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Jemima Torguson
The Chaser (2008) - A Gripping Thriller Inspired by a Real Serial Killer
The Chaser (Korean: 추격자; RR: Chugyeokja) is a 2008 South Korean action thriller film starring Kim Yoon-seok and Ha Jung-woo. It was directed by Na Hong-jin in his directorial debut. Inspired by real-life Korean serial killer Yoo Young-chul, certain scenes were shot on location around Mangwon-dong in the Mapo District, Seoul.
The film follows Joong-ho, a former detective turned pimp who is in financial trouble because several of his prostitutes have gone missing. He suspects that a mysterious customer who has been calling his girls is behind their disappearance. He tracks down the customer, Yeong-min, and captures him after a chase. However, Yeong-min casually confesses to killing nine women, including Joong-ho's missing girls. He also reveals that one of them, Mi-jin, is still alive and hidden somewhere. Joong-ho races against time to find Mi-jin before she becomes Yeong-min's next victim, while the police are reluctant to believe his story and hinder his investigation.
The Chaser was a critical and commercial success in South Korea, earning US$35.8 million at the box office. It won 29 awards and received 25 nominations at various film festivals and award ceremonies, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards. It was also selected as South Korea's official submission for the 81st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but it was not nominated.
The film received widespread praise from international critics and audiences as well. It was screened at several film festivals around the world, such as Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and Sundance Film Festival. It was also released theatrically in several countries, such as France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, and United States. It holds a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 49 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The consensus reads: "A gripping thriller with enough twists and turns to keep viewers on the edge of their seats".
The Chaser is widely regarded as one of the best Korean films of all time and one of the finest examples of the Korean New Wave cinema. It has been compared to other acclaimed thrillers such as Memories of Murder (2003), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and Se7en (1995). It has also influenced several other films and TV shows, such as The Yellow Sea (2010), I Saw the Devil (2010), The Wailing (2016), The Chase (2017), and The Chaser (2012).
The Chaser is available to watch on Netflix in various regions. It has been released on Blu-ray and DVD with English subtitles by various distributors. The film has also been remade in several languages, such as Hindi (Murder 2), Tamil (Ratsasan), Indonesian (The Night Comes for Us), and Chinese (The Prey). A Hollywood remake is also in development by Warner Bros., with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to produce and star in it.
References
- Wikipedia: The Chaser (2008 film)
- Box Office Mojo: The Chaser
- Koreanfilm.org: Awards for 2008
- IMDb: The Chaser - Awards
- IMDb: The Chaser - Release Info
- IMDb: The Chaser - Release Info
- Rotten Tomatoes: The Chaser
- Empire: The Chaser Review
- Wikipedia: List of films influenced by The Chaser
- Netflix: The Chaser
- Amazon.com: The Chaser Blu-ray/DVD
- Wikipedia: List of films based on The Chaser
- Variety: Leonardo DiCaprio to Star in, Produce 'The Chaser' Remake