We’re back with a new film review, this time about the 2022 film ‘Decision To Leave’.
The film was co-written and directed by Park Chan-wook who’s work you undoubtedly have heard of. He was responsible for ‘The Handmaiden’, ‘Stoker’, ‘Oldboy’ and many more.
‘Decision To Leave’ is a mystery film with a dash of sexual and romantic tension. The story follows detective Hae-Joon, portrayed by Park Hae-il who is trying to investigate the unnatural death that took place on a mountain.
The person who died is the husband of Seo-Rae, played by the Chinese actress Tang Wei. At the beginning she seems both innocent and guilty at the same time so our detective has a hard time figuring out if she did it or not.
The tension between the two rises and they discover there’s quite a bit of mutual attraction between the two.
Detective Hae-Joon has a bit of a Sherlockian mind and I love how we get to see that in his actions and cinematography. His character was very interesting and made intriguing jumps in logic. Seo-Rae’s character was equally as interesting if not a tad more. Her role jumps from victim to vindictive in a snap and the actress Tang Wei did a fantastic job!
The full cinematography was so well done. It worked hand in hand with the editing and it really elevated the story and turned this film into a beautiful work. Sometimes it was a bit disorienting, but as soon as you get used to the jumps, you’re all set.
This is undoubtedly one of my favorite films of 2022. ‘Decision To Leave’ is a thrilling film to watch and everything from the story, to the performances and the film score are well-thought out and brilliant.
Watch the trailer below.
