Thanks to Squid Game, BlackPink, BTS, and Parasite, the US has fully embraced the Korean cultural revolution. Forgotten in this explosion is the incredible Park Chan Wook, who’s been trailblazing stateside since 2002 with his fascinating movies and TV shows. Decision to Leave is his latest, another amazing example of the high wire acts of filmmaking only the greats like Wook can pull off.
Detective Hae-jun (Park Hae Il) is called in to investigate a murder of a rich mountain climber (Park Yong Woo). Despite all signs pointing to accidental fall, Hae-jun feels the need to investigate anyone close to the man, first and foremost, his wife Seo Rae (Tang Wei). Seo Rae gives a strange enough interview that Hae-jun feels compelled to follow her. The more he follows, the more he becomes enamored with Seo Rae, despite Hae-jun’s seemingly solid marriage with Jung An (Lee Jung Hyun). Also, the more he follows, the more his objective view of the murder investigation risks becoming…messy.
In that story are pieces of all sorts of famous historical movies. Park Chan Wook, a student of film history, weaves in a greatest hits of cinema into Decision to Leave. Hitchcockian thriller is all over the story, as large chunks of Hae-jun’s detective work and relationship with Seo Rae feels like Vertigo: the South Korean update. Never content to rest on just one story, Wook then weaves in a little Fincher thriller action a la Gone Girl with some Jackie Chan like broad action comedy. And as a finish, we get the Wook take on a Wong Kar Wai movie. What makes Decision to Leave so potent how the amazing director blends this 3 movies together. Bold editing choices unmoor the audience just enough from reality to make every Hae-jun/Seo Rae interaction achieve that necessary dangerous sexy chemistry necessary for the Hitchcock parts. Wook uses time jumps and dark humor to get us into the Fincher/Chan mindset, which leads right into a feeling of longing, missed connection, and sadness, perfect timing for the Wong Kar Wai movie to take hold. Tonal swings like that are right in Park Chan Wook’s wheelhouse; Decision to Leave is just the latest example of seeing a master at the top of his craft.
Park Chan Wook the movie cook (you’re welcome) succeeds because of his top billed pair. Park Hae Il makes for a great thriller lead. Starting pretty buttoned up, we see how Seo Rae and the cases she’s involved in make his suppressed raw passion bubble to the surface, nearly impossible to contain. Tang Wei, the veteran Chinese Actress, makes the most of her ability to communicate in Chinese and Korean here. Seo Rae has feet in a bunch of different world, never quite feeling at home in any one, except maybe with Hae-jun despite the weird circumstances that bring them together. Wei brings a simultaneous mix of vulnerability and danger to Seo Rae, making her the perfect heroine for Decision to Leave. The chemistry between Hae Il and Wei is palpable every second: a perfect forbidden romance tale that gets the audience hot and bothered, longing for more.
2022 was already pretty crowded at the top with great films like Everything Everywhere All At Once, RRR, and the Northman. Joining the worldwide movie menagerie is Decision to Leave, Park Chan Wook’s latest play for South Korean filmmaking king. Bong Joon Ho has hit the higher peaks, but for my money, Wook has the much more interesting movie career. If you haven’t seen Oldboy or The Handmaiden yet, check out the streamers and get on it, ASAP.