추격자 (The Chaser). 2008. Directed by Na Hong-jin

Film

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추격자 (The Chaser). 2008. South Korea. Directed by Na Hong-jin. Screenplay by Na, Lee Shinho, Hong Won-chan. With Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Young-hee, Kim Yoo-jung. In Korean; English subtitles. 35mm. 125 min.

Na Hong-jin’s directorial debut, inspired by real-life serial killer Yoo Young-chul, inverts the thriller formula by revealing the murderer’s identity within the first 30 minutes, then constructing a sustained nightmare of bureaucratic incompetence. Joong-ho, a disgraced former detective now operating a prostitution ring, realizes his missing workers have all serviced the same client. When he finally captures the killer Ji Yeong-min after a violent chase, the police lack sufficient evidence to hold him beyond 12 hours despite his confession. What follows is an excruciating race against procedure as Joong-ho desperately searches for physical proof while Yeong-min provides false leads and the victim, Mi-jin, slowly dies in his hidden torture chamber. Kim Yoon-seok’s performance captures both Joong-ho’s moral compromises and his genuine horror at what his negligence has enabled, while Ha Jung-woo’s chillingly calm killer radiates sadistic confidence. The film won Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor at the 45th Grand Bell Awards. Na’s unflinching depiction of police dysfunction and the victim’s prolonged suffering makes this one of Korean cinema’s most morally complex thrillers, rejecting cathartic resolution for sustained moral anguish.

This film accompanies Seoul After Dark: Personal Memories of Korean Cinema.

Past events

Fri, Feb 27, 4:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1
Mon, Feb 23, 6:30 p.m.

Due to inclement weather, this screening has been canceled and rescheduled for 2/27 at 4pm

MoMA, Floor T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1

Canceled
Sat, Feb 14, 1:30 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2, Theater 2

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2

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