9.9 - While containing many layers of metaphors, Burning approaches complex themes with such simplicity, resulting in a beautiful psychological mystery thriller.

Enjoyment: 4.9/5 | Quality: 5/5

How can a film be so simple, yet so complex? So soft, yet so brutal? Lee Chang-Dong somehow manages to pull off such impossible task with Burning.

True to its name, the film is a slow-burn; the kind that tests the audience's patience as the runtime spans over 2 hours and 30 minutes. Packing with many details and foreshadows that simply act as hidden expositions, the film respects the audience's intelligence by showing rather telling. Chang-Dong brilliantly crafts tensions in such intriguing and ambiguous manner so that the revelation is more rewarding. There is a hypnotic quality to the film that begs for the audience's attention and refuses to let go until the final haunting frame. There is a lot to unpack regarding the layered themes that I simply need more time to think about, but as for now, Burning is one of the best film Korean cinema has to offer.