Memories of Murder (2003)

Last updated:
August 4, 2025

Memories of Murder is a haunting crime drama directed by Bong Joon-ho, based on the real-life serial killings that terrorized South Korea in the 1980s. With stunning cinematography, layered characters, and a bleak tone of ambiguity, it’s considered one of the finest films ever made in South Korean cinema—and arguably one of the greatest crime thrillers of all time.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Opening: A Quiet Countryside Shattered

Set in 1986 in the rural town of Hwaseong, the film opens with the discovery of a brutally murdered woman in a field. Detective Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho), a local cop with questionable methods, is assigned to the case. He believes he can “see a killer in someone’s eyes” and is quick to fixate on suspects with little evidence. The early investigation is chaotic and marked by police incompetence, missing paperwork, and a lack of forensic knowledge.

Detective Seo Enters the Scene

Detective Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung) arrives from Seoul to assist. He represents a contrast to Park—he’s methodical, evidence-driven, and believes in doing things by the book. The tension between these two characters creates a dynamic central conflict. Together, they struggle with a growing list of victims and dead-end leads, as more women are found raped and murdered under eerily similar conditions: rain, red clothing, and a particular song playing on the radio.

The Case Deepens

The pattern begins to emerge—victims are targeted on rainy nights after a specific request is made on a radio show for the same song. The investigation becomes more desperate, more violent, and more fractured. One suspect, a mentally challenged young man, is forced into a confession through police brutality—only for it to be discredited later.

The detectives eventually zero in on a soft-spoken factory worker named Park Hyeon-gyu, who matches the psychological and physical profile. He becomes their most promising lead. But every time they get close to something concrete, it slips away. DNA evidence is sent to the U.S., but the results take weeks.

The Tragic False Hope

In one of the film’s most chilling scenes, Seo becomes convinced of Hyeon-gyu’s guilt and prepares to shoot him in a dark tunnel. Park, ironically, urges restraint. The tension is unbearable. Just then, the results come in: the DNA does not match. Their suspect walks. The detectives are crushed, and their relationship fractures under the weight of failure.

Movie Ending

The film ends years later, in 2003. Park Doo-man has left the police force. He is now a salesman, seemingly domesticated but still burdened by the unsolved case. Driving through the countryside, he stops at the original crime scene—the field where the first victim was found.

A young girl tells him that a man recently visited the same spot, reflecting silently. When Park asks her what he looked like, she replies, “Just ordinary.”

He stares into the camera. He looks into us. It’s a moment loaded with existential dread. He still doesn’t know. We don’t know. And the killer is still out there.

This haunting final shot doesn’t offer closure—it lingers. It accuses. It stays with you long after the credits roll.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, there are no post-credits scenes in Memories of Murder. The film concludes with a poignant and heavy emotional impact that doesn’t need an add-on. The final scene is the lasting image.

Type of Movie

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Mystery
Tone: Bleak, atmospheric, slow-burning
Style: Neo-noir realism, based on real events, with moments of dark comedy and emotional devastation

Cast

Song Kang-ho as Park Doo-man
Kim Sang-kyung as Seo Tae-yoon
Kim Roe-ha as Cho Yong-koo
Park Hae-il as Park Hyeon-gyu
Byun Hee-bong as Sergeant Shin Dong-chul
Song Jae-ho as Chief Shin

Film Music and Composer

The haunting score is composed by Taro Iwashiro, blending melancholic piano and string motifs to enhance the film’s atmosphere of dread and despair. The music is used sparingly, allowing the eerie silence and environmental sounds (like rain, insects, wind) to heighten the tension.

Filming Locations

Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea – The real location of the actual murders.
Filming took place in small villages and countryside fields, echoing the real-life case’s rural setting. These locations play a vital role in the film’s tone, portraying a society isolated and unprepared for such evil.

The mundane yet eerie landscapes reinforce the theme: evil doesn’t need a gothic setting; it can exist in the most ordinary places.

Awards and Nominations

Won:

Best Director – Grand Bell Awards (2003)
Best Film – Korean Film Awards
Best Actor (Song Kang-ho) – Korean Film Critics Awards

Nominated:

Cannes Film Festival – Un Certain Regard (2003)
Blue Dragon Film Awards – Multiple nominations including Best Film and Best Screenplay

Behind the Scenes Insights

Bong Joon-ho conducted years of research, including interviews with the real detectives from the case.
Song Kang-ho improvised several moments, including the now-famous “look into the camera” ending.
The real Hwaseong serial killer wasn’t identified until 2019, 16 years after the movie’s release.
Bong described the shoot as physically grueling, especially the rain scenes, many of which required artificial rain machines for days on end.
Bong had a hard time casting Park Hyeon-gyu—the role had to feel like he could be guilty or completely innocent.

Inspirations and References

Based on True Events: The real Hwaseong serial murders (1986–1991), South Korea’s first known serial killings.
Loosely inspired by American crime films such as Zodiac and Se7en, but with a distinctly Korean social and cultural lens.
The screenplay is adapted from the 1996 stage play Come See Me by Kim Kwang-rim, which was also based on the case.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no publicly known alternate endings, but Bong Joon-ho did consider showing the real killer in the final scene. He eventually chose ambiguity over certainty, which arguably made the ending more powerful.

Some deleted scenes explored Seo Tae-yoon’s descent into obsession more deeply but were cut for pacing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

While not based on a book, the film’s script draws from:

Police records
Interviews
The original stage play

The key difference from stage and case: the film ends unresolved, emphasizing moral ambiguity, while the stage play leaned more toward justice.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

The fake confession scene with the mentally disabled suspect—heartbreaking and disturbing.
The failed stakeout in the rain, with the song playing and no killer showing up.
The final confrontation in the tunnel—utterly nerve-wracking.
Park’s final look into the camera.

Iconic Quotes

Park Doo-man: “I can tell just by looking. The eyes. You can’t hide that.”
Seo Tae-yoon: “There was too much we didn’t know.”
Final Line: “Just ordinary.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The killer’s MO (rainy nights, red clothes, request songs) is exactly how the real killer operated.
Bong Joon-ho appears briefly as a factory worker.
The film’s lighting becomes darker and less colorful as the case grows colder, reflecting emotional decay.
The final girl Park speaks to represents a younger generation, now living with the mystery of the past.

Trivia

It took 15 years to identify the real killer, Lee Choon-jae, through modern DNA analysis in 2019.
The revelation confirmed that Bong’s portrayal of the police’s incompetence was tragically accurate.
Bong Joon-ho said he visited the crime scenes during research and was deeply affected.
The film was South Korea’s official entry for the 2003 Academy Awards (though it didn’t make the shortlist).
David Fincher’s Zodiac is often compared as a thematic companion piece.

Why Watch?

A masterclass in tone, pacing, and mood.
A chilling exploration of justice, failure, and uncertainty.
Song Kang-ho delivers one of the greatest performances in Korean cinema.
It’s a film that rewards rewatching—loaded with detail, nuance, and psychological complexity.

If you like your thrillers bleak, brilliant, and grounded in reality, Memories of Murder is an essential watch.

Memories of Murder (2003)