Safe Return Doubtful

South Korea – 2018 – Boening

This was the 2018 FIPRESCI (International Film Critics) Award winner and is from South Korea. It’s a cross of genres, romance / drama / thriller, but most of all a mystery that skilfully develops tension in unlikely moments. It’s slow-paced in its first half hour, and always understated.

Jong-su, the son of a farmer left to look after the business when father goes to prison, falls for Hae-mi, as aspiring writer. But when Hae-mi takes a holiday in Africa, she returns with an older man, Ben, who she has taken to while away.

When she goes missing, it seems no one is interested except Jong-su, who naturally suspects Ben.

There may be a murder mystery at the heart of it, but the film is about several other things, an allegory of class division, a fable of modern society, for example. Different people will find different themes. It’s a narrative built on questions, and very soon, perhaps after that first half hour, it becomes utterly compelling. It leaves many questions unanswered, and will need a lengthy period of contemplation to attempt to put everything in place.

The director, Lee Chang-Dong’s control of is extraordinary, balancing the various themes with skill. Its deep nuance, complexity and ferocious intelligence demands concentration, which is rewarded in spades.

IMDb score 7.5 / 10 – My Score 9 / 10