Film Review: DECISION TO LEAVE (2022): Two Solid Lead Performances Drive Park Chan-wook’s Latest Dramatic Film

Decision to Leave Review

Decision to Leave (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Park Chan-wook, written by Seo-kyeong Jeong and Park Chan-wook and starring Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Go Kyung-Pyo, Jung Yi-seo, Jeong Min Park, Seo Hyun-woo, Teo Yoo, Lee Jung-hyun, Hak-joo Lee, Kim Shin-young and Yong-woo Park.

Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook is one of the most remarkable directors working today. When Oldboy came out in 2003, Chan-wook was automatically crowned a cinematic genius and with the acclaimed director’s latest film, Decision to Leave, there will certainly be the potential for an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature Film. Let’s not mention a potential Americanized remake somewhere down the line as well.

Decision to Leave is anchored by two very strong leading performances by its stars, Park Hae-il and Tang Wei, both who help shape the characters they portray as very unpredictable people drawn by their personal desires and motivations. This film has the structure of a standard detective thriller but the picture also showcases the unpredictability of a tense, layered mystery with great complexity at its center. It’s surely going to fascinate its viewers with its constant plot twists and turns.

As the film begins, the audience is treated to the story of a mountain climber who has died a mysterious death. Decorated Busan investigator Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) begins to ponder the idea that the victim’s younger Chinese wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei) could be the culprit responsible for the man’s death since it doesn’t seem to be the result of a suicide. Hae-jun becomes fascinated with Seo-rae in such an intense way that he could just be willing to forgive her even if she did turn out the be a murderer. Well, that’s debatable but it feels that way while watching the film. That’s not a normal response for a detective to have but this woman is undeniably interesting and the picture establishes the bond between the two characters in the early scenes of the picture. Eventually, Hae-jun oversteps his professional boundaries in his quest to learn more about the woman who Seo-rae actually is. The audience, meanwhile, questions whether or not Seo-rae is guilty (or capable) of murder.

Hae-jun is married to a very intelligent woman (played with terrific precision by Lee Jung-hyun) who he doesn’t see as frequently as he should (they live separately for work purposes) but, still, Hae-jun feels a connection to the radiant and personable Seo-rae (who seems to have a kind demeanor) as he begins to investigate and follow her around for clues that may prove her to be, potentially, responsible for the man who died’s death. Seo-rae has not had an easy life. She has suffered at the hands of abuse, yet she is also ambitious and successful in what she has done in her personal life before and after marriage. Hae-jun struggles between doing what is right in his head versus acting on feelings that he feels are right coming from his heart.

A broken watch and certain cell phone messages play a key role in some of the plot development of Decision to Leave and the movie has the right pacing to keep viewers invested in both lead characters and the movie’s story line. I particularly like how a key development is revealed by tracing the walking “steps” of one of its characters and I also enjoyed the atmosphere the movie creates in terms of the cinematography and attention to detail Chan-wook puts into every frame of the film. When Hae-jun and his wife run into Seo-rae and another male character, there is real on-screen tension thanks to the fine work of one of the best filmmakers out there.

The supporting cast is also terrific. Go Kyung-pyo and Kim Shin-young, especially, are superb as Hae-jun’s partners at different stages of the picture. Kyung-pyo does his very best to make his character, Soo-wan interesting while initially believing Seo-rae could be guilty, and Shin-young has a lot of distinct personality which manifests itself through the performer’s potentially star-making characterization. Shin-young almost steals some of the show later in the picture.

The movie’s ending brings Hae-jun to a beach where the waves are moving fiercely and the revelations of the plot are somewhat ambiguous here. We are provided with some answers that are disturbing in nature and the characters’ lives will definitely never be the same in so many ways as the conclusion of the movie takes flight. The audience is allowed to draw their own conclusion as to what will happen after the final credits roll. That’s an artistic choice that works particularly well for this story and these characters portrayed in the film.

While Decision to Leave could have been trimmed down about ten minutes (it’s about two and a quarter hours in length) and its rather open ended conclusion may turn some viewers off, it must be seen. Park Hae-il and Tang Wei sizzle with on-screen chemistry making the movie comparable to some other more mainstream, yet still steamy, Hollywood thrillers from the late 1990’s. Sea of Love immediately comes to mind among others. Chan-wook’s movie is, needless to say, a bit more complex in nature than most Hollywood films, however.

In another extremely competitive year for Best Actress contenders, it may be hard for Wei to get an Oscar nod but she’d certainly be deserving if she did make the cut. She ably captures the mysterious center of her character who is multi-faceted and intriguing beyond a reasonable doubt. Park Hae-il is equally strong in his role as well. Park Chan-wook has crafted a movie with plenty of style and enough meaty substance to keep viewers hooked from the first frame all the way through to the last.

Rating: 9/10

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