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Burning
버닝
2018 148 min South Korea, Japan 18+
★7.9
Mystery, Drama, Thriller
Director: Lee Chang-dong
🎭 Based on
«Barn Burning»
byHaruki Murakami
Trailers
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EN
Teaser
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Description
Deliveryman Jong-su is out on a job when he runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his neighborhood. She asks if he'd mind looking after her cat while she's away on a trip to Africa. On her return, she introduces to Jong-su an enigmatic young man named Ben, who she met during her trip. One day Ben tells Jong-su about his most unusual hobby.
Budget:
$7.28M
US Gross:
$718,991
Worldwide:
$6.59M
Starring
Yoo Ah-in
Actor
Steven Yeun
Actor
Jeon Jong-seo
Actor
Awards
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Director
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best International Feature Film
Cannes Film Festival 2018
— FIPRESCI Prize – Competition
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best International Feature Film
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best Screenplay
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Production Design
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Screenplay
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Sound
Cannes Film Festival 2018
— Palme d'Or
Cannes Film Festival 2018
— FIPRESCI Prize – Competition
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Debut
Asian Film Academy 2019
— Best Cinematography
Saturn Awards 2019
— Best Supporting Actor
Key opinion
Burning is a masterfully crafted, genre-defying psychological thriller that uses a loose Murakami adaptation to explore profound themes of class, loneliness, and the elusive nature of truth. While its patient, meditative pacing and deliberate ambiguity earn high praise from critics for its visual and narrative depth, some viewers find the experience exhausting or overly abstract.
| Cinematography | The film features exemplary cinematography that utilizes steady, fluid frames and striking visual motifs to create a hypnotic, immersive atmosphere. | |
| Adaptation | The screenplay successfully transforms short-story source material into a rich, layered cinematic experience that balances social commentary with existential mystery. | |
| Acting | The performances are largely regarded as superb and unconventional, effectively grounding the film's shift from mundane drama to intense psychological thriller. | |
| Pacing | The film's meditative, slow-burn pacing is a point of contention: supporters find it deeply rewarding and atmospheric, while detractors find it tedious or lacking in momentum. | |
| Ending | Opinions on the narrative resolution are divided; many admire the film's refusal to provide definitive answers, while others find the open-ended conclusion frustrating or incompletely resolved. |