MOTHER

BONG JOON-HO | SOUTH KOREA | 2009 | 129 MIN | R | KOREAN

Bong Joon-ho followed up critically-acclaimed monster flick The Host with this smaller-scale—but no less audacious—mashup of family drama, crime thriller, and pitch-black comedy. Anchored by a powerhouse performance from veteran South Korean actress Kim Hye-ja, Mother is the twisted story of a small-town widow (Kim) who devotes her entire life to caring for her developmentally disabled 27-year-old son Do-joon (Won Bin). After Do-joon is accused of a grisly murder, his mother is faced with an apathetic local police force and inept legal system, and decides to take matters into her own hands in order to clear her son’s name. Navigating the slippery line between motherly devotion and monstrous single-mindedness, Mother provides impeccably-crafted evidence of Bong’s sly, genre-defying brilliance.

Cast: Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin, Jin Goo, Yoon Je-moon

“An impeccably realized murder mystery. A combination of dazzling cinematic craft, psychological insight and black humor.” –Salon

Part of the Philadelphia Film Society’s BONG JOON-HO: BEFORE PARASITE series. CLICK HERE to purchase the entire series at a discounted rate.