Burning (2018) is a South Korean psychological drama about a young aspiring writer, Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in), who reconnects with a free-spirited girl from his childhood named Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo). Their reunion, one of smoldering attraction and cryptic intention, is soon complicated by a mysterious and wealthy young man named Ben (Steven Yeun).
Initially agreeing to cat-sit for Hae-mi while she is away in Africa, Jong-su is perplexed when she returns with Ben, sharing tales of surviving a terrorist bombing together. As Jong-su's feelings for Hae-mi grow, he becomes increasingly suspicious of Ben's inscrutable lifestyle. When Hae-mi mysteriously disappears without a trace, Jong-su is left to unravel the truth behind her vanishing and Ben's possible involvement.
Based on the short story "Barn Burning" by Haruki Murakami and directed by Lee Chang-dong (Oasis, Secret Sunshine), Burning is a multi-layered character study rife with palpable intrigue. Lee mines Murakami's source material with a deft touch, exploring themes of class disparity, unrequited love and the elusive nature of truth. Slow-burning and uniquely suspenseful, it's a refreshingly modernized tale of mystery—best intended for those with a taste for subversion and enigma.
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