Neol gidalimyeo

Hats off to this directorial debut. I discovered Missing You quite by accident and although it seems very understated it is a golden gem of this year. The film is on a par with top notch thrillers in the vein of The Chaser. It's the story of a psychopath who murders an entire family, and only a 5 year old girl survives. The killer is sentenced to only 15 years, which is not to everyone's liking, and upon his release he soon comes face to face with a now grown up lady who is determined to avenge her parents tooth and nail. To make things worse, there is a second serial killer on the loose, complicating matters for the police, who are quite capable thanks to the lead detective. The murders have grit, are decently brutal, and there are certainly no shortage of them. The film builds up perfectly, has an excellent soundtrack, the tension just oozes out of the screen to the point where I was breathless at times, and the ending climaxes in nothing short of a shocker. A well-deserved five stars for a perfect thriller from South Korea. Pluses: Suspense, brutality, brisk pace, excellent visuals, great villain. Minuses: None. 90%. (08.12.2016)