Director Park Chan-wook, the mind behind Oldboy and The Handmaiden, returns with his latest film, Decision to Leave, and crafts an engrossing genre-bender that struggles to maintain its momentum but remains highly memorable.
The film follows a seasoned and weary detective named Hae-jin (Park Hae-il) as he jumps into a new homicide case and sparks a complicated relationship with the victim’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei) — who is also the prime suspect. Park’s storytelling, while a little all over the place at the start, instantly gets its hooks in you with its engaging characters and central mystery. Park does a great job keeping things light at start as he brings out good laughs and charm through Hae-jin’s personal quirks and the hilarious dynamic he has with his partner. The initially awkward moments between Hae-jin and Seo-rae feel like a real connection is sparking and the way you learn more about them personally through Hae-jin’s investigation tactics is incredibly engaging. Plus, this mystery unfolds and is captured in a captivating fashion that blends genres flawlessly.
The way that Hae-jin pieces his discoveries together and literally walks the path of the crime scene is amazing visual storytelling at its finest and you’re left further on the edge of your seat with each new discovery he makes. The engaging detective story elements, along with Seo-rae being a strong evolution of femme fatale characters, make Decision to Leave have great neo-noir elements. However, Park makes Decision to Leave more than just a simple neo-noir. There are some great comedic moments, especially with Hae-jin’s partners, that break up some of the film’s intensity and keeps things light. The film’s never afraid to head to some of the darker corners of its story and characters offering some good actiony thrills and dark chills. The romance that slowly grows between Hae-jin and Seo-rae is deeply sweet and the performances from Park and Wei are great throughout.
Their chemistry is undeniable and helps elevate this simple mystery narrative into a compelling and complex character-driven story that constantly subverts expectations. You can’t help but be constantly curious about the truth behind Seo-rae’s involvement of her husband’s murder, whether Hae-jin is getting too close Seo-rae, and what Seo-rae’s real intentions are. Wei is phenomenal with how mysterious she remains throughout the film and brings in some great emotion and a realness that adds some great complexity to Seo-rae’s character. Her performance defines great femme fatale noir characters in how she keeps you guessing and gets in your head, which ends up being a key part of the mystery of whether she is guilty or not. Park is also great in making Hae-jin have some surprisingly vulnerable moments as this case completely changes his life and helps create this intriguing and ever-changing arc that makes his personal journey so intriguing to watch.
Now, Decision to Leave sort of offers two films in one with how expansive its story is. The first part being the simple mystery that’s sparked from Seo-rae’s husband’s death and the second acting mostly as an extended aftermath of the situation. Personally, while the initial mystery is captivating, the follow-up to it doesn’t have the same pull. It basically acts as sort of a reset and sparks a new mystery that’s evolved from the previous one, but it’s just not as smooth and hits a drag in the film’s pacing. Yet, the performances and lingering aspects of the initial mystery that take new form in the aftermath continue to make Decision to Leave an unexpected treat right up to its gripping finale.
Wei and Park continue to bring great chemistry and captivating conflict throughout the film’s final stretch and excel in making their characters’ arcs really leave an impact. The entire final sequence of Hae-jin sprinting for answers in a race against time is super thrilling and Decision to Leave has one gut-punch of a final moment that leaves you feeling hollow. Park is definitely channeling Oldboy with how dark and saddening the film’s finale is and while it doesn’t reach the same levels of depravity with its final shock, you leave feeling a little hollower.
Decision to Leave is another sure-fire hit from Park that does struggle to keep things focused and strong in its second half shift but is highly entertaining and engaging thanks to Park’s great direction, the compelling mystery that flawlessly blends and evolves genres, and Park and Wei’s incredible performances that hook you from the second they come on-screen.
