A riveting slow burner from Korean director Lee Chang-dong, Burning evolves, on the surface at least, from a romance story into a metaphysical thriller.
The dow-eyed, stoical Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) bumps into Haemi (newcomer Jeon Jong-seo), a former school classmate and girlfriend, in the streets of Seoul. Spending time between the city and the impoverished family farm, Lee Jong-su becomes drawn into a menage a trois with Haemi and the wealthy Ben (Steven Yeun), an enigmatic playboy.
Adapted and expanded from a Haruki Murakami short story, Burning is a powerful psychological portrait with its distorted perceptions, building up to a shocking finale that is tragic but not wholly unexpected.
Rating; 81%
Director: Lee Chang-dong (Poetry, Secret Sunshine)
Writer: Jungmi Oh, Lee Chang-dong (Poetry, Secret Sunshine) – adapted from a short story by Haruki Murakami
Director: Yoo Ah-in (The Throne, Veteran), Jeon Jong-seo, Steven Yeun (Okja, TV’s The Walking Dead)
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