Burning

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Lee Chang-dong

Release Date:

Oct 26, 2018

Runtime:

2hr 28m

Synopsis

BURNING is the searing examination of an alienated young man, Jongsu (Ah-in Yoo), a frustrated introvert whose already difficult life is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (newcomer Jong-seo Jun), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibility, and then, Ben (Steven Yeun, THE WALKING DEAD, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU), a wealthy and sophisticated young man she returns from a trip with. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount, culminating in a stunning finale.

Cast

  • Yoo Ah-in
  • Steven Yeun
  • Jun Jong-seo

Letterboxd User Reviews

4.0
448.1K
128.9K
143.2K
RATINGS 9.1K FANS
4.0
  • Nov 9, 2018

    Yoo vs. The Guy She Told Yoo Not To Worry About

    10.2K Likes
    demi adejuyigbe
    demi adejuyigbe
    May 17, 2018

    🔥m🔥a🔥s🔥t🔥e🔥r🔥p🔥i🔥e🔥c🔥e🔥

    3.8K Likes
    davidehrlich
    davidehrlich
    Aug 30, 2018

    I've grown impatient with this sort of formally precise, vaguely genre-inflected stuff all loaded with signifiers about thwarted masculinity and socioeconomic struggle, as if the occasional grace notes like a sunset dance add some layer of class to the thriller stuff, or as…

    3.5K Likes
    matt lynch
    matt lynch
  •
    Nov 16, 2018

    “sometimes you can’t see things that are too close to you” this didn’t do it for me at all. i can see the potential appeal, but it couldn’t appeal to me less. the ambiguity serves no purpose and has not much endgame, and it feels too long regardless. the movie (and the…

    2.9K Likes
    Lucy
    Lucy
    Jan 3, 2019

    steven yeun: *yawns* me, in tears: ACADEMY AWARD...

    2.5K Likes
    cinéfila... 🕯️
    cinéfila... 🕯️
    Oct 24, 2018

    “People’s memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive.”  (Haruki Murakami) An invisible tangerine is peeled, the key is to forget that it's not there. Stories are told through nebulous smoke. A naked body’s incinerated with orange hues fuming the air, and the…

    2.1K Likes
    Hungkat
    Hungkat
  •
    Nov 8, 2018

    I watch movies specifically to feel something. In 2 and a half hours I didn’t here. Well, except for disappointment and frustration. The way the film’s sole key female character was written seemed straight out of a John Green novel. An easily disposable beautiful,…

    1.7K Likes
    Jennifer
    Jennifer
    Nov 20, 2020

    ┏┓  ┃┃╱╲ in ┃╱╱╲╲ this ╱╱╭╮╲╲tiny apartment  ▔▏┗┛▕▔ we ╱▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔╲  Masturbate onto the window  where the tower seldom reflects the sun, pretending that  cats and fruits don’t exist 🔪🍊🐈  🤷‍♀️ 🕳🔥 ╱╱┏┳┓╭╮┏┳┓ ╲╲  ▔▏┗┻┛┃┃┗┻┛▕▔

    1.6K Likes
    Hungkat
    Hungkat
    Aug 14, 2020

    i think that the best part of the whole movie- an eerily timed conversation between the protagonist and steven yeun about greenhouses- also crystalizes my major problem with this. as in the movie makes it really, really obvious to me that yeun is not only up to nothing good…

    1.4K Likes
    kailey
    kailey
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

90%
Community 10,451
❤️ LOVE
16%
👍 LIKE
74%
😐 MEH
6%
👎 DISLIKE
5%
Top Reviews
  • RayRay
    RayRay disliked
    Burning

    IVE NEVER BEEN SO MAD WITH A MOVIE. IT WAS COMPLETELY POINTLESS. 2 and a half hours, could’ve been 45 minutes. Nothing happened. Nothing gets resolved, what happened to her? Was the dude guilty? Why waste time with main guys family? He’s a writer? Is she a liar? BAD MOVIE

    😂 😭 2 6M
    Mickerdoo
    Mickerdoo is "meh" on
    Burning

    Pretty slow. Builds suspense and uncertainty but ultimately doesn’t deliver an equal value reveal for the time you put in.

    1 🔥 1 3Y
    Michael
    Michael loved
    Burning

    Brilliant film that just keeps getting better and better as the plot progresses. Also, Steven Yeun is such a great actor he deserves all the praise in the world. One problem with this film is that there’s no way that the Ben wouldn’t notice Jong-su clumsily following him. 8.5/10

    1 3Y
  • Esperanza Garcia
    Esperanza Garcia liked
    Burning

    Although I have questions about where she went? the twists and unexpected made it great

    🔥 1 2Y
    novia
    novia liked
    Burning

    i just want to set myself on fire.

    🔥 1 1Y
    Olamide
    Olamide disliked
    Burning

    Not worth the watch. Don’t stress.

    🔥 1 3Y
  • nevan
    nevan loved
    Burning

    this film drifts along at a meandering pace, eventually grabbing your attention and allowing you to make of it whatever you’d like. an exceptional mystery film that builds to a powerful climax with excellent performances, visuals, and metaphorical imagery. all its own

    1Y
    Ivory Uk.
    Ivory Uk. loved
    Burning

    Class inequality,Male entitlement,Emotional neglect. How society ignores vulnerable women. How violence can exist without blood until it doesn’t. Hae-mi’s disappearance is the point:Women like her disappear all the time and nobody asks hard enough questions.

    9M
    adam doe
    adam doe loved
    Burning

    8.5/10 a slow film, yet patience reveals a beautiful and poetic portrait of despair jealousy and mystery. The cinematography is not just stylised it has meaning woven into it. It’s a truly refreshing film that is something original in nature.

    4Y
View More Popular Burning Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

3.4
9
4
6
2
5
POPULAR TAGS
#greatcast
#slow
#smart
#intense
#justokay
#notmyfave

Reviews

  • NW
    Name Withheld
    #greatcast
    #snoozefest
    #justokay

    I liked the actors and the visual aesthetic. 148 min is a lot to ask for a slow paced film.

    WW
    Winston Winston
    #boring
    #cliché

    Misogynist, empty, boring, thinks it’s existential but it’s not

    GL
    Gilbert Lim
    #smart
    #intense
    #mustsee

    What's the difference between reality & make believe? Burning is a smart film, dealing with rage, love, sexuality, jealousy, & mystery. The director Lee Chang Dong (이창동) has beautifully brought Haruki Murakami's short story 'Barn Burning' to life. Celebrated Korean actor Yu…

  • KK
    Karen Kelly
    #slow
    #snoozefest
    #notmyfave
    MH
    MI Hualin
    #greatcast
    #smart
    IW
    Ian Wang
  • MS
    Miranda Springer
    RT
    RICHARD TUSIA
    BS
    Ben Sandee
    #smart
    #greatcast
    #intense
Read all 26 customer reviews

Metacritic

91
metacritic
Based on 39 Critics
7.7

USER SCORE (202)

Generally favorable reviews based on 202 Reviews
80
May 24, 2018

Both a slow-burn suspense drama and an intriguing enigma, his film is beautifully executed throughout: the three lead performances are all spot on, while Mowg’s jazzy score and Hong Kyung-pyo’s immaculate camerawork fit the shifting moods to perfection.

View full review
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
100
May 17, 2018

This is Lee’s closest ever film to a thriller, but it defies expectations, offering multiple, murky solutions to a set of mysteries at once.

View full review
Metacritic review by Tim Robey
Tim Robey
The Telegraph
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Burning (2018)?
The movie is 2hr 28min long.
What's Burning (2018) about?
BURNING is the searing examination of an alienated young man, Jongsu (Ah-in Yoo), a frustrated introvert whose already difficult life is complicated by the appearance of two people into his orbit: first, Haemi (newcomer Jong-seo Jun), a spirited woman who offers romantic possibility, and then, Ben (Steven Yeun, THE WALKING DEAD, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU), a wealthy and sophisticated young man she returns from a trip with. When Jongsu learns of Ben’s mysterious hobby and Haemi suddenly disappears, his confusion and obsessions begin to mount, culminating in a stunning finale.
Who's the cast of Burning (2018)?
  • Yoo Ah-in
  • Steven Yeun as Ben
  • Jun Jong-seo
Who's the director behind Burning (2018)?
Lee Chang-dong directed Burning (2018).
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