Na Hong-jin’s “The Chaser”

Made in 2008 in South Korea, “The Chaser” is the feature film debut of director Na Hong-jin. It’s playing in a limited engagement at the IFC Center in New York City right now.

It’s “based on a true story”, but takes some absolutely huge leaps away from aid original story.

Here’s the story:

Eom Jung-ho is a former police officer turned pimp, and several of his girls have gone missing, without clearing their debts. One night he gets a call from a customer and sends Min-ji, one of his few remaining girls. Later he realises that the same customer was the last to see the missing girls, and believing that Min-ji might be in danger, goes to look for her. While searching for her he dents another car in an alley, and when he sees blood splattered on the unharmed driver’s shirt, he senses that the man, Je Yeong-min, is the suspect. Yeong-min tries to run away, but Joong-ho catches him, and both men are taken to the police station.

At the police station, Yeong-min confesses to the murder of the women, and says that his last victim, Min-ji, may still be alive. But despite his confession, the police have no evidence to imprison him, and cannot detain him for more than twelve hours. As the police search for the bodies of his victims, Joong-ho is the only one who believes that Min-ji is still alive, and must find her before the killer is released.

Okay so, the ‘true story’ it’s based on? No pimp. And…no serial killer. Not exactly. Nobody was going to go see this story without the changes that have been made, so they are easily forgiven.

Written and directed by Na Hong-jin
Director of photography, Lee Sung-je;
Edited by Kim Sun-min;
Music by Kim Jun-seok and Choi Yong-rock;
production designer, Lee Min-bog;
produced by Kim Su-jin and Yoon In-beom;

Studio: IFC Films.

Now Playing at the IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village. In Korean, with English subtitles.
Running time: 2 hours 4 minutes.