What an intricate movie. The second viewing really reveals how much Park has stuffed into this film. There are dozens and dozens of tiny details throughout that come back in some form later on. I’m willing to bet that a third viewing—this was my second, this time at the beautiful Barbican Cinema in London—will reveal even more.
Trying to put my finger on why this movie, as impressive as it is both visually and structurally, still feels somewhat unsatisfying. The issue is…
Surprisingly restrained for Park, who in the past has always been eager to show the psychotic underbelly of his protagonists at just the right moment. Here we’re left waiting—and wanting—a narrative dimension that never quite arrives. Or at least, it never arrives in an immediately recognizable form. There is so much packed into every sequence of this fast moving, confusing movie that it’s hard to keep up. Looking forward to another viewing to see what i make of it on a second go round.