as befuddled as the protagonists. The opening and final scenes are delicately disturbing and evocative.