REVIEW: Park Chan-wook Romantic Thriller Decision to Leave Is a Twisted Tale of Obsession

Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) brings cinematic perfection with his new romantic thriller, Decision to Leave. Winner of Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Chan-wook brings a tale of obsession, crime, and drama with underlying humor from the hilltops of Korea.

Park Hae-il (The Host) stars as composed and clean-cut yet sleep-deprived detective Hae-joon who’s called in to investigate a businessman that has fallen from a mountain on a famous hiking range.

Usually an ace at uncovering crimes with his precision investigative methodology (Hae-joon keeps photos of his victims on his apartment wall until the crime is solved), he has now swapped his obsession when the beautiful wife of the victim, Seo-rae (Tang Wei, Lust, Caution), becomes one of the suspects and challenges everything he thought he knew about himself.

With Hae-joon’s own relationship with his wife seemingly boring to someone who is constantly experiencing a rush of adrenaline either chasing down criminals on foot with martial arts or constantly in his head interrogating suspects, he’s now breaking out the ‘good’ sushi take-out for an interrogation snack break with Seo-rae, which has his team of detectives scratching their heads on whether he’s truly investigating the case with a clear mindset. 

Director and writer Park Chan-wook constructs a cinematic masterclass with his first feature film in six years after gathering a slew of awards over the past decades. Decision to Leave is a perfectly played game of cat and mouse, with Hae-joon not knowing what to believe in this very naive or extremely cunning suspect who shows very little emotion learning her husband has died. The film keeps you guessing with trails of leads, including a broken watch and jump cuts; viewers will indeed get sucked into this heavy noir drama with its muted and deeply colored crime story.

Decision to Leave is not only visually stimulating; it has a story that drives you to want to know not only what makes these characters tick, but it’s enjoyable to see how every element comes together. Kind of like the sea and landscape that it’s inspired from. Tang Wei and Park Hae-il have amazing chemistry and really bring both characters’ obsessive yet guarded portrayals to life.

Park stated, “Decision to Leave is a film for adults. Rather than tell the story of loss as something tragic, I tried to express it with subtlety, elegance, and humor in a manner that speaks to adults.”

The film brings together longtime collaborators of PARK Chan-wook, including screenwriter CHUNG Seo-kyung, Director of Photography KIM Ji-yong, Production Designer RYU Seong-hie, Costume Designer KWAK Jung-ae and Music Director CHO Young-wuk.

The cinematography and visuals are classic and old Hollywood perfection, with clean and richly colored landscapes of the sea and mountains, simulating the choreography of emotions that these two lead characters exchange throughout the film. Production Designer RYU Seong-hie stated that she had tapped into these natural elements when designing the homes and spaces of the characters. 

The film’s direction dances beautifully with Hae-joon and Seo-rae’s emotional journey. Hae-joon has always been in control of everything in his life, and it seems to all be unraveling with his growing attraction for his suspect.

Hae-joon’s wife has also closely watched every detail of his life, from his mood, diet, and recovery from a smoking habit, which is now all turned upside down. I felt almost guilty indulging in the humor surrounding her suspicion when things just aren’t adding up. Tang Wei’s portrayal of Seo-rae seems natural and effortless, sinking into her character’s ability to sway reactions with just a look or glare; subtle yet powerful as you slightly second-guess her true feelings for Hae-joon.

Decision to Leave is a visually rich film with action, suspense, romance, and humor that deeply explores the heart and the uncontrollable urge that pulls you toward someone despite your best efforts to move apart for your own good. Decision to Leave is in theaters now.