Memories of Murder
In a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
Directed by Bong Joon Ho · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 131 min · 2003
Trailer
Director
Bong Joon Ho
Studio
CJ Entertainment / Sidus Pictures
Release
02 May 2003
Runtime
131 min
Genres
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Full Plot
In 1986, in the province of Gyunggi, in South Korea, a second young and beautiful woman is found dead, raped and tied and gagged with her underwear. Detective Park Doo-Man and Detective Cho Yong-koo, two brutal and stupid local detectives without any technique, investigate the murder using brutality and torturing the suspects, without any practical result. The Detective Seo Tae-Yoon from Seoul comes to the country to help the investigations and is convinced that a serial-killer is killing the women. When a third woman is found dead in the same "modus-operandi", the detectives find leads of the assassin.
Cast & Characters
Park Doo-man, the lead detective
Song Kang-ho
Seo Tae-yoon, a detective from Seoul
Kim Sang-kyung
Kim Roe-ha
Cho Yong-koo, Park's partner
Kim Roi-ha
Sergeant Shin Dong-chul
Song Jae-ho
Sergeant Koo Hee-bong
Byun Hee-bong
Officer Kwon Kwi-ok
Go Seo-hee
Jo Byeong-Sun, the second suspect
Ryu Tae-ho
Baek Kwang-ho, the initial suspect
Park No-shik
Park Hyeon-gyu, the third suspect
Park Hae-il
Kwok Seol-yung, Park Doo-man's girlfriend and then wife
Jeon Mi-seon
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $2.8M, Memories of Murder has grossed $26.0M worldwide — about 9.3x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Within a year of its debut, Memories of Murder was received as a cult film.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
On September 9, 2002, Bong announced the start of filming in a press conference held at the Kumho Museum of Art.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Memories of Murder holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (262,200 votes), 82/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.1/10 on IMDb (262,200 votes), 82/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Memories of Murder's IMDb rating?+
Memories of Murder has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 262,200 votes.
What is Memories of Murder's Metacritic score?+
Memories of Murder has a Metascore of 82/100 on Metacritic.
Is Memories of Murder good? What are critics saying?+
Memories of Murder holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (262,200 votes), 82/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Memories of Murder?+
Memories of Murder has a runtime of 131 min.
Who directed Memories of Murder?+
Memories of Murder was directed by Bong Joon Ho.
Where can I watch Memories of Murder?+
Memories of Murder is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, BFI Player, BFI Player Amazon Channel, Curzon Amazon Channel, BFI Player Apple TV Channel, ITVX Premium, Apple TV Store, Sky Store, Curzon Home Cinema.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to the movie "Memories of Murder" appears to be overwhelmingly positive, with many reviewers praising its unique blend of dark comedy and intense drama. Reviewers highlight the film's technical excellence, particularly in terms of editing and cinematography. The movie has been described as a masterpiece by some critics, with Song Kang-ho's performance being singled out for praise.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Doch eines ist sicher, alle die sich auf das koreanische Kino einlassen können werden bei „Memories of a Murder“ mit einem Film belohnt, der nachwirkt, der nach dem Abspann nicht nur ein weiterer gesehener Film ist. Man liest es vielleicht aus dieser Rezension raus, dass „Memorie…
Michael · 8/10This is cracking serial killer drama from Bong Joon Ho - with some superb performances - that tracks a police investigation trying almost every technique known to man to trace a rapist/murderer who is terrorising young women (especially if it is raining and if they are wearing re…
CinemaSerf · 7/10Summary: 10/10: one of the greatest crime films of the 21st century, a perfect marriage of Bong's satirical instincts and his capacity for devastating emotional truth. This is a great mystery film featuring comically inept police detectives, and it stands as one of the best Korea…
badelf · 10/10
From the trailer's comments
Song Kang-ho, who was already a famous actor at the time of filming "Memories of Murder", accepted the casting of an unknown director Bong Joon-ho because of their special relationship. When Song was an unknown actor and Bong was the assistant director of a movie, Bong was the on…
@SungOnce · 5194 likesKorean movies has this unique way of adding comedy stuff to every movies, and I love it
@Diyworld9285 · 4416 likesThe trailer looks darker, whereas the film has some comedy relief
@Dannik23 · 3183 likesI'm 1000% sure David Fincher referred to this movie for the movie <Zodiac>. Memories of Murder was 4 years earlier.
@d48FSHFN · 125 likesthis is a masterclass in trailer editing. even Fincher saw this trailer and was like "woah"
@impatrickt · 119 likesBong Joon Ho is like a novelist. He has his own genre and own style of storytelling. Incredible director and his craft is very him.
@mariazippy233 · 884 likesThis is one of the best crime films in history.
@gintomino4136 · 85 likesPeople recognizing Bong Jon Hoo because of Parasite. You haven't seen his best yet.
@spati86 · 4775 likes
