South Korea10 Essential South Korean FilmsStop 10 of 10

Burning

버닝

2018 · 148 min · Mystery

An aimless young deliveryman reconnects with a girl from his hometown, then grows uneasy and obsessed when she returns from a trip with a wealthy, enigmatic new friend who hints at a disturbing hobby. Lee Chang-dong's slow-burning, elusive mystery.

Why it’s here

Lee Chang-dong's Korean-language literary mystery and a major contemporary South Korean film.

Runtime

148 min

Genre

Mystery · Drama · Thriller

Mood

tense · thoughtful · dreamlike

Entry

some context

Best for

character-driven drama

Content notes: violence or threat · sexual content Non-exhaustive