Mystery · Drama · Thriller
South Korean (버닝)
2018 · Directed by Lee Chang-dong · 148 min
Jong-su, a young man making ends meet with odd jobs, runs into a girl from his old neighbourhood. Soon a wealthy, composed stranger enters their lives. A quiet, slow-building drama of desire and suspicion, set in the gap between rural poverty and Seoul affluence.
Why it matters in cinema history
A key work of contemporary Korean art cinema and of the international festival circuit. It joins Murakami's literary fiction to the language of slow cinema and the thriller.
Watch with intention
Watch it as a thriller made from social detail: pay attention to what each person owns, wants and avoids saying.
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