Put your detective cap on while watching South Korea’s official submission at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival for the Palme d'Or—Decision To Leave is a gritty romantic mystery that will leave you at the edge of your seat, and the ending is something you'll be agonizing over even as you leave the cinema.
Produced, co-written, and directed by Park Chan Wook and starring Tang Wei and Park Hae Il, it follows the story of a detective who becomes enthralled by a widow after she becomes the prime suspect in his murder investigation.
What is the story of Decision To Leave?
Expertly intertwining two conflicting cinematic themes, Chan Wook's first film since 2016’s The Handmaiden leaves you feeling like you watched a heartfelt romance AND a suspenseful mystery packed into two hours of screentime.
At the start of the film, Busan detective Hae Joon (Park Hae Il) is assigned a new case: An immigration official was found dead at the base of a mountain, and under suspicion of murder is his wife, Chinese immigrant Seo Rae (Tang Wei). To solve this case, Hae Joon and his partner Soo Wan (Go Kyung Pyo) actually climb the mountain to gather clues, noting that the dead man carved his initials onto all of his belongings—including his wife, who suffered from spousal abuse.
The audience quickly learns that the detective is married to Ipo-based career woman Jung An (Lee Jung Hyun). Due to the time-consuming demands of their respective careers, the couple live separately and meet sparingly when they can. It gets to the point where they actually plan out their sex life, alluding to a lack of intimacy. This is in direct contrast to Hae Joon's relationship with Seo Rae. Despite an initially awkward first meeting, when they share a meal together the camera focuses on the two of them cleaning the table with ease, their actions almost eerily in sync, as if they'd done this a million times before. This scene sets the table—literally and figuratively—for the start of their relationship. As the case heats up, Hae Joon finds himself slowly becoming obsessed with his prime suspect, while his partner cautions him to stay impartial. Can the detective put his feelings aside to solve a crime, or will he allow his emotions to get the better of him?
"The moment you said you loved me, your love is over. The moment your love ends, my love begins." This quote from the film summarizes the pitfalls and dangers of obsessive love. What exactly causes a couple to fall out of love (or fall in love), and how does one make the decision to leave a relationship you thought you were perfectly happy in?
Here’s a quick rundown on the cast of Decision To Leave:
Park Hae Il as Detective Hae Joon
A chronic insomniac who takes pride in his meticulous work habits, but lacking the same confidence in his personal life—it takes some skill to portray such a character that you need viewers to like, at least in the beginning of the film. But this isn't a problem for veteran actor Park Hae Il, who actually began his career on stage in theater. His next project is the historical action film Hansan: Rising Dragon, to be released in 2022.
Tang Wei as Seo Rae
Is she the murderer, or is she just a misunderstood elderly caregiver? It might surprise you to know that Tang Wei is actually Chinese—that's why she sounds so fluent when speaking the language in the film! An award-winning actress, Tang Wei has acted in several Chinese, Korean, and international projects. She made her English-language film debut in Blackhat, an action thriller co-starring Chris Hemsworth. You'll next see Tang Wei in Netflix's upcoming South Korean sci-fi fantasy film Wonderland, alongside Bae Suzy, Choi Woo Shik, Jung Yu Mi, and Park Bo Gum.
Lee Jung Hyun as Jung An
Jung Hyun stars as the detective's health-obsessed wife; there isn't a problem she can't solve through her countless natural remedies. Her type-A personality and their time-consuming jobs make it difficult for the couple to find some down time, which leads to the slow death of their relationship. Aside from Decision To Leave, she's a well-known singer and will also be appearing in another 2022 thriller titled Limit.
Go Kyung Pyo as Soo Wan
Soo Wan is an officer of the law, and he takes his job very seriously. He's honorable but slightly rash, and clearly looks up to detective Hae Joon—which is why he takes it quite badly when it looks like his mentor might let the prime suspect go free. In real life, Go Kyung Pyo gained major recognition thanks to his role as Sun Woo in Reply 1988. This year, he will star in webtoon-based series Connect and Netflix's action film Seoul Vibe.
Kim Shin Young as Yeonsu
The South Korean comedienne, MC, and DJ has some *serious* acting chops, striking the right balance between playing the detective's funny sidekick, and a cunning police officer in her own right. Kim Shin Young has been a radio DJ for Kim Shin Young's Noon Song of Hope since 2013, is part of the girl group Celeb Five, and currently hosts KBS variety show Korea Sings.
Why you should watch Decision To Leave
If you want a change from your usual rom-coms or truly disturbing true crime documentaries, why not combine the two and get the best of both worlds? Decision To Leave has enough lighthearted moments in it that you'll be able to sleep (somewhat) peacefully without the need to leave your light on.
*Major Spoilers Ahead!* Don't read if you don't want to know Decision To Leave's major plot twist.
After putting all his efforts into proving Seo Rae's innocence, Hae Joon closes the case. However, when he visits 'Monday grandma' to take care of the old lady in Seo Rae's place, he discovers that the phone noted a climb of 138 flights on the day the immigrant official died. There's only one explanation—Seo Rae had switched their phones to hide her crime! Heartbroken, Hae Joon visits Seo Rae's apartment to tell her to get rid of the evidence...and disappears from her life.
Fast forward nearly two years later, and Hae Joon is depressed and living with his wife in the coastal town of Ipo. While doing grocery shopping in the local market, the couple bump into Seo Rae—who is now married to a financial analyst! Things get twisted when Seo Rae's husband suddenly turns up dead—did she kill again, and if she did, then what was her motive?
You can watch Decision To Leave and more K-content on the big screen from September 21-27 at select Ayala Malls Cinemas, thanks to Korean Film Festival: Seoul Spotlight.
Decision To Leave is rated R-13 and will also have its exclusive regular run across Ayala Malls Cinemas from September 28 to October 4.
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