The Decision to Leave (2022) is a poignant love story as well as a thoughtful crime tale from South Korea. The writer and director Park Chan-wook has created another unforgettable film. The original title of this film is ‘Heojil Gyeolsim’ (헤어질 결심) in Korean, which means ‘Decision to Break up or Leave’.
In his unique way, the director Park has woven a complex romantic story into a crime drama. We found this film to be a memorable one, but we are afraid to admit that its ending is going to haunt us for a while now.
Haunting & Heart-Breaking Love Tale From South Korea
Spoiler-Free Brief Review: Decision To Leave (2022/Korea) Movie
The synopsis
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When Detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-Il) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man's wife, Song Seo-Rae (Tang Wei). But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
About this K-drama
In this slow-burning romantic crime drama, a detective Jang Hae-Joon (Park Hae-Il) investigating a man’s death in the mountains meets the dead man’s mysterious wife in the course of his dogged sleuthing.
And then the unpredictable and unexplained laws of attraction take place. From then onwards, their lives do not remain the same.
Seo-rae: The moment you said you loved me, your love is over. The moment your love ends, my love begins.
(a dialogue from the film)
Its inspiration
Park Chan-wook, the writer and director of this unforgettable movie, has disclosed that he was inspired by the novel series ‘The Story of a Crime’ by Swedish authors Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. This detective book series is about the ageing police detective Martin Beck and the police team working at the Central Bureau of Investigation in Stockholm. While watching this movie, you might come across the complete set of the Martin Beck book series, written by the author couple Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö; these books are visible on a table in a scene.
Park Chan-Wook, writer & director woo
“What will happen if Martin Beck fell in love with a murder suspect?” thought Park Chan-wook, and it became a central theme of this movie.
Park worked his magic to weave a love story in a crime drama, with memorable results. In the past, South Korean film director – Park Chan-wook’s movies – Oldboy (2003) and The Handmaiden (2016) have won critical acclaim across the world.
Now, with this film, the renowned writer and film director Park Chan-wook wooed us with his enigmatic and mysterious work.
His layered script, direction and music together hit it out of the park.
The conclusion
Before we conclude, please note that it was the official submission of South Korea for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category of the 95th Academy Awards in 2023. Of late, we have discovered the world of Korean Cinema. And we have seen a bunch of good movies with unpredictable stories. And we loved many of those K-dramas. This Korean movie is an ode to its inspiration. No doubt, we loved some of the twists in its plotline. We found that it has a gripping story; however, the unexpected ending might not work for some.
We wish and prefer to see a happy ending, and sometimes sad movies haunt us for a while. It is one of those unique love stories that stays with you for quite a while. It is not an easy film to forget. One can watch this movie feted by the critics and their awards, at least once.
Rating of the Decision To Leave (2022) Movie
| FM Rating | 3.70/5 |
Poster of this Korean Drama (2022) Movie
Key Details of the Decision To Leave (2022) Movie
| Genres | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance |
| Original language | Korean |
| Released | June 2022 |
| Writers | Park Chan-wook, Chung Seo-kyung |
| Director | Park Chan-wook |
| Cast | Park Hae-Il (Jang Hae-Joon), Tang Wei (Song Seo-Rae), Lee Jung-Hyun (Jeong-Ahn), Go Kyung-Pyo (Soo-Wan), etc. |
Trailer of the Decision To Leave (2022) Movie
Winner of Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) returns with a seductive romantic thriller that takes his renowned stylistic flair to dizzying new heights.
MUBI
Awards won by this Korean Drama (2022) Movie
| Names of the Awards | Details of the Awards Winners |
|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival 2022 | Park Chan-wook – Best Director – Winner |
| Grand Bell Awards, South Korea 2022 | Winner – Best Film |
| Blue Dragon Awards 2022 | Best Film – Decision to Leave – Winner Park Chan-wook – Winner – Best Director Tang Wei – Best Actress – Winner Park Hae-il – Winner – Best Actor Best Screenplay – Park Chan-wook, Chung Seo-kyung – Winner Jo Yeong-wook – Winner – Best Music – |
| Asian Film Awards 2023 | Tang Wei – Best Actress – Winner Winner – Best Screenplay – Chung Seo-kyung, Park Chan-wook |
If you like watching good Korean Movies, then you should check out the Parasite film, too.
Bonus YouTube Video Link: DECISION TO LEAVE | Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon Ho Q&A | MUBI.
Featured & Other Images: Decision To Leave film | IMDb.
