MEMORIES OF MURDER (Korea) ***1/2 film capsule by COOP

Available on DVD from Netflix: This entertaining South Korean flick is based on the true-story of the first recorded serial killer in the country’s known history (back in the 1970’s). When the police find the bodies of young women brutally strangled along rural routes of a small town, they capture, torture and beat confessions out of the usual suspects. However, bodies keep turning up while the suspects are in custody, so the baffled cops get help from a savvy Seoul detective who introduces new investigative techniques. As the cops begin to understand the mind of the killer, they start closing in, but the killer keeps one step ahead of them. Will they capture him in time? Will they capture him at all? This one reminded me of the film about the true story of the Soviet Union’s first serial killer, “Citizen X” (1998)*****, although not quite as powerful or poignant. “Memories” has too many comedic moments sullying the serious subject matter of the film. Besides that, I give it highest marks for its sad and haunting ending.
3 and 1/2 out of 5 stars.

The trailer’s pretty lousy and doesn’t translate well, but don’t let it fool you. This film tells a gripping story…