Decision to Leave

A melancholically melodramatic (un)romantic (un)thriller, of the "better talked about than watched" variety, mainly because of the unjustified running time during the second half. Not even the precise actors and Park's traditionally playful direction can balance it. (07/14/2022)

That Koreans are masters at mixing diverse genres in a functional way is nothing new, yet I was quite surprised at how comedic Decision to Leave ended up being. But thanks to that, it was a pleasant and brisk two and a quarter hours, definitely not a festival bore. The plot and its denouement have their own internal logic only to the extent that you, as the viewer, are willing to accept them under the influence of the atmosphere of the film, so if you don't tune into the film in the first half hour, you probably won't have much of an experience. Fortunately, I was able to. [KVIFF 2022] (07/16/2022)

The sheer boredom was occasionally broken by an interesting scene, but it really took a lot to make me stay until the end. And by that, I mean stay in the theater till the end. Unfortunately. (10/19/2022)

A strangely static Park variation on Basic Instinct, where I found at the end that I was focused on something other than what I should have been the whole time. Then I completely resonated with the last shot. PS: "After Parasite and Squid Game, another Korean phenomenon is taking the world by storm." – Man, it that really the best we can do? (08/19/2022)

This movie caused me quite a few problems while watching it. I grappled with the continuity of certain scenes, often getting lost in the deliberate chaos the director laid out. Thankfully, I managed to find my way back each time. On the whole, the film clicked for me. It triggered some nostalgia for my favorite Verhoeven and delivered a convincing, non-stereotypical romance that didn't grate on my nerves, topped off with a powerful ending. To sum it up, this movie easily earns four out of five stars from me. However, I can't help but feel it could've been even better if the director had trimmed down some of the unnecessary distractions (and by that, I don't mean the plot). / Lesson learned: It's nice to trust others, but sometimes you might end up with a knife in the kidney. (01/03/2023)