South-Korea has recently become known for making good genrefilms. They're over-the-top, have a lot of humour in them, and combine a good mix with other genres. The Chaser, has these jokes but also some brutal, visually realistic violence. These are moments that make some people close their eyes, or even walk out of the film.
The film is about a pimp who's girls has started disappearing lately. One night he finds out what the cause is; a psychopath is murdering girls one by one in the neighberhood. When another of his girls disappears he goes out to find her. By accident he finds him, but he escapes. He escapes everytime until a final confrontation at the end.
One of the most ingenious parts of the Chaser is its script. It is so detailed, and everything has a purpose, which leads to many ''so that's why'' moments for the viewer. Sometimes it's hard to sympathise with the protagonist because he's not very protective of his girls. But in a film with a pace like this, there's no time to ask yourself many questions. You can only go with the fast flow of the film, if not, you're bound to miss something.
There's many dramatic peaks and climaxes in The Chaser, which sometimes give you a feeling that there's no end to it. It goes on and on, but isn't that what good genre films are about? To keep you at the edge of your seat for it's entire length? While this is not true for the entire 125 minutes of the film, it does come close.
**** (out of 5)
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