Burning

From being a 2.5 for nearly a year to a 5 in a single amazing rewatch, this movie has had the greatest redemption of anything I’ve ever seen I think for everybody there are movies you watch just way too early. Films that you have to be a more mature watcher for, things you can appreciate after you watch at least a handful of movies. For me, Burning is the absolute epitome of this. That and I’m also just an idiot. Because sitting down and focusing on this has really made me wonder: what the hell was I on when I first watched this last August? The slow pace of the movie seems to be the greatest indicator, but I’ve never appreciated a slow pace and what it adds to a movie as much as I do now. Burning is layered, rich, and downright genius in almost every frame. Such a purposeful yet subtle movie that really shows the directors skill at delicately crafting suspense. There were so many things to love so I’ll just list off a few: The cinematography. It's quietly gorgeous in every frame, so sleek and the compositions are absolutely insane. It carries so much meaning and its extremely effective. The soundtrack. Again, it is subtle but it is magnificent. The eerie theme with the brooding bass and sparse percussion adds a ridiculous amount to the tension built in the movie, elevating every scene it's featured in. The acting. Everybody gave a stellar performance, with a special shoutout for Steven Yeun. An actor that's been on my radar for a long time now, he does amazing with Ben. Inviting and laid-back, with such a miniscule yet noticeable creepiness, i need to check out more of his stuff. The layers. Whether it was layers in the plot, with characters, secrets, and lies that come together as a thrilling puzzle; or the layered themes of the movie, the divide of classes, masculinity, the political background that sets the movie (the detail of the north korean propaganda was just amazing); the movie has such a chilling depth that I couldn't help but want to shout in amazement for every second of it. The dance. It's perfect. It's the best scene I've seen this year, maybe one of the best ever. It's haunting. The music is perfect beyond words. Everything about Burning was just spectacular. I still sit in absolute awe that less than a year ago, I believed this movie to be uninteresting and dragged out. I can see how some people may think that, but nothing could change my mind on this. It's a chilling, genius, and captivating thriller that I'll be admiring for a long time. Breathtaking.