Monster (2014) User Reviews

Lee Min-Ki actually sold me on his character

[KineticSeoul · 6/10 · 3 June 2014]

Well this isn't a boring movie, but there is just way too many OBVIOUS plot-holes. People's actions and things just doesn't make any sense, even if the lead actress is suppose to be mentally altered person. Who people think of as crazy, but that just seemed to be thrown in there to make up for how implausible and dumb the direction this tries to go. Kim Go-Eun who plays the mentally different girl does a good enough job and had potential to keep on growing in the movie industry. As for Lee Min-Ki, I found him to be a really good actor after seeing this flick. He plays a psychotic killer that has somewhat of a childlike mentality and has a talent for killing people. He plays the role really well without being way over the top, like some actors and actresses do when playing a psycho. Despite his ruthless way of doing things, I don't know I couldn't despise the character entirely. Maybe because the other characters appear to be even more malicious and selfish. Especially the one guy that gets away at the end when he is the one that started the whole mess. And because Lee Min-Ki's characters main incentive seemed somewhat understandable. Overall this is a dumb thriller that seems like it's some sort of fantasy, but it's still very watchable. The constant hugging and crying scenes does get a bit annoying after a while though.

6.8/10

Cat catching mice violently

[Misss25 · 5/10 · 22 April 2021]

I really didn't like the story, it was pretty straight forward. Unlike the traditional korean thriller, it was dull. If have already watched too many Korean thriller, you are not going to love it. Besides,I also think the monster character is too exaggerating. Too much violence is shown which is really difficult to watch. But one thing that I liked most is the bonding between two girls. Though they are biological sisters, they seem pretty conncted. Yet rest of the movie is sh**.

Where is the story?

Just the serial killer is trying to find those two girls who were successfully escaped from his hands. The movie all about finding them and trying to kill them.

I LOVE Kim Go-Eun!!!

[Bibliophile100 · 7/10 · 24 March 2022]

A couple awkward parts here and there, but still, a tense and brutal movie!

I first saw Kim Go-Eun in "Memories of the Sword" (which I plan to watch again sometime; I don't think I paid enough attention to it last time), and now, this creepy thriller "Monster". And after this film, I simply must say: I ADORE her acting soooooooooooooooooooo much!!!! She commits to the role incredibly well, occasionally making me laugh, as well as making me cringe and whisper "oooo", or "eeek", or "woah", during an intense scene, or if she does something totally unexpected! After seeing Memories of the Sword again, I'll be able to compare both roles she played, while also preparing to check out some other performances of hers. But after today, I think I may personally like her performance in this brutal shocking thriller the best!! No lies here!

Definitely a sick and twisted villain too! Nice job to that actor's work as well!

Another dramatic Korean film that doesn't disappoint.

[gkbk · 13 January 2023]

Another dramatic Korean film that doesn't disappoint. This picture contains a rich evil businessman and his crimes. Through a series of events a psychotic killer is unleashed. The film switches back-and-forth between heart warming scenes and scenes of mayhem, death, and destruction. Events unfold where the victims start piling up until we get to our female protagonist. The two young characters are no match physically for the psycho adopted hitman that has been unleashed on them. You will find the action very believable whether it is in a crowded city or in the beautiful countryside. While the ending is satisfying it does not go over the top.

Mixed feelings

[theuniverseiscursed · 6/10 · 28 February 2021]

Don't get me wrong, the storyline of the movie is great. But the main female characters - Nari and Boksoon - their personalities really put me off. I feel 75% of this movie with the girls in it was just them crying and screaming...Boksoon is even worse, maybe her brain is underdeveloped because she acts extremely childish. The girls lacked basic common sense in the movie - another thing that put me off. For example, when they were in Seoul and Nari left to get food for Boksoon in an alley, they got into an argument and starting crying and screaming very loud; they are fully aware there is a maniac on the loose that wants to slaughter them and they don't bother thinking that maybe they should be quiet and argue softly?? Weird. Even if they were scared and nervous, they behaved very unrealistically. Another part is that Nari had a chance to escape from the restaurant as Taesoo was beating his family up, yet she chose to stay there. In the start of the film, she escaped at his house so why not at the restaurant? There's also the part where Nari runs straight to his house after seeing Taesoo's car approaching...didn't she think that maybe he would see her in broad daylight? The girls basically seemed extremely careless as if they don't care that a maniac is going to kill them. There are quite a few plot holes in the movie so I'm not gonna list each and every single one of them because there's no point, but they are what pisses me off. There are also questions I have like: why did Taesoo still stay in contact and even give his mother money after she abused him, according to him? In conclusion, I liked the movie but it could definitely use some improvements. The plot holes are a bummer. The acting was great, on the bright side - especially Minki's.

"Infernal Bonds: A Tale of Twisted Family Ties"

[gouthamselvakumar · 7/10 · 2 May 2023]

Title: Monster (2014) Country: South Korea

Plot: Monster follows the intertwined lives of two pairs of siblings - two sisters who share a strong bond, with the elder being mentally unstable and the younger excelling academically; and two brothers, distant from each other, with the elder manifesting psychopathic tendencies, as he burns people alive and collects their ashes in pottery under the guise of an artisanal business. The narrative gains momentum when the older brother finds himself ensnared in a dangerous predicament, and his elder brother comes to his aid, setting off a chain of unforeseen events.

Review: Monster's initial pacing may feel unhurried, as it takes its time to establish the characters and their relationships. However, the film builds momentum as the antagonist enters the fray. The simplicity of the overall plot is balanced by an engaging music score that breathes life into the suspenseful chase sequences.

While the climax may leave something to be desired, seemingly rushed in an attempt to reach a resolution, the movie still provides a worthwhile cinematic experience. The occasional lulls in the narrative do not detract significantly from the overall impact of the film. Monster's exploration of the complexities of family dynamics and the chilling portrayal of a disturbed mind make it a solid, if not exceptional, addition to South Korean cinema.

Another well-done Korean serial killer story

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 17 June 2023]

MONSTER is another entry in the popular South Korean genre of serial killer movies. They always make these really nicely, with a maximum of suspense, and MONSTER is no exception. The only negative is that the first half an hour is so complicated and jumpy that I didn't have a clue what was going on, but as is so often the case with Korean cinema, it all works out and becomes quite simplified as it goes on. The story involves a young woman and the child in her care being menaced by a psychopath so unstoppable that he gives the Terminator a run for his money. There's murder, mayhem, fighting and some heavy scenes of melodrama that the Koreans are known for, but it all hangs together nicely.

Yet another fun, exciting Korean thriller

[sgcim · 10/10 · 22 June 2015]

There's something about the energy, emotion, humor and honesty about Korean cinema of the last twenty years that I find completely engrossing.

I had no idea that this was a Korean movie when I was first watching it on Netflix, but the earthiness and directness of the characters made it clear that it could not be from any other Asian country other than South Korea.

Almost none of these movies depend on special effects or CGI; they just depend on great casting, acting, directing, writing and action. Of course, there are some Korean duds, but the vast majority of these films succeed because they don't depend on ridiculous gun fights, which only serve to take you out of the picture. They also don't depend on unrealistic martial arts scenes, which also remove you from the story. The directors strive for entertaining realism, which seems to be lacking in almost all of today's cinema. The characters in this film are not the genius detective, the all-knowing child, or the master criminal. They are a mentally challenged woman, an abandoned child, a psychotic killer, and a bunch of greedy criminals. Don't waste your time analyzing every aspect of the film, just enjoy it for what it is.

One of the most misguided thriller ever

[RaidersOfTheLostCommunist · 2/10 · 28 June 2023]

Korean thrillers are usually pretty decent, but this movie is one of the most misguided and misdirected thriller ever. There is literally ZERO direction in the themes, the story, the acting, and the overall feel of this movie.

This movie is a bunch of random stuff put together, and it is pretty damn bad. It starts of dark and bleak, then suddenly turns into some weird comedy, then dark and bleak again, then back to a comedy but this time it is all slapstick, and it just goes back and forth. Also towards the end it becomes a buddy comedy coming of age movie for about 5 minutes. This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Also the two main girls are good but all they ever freaking do is cry CRY cry. What is wrong with this movie?!?!?!

There is no real plot to this movie, it makes no F(_)cking sense. The story literally makes no freaking sense. It is about many things, but the main plot is about this guy who hired his serial killer brother to go find a cell phone for him. It is later revealed that they are not real brothers but they are afraid of him but keep calling him to come over too. It makes no sense.

Second plot is about this girl who has a mental illness (done very poorly in this movie and also kinda offensive). She is trying to find the serial killer because he killed her sister, but along the way she meets a young girl whose sister got killed by him too. The little girl happens to know where the cell phone is at. Along the way they go on a wacky adventure, a lot of annoying crying scenes, some very very weird and out of place comedy, a lot of annoying screaming, and the ending is just bad.

Also the serial killer has no real back story, and there is no explanation as to why he is a skinny dude but somehow is also part Terminator, being able to take multiple heavy blows to the back of the head that will kill even the strongest man, or being able to survive getting stabbed in the kidneys. Also he is able to easily destroy 5+ Korean soldiers in a fight which makes no sense.

The first act is not bad, but from the half way point it is pretty much unwatchable. This is one of the worst Korean movies I have ever seen, and also one of the most annoying movies too.

2/10 (only good thing is that the actresses are kinda cute)

Excellent fun and a bit of madness mixed in

[waitandhope · 10/10 · 24 November 2017]

This film is nothing like I expected, I'd almost call it brilliant in a way. The main character is totally great, you find her believable and are hoping she'll win against the odds. The villain is totally evil, crazy psycho but you also want him to win against his foes as well. Combining these elements makes you feel confused on who to cheer for! What's unique is this guys not just some crazy killer, there's a reason he's so screwed up and you learn more about his family throughout the film, as well as the girls. I think this is a masterpiece of crazy madness with insights into what makes someone that way. A very worthwhile movie to watch for sure.

Empowering Protagonist, Memorable Villain, and a Hell of a Ride!

[nasikasakura · 9/10 · 12 November 2020]

This instantly became one of my favorite films, even when I watched it without subtitles and couldn't understand a lick of Korean. I adore that the hero is a grown woman with a developmental disability and her relationship with the child has so much chemistry. The way in which the villain disposes of his victim's bodies and collection of mementos of his murders was my absolute favorite detail. It's the iconic theme that I always think of to identify this film. The cinematography is excellent as well as the acting. The script combines humor and horror in a fluid way that does not break immersion. The only thing that would make this film better in my opinion is to stray away from the campy blood splatter effects, but thankfully they are hardly used. What more, the minimal amount of blood used up until the climax made it all the more impactful. I definitely recommend.

Love it except the ending

[aninditagaluh-12810 · 9/10 · 30 July 2020]

I didn't expect the movie would be this heavy after realising the reason behind these two "Monsters", Bok-soon and Tae-soo, fighting and chasing each other. I love how the story builds up, the chasing, the thrilling, it truly keeps me on the edge of my seat especially with all of the casts' exceptional acting. But as I said on the title, I love all of it except the ending. I'm a sucker for fairytales because I want to see that good will eventually won over bad, and I hate that this movie shows the exact opposite. I know that from the first time, Bok-soon and Na-ri didn't know what Na-ri's sister had gone through which causes Tae-soo to kill her, and that just makes me sad because for that reason, both of these lovely girls just "helped" Na-ri's sister's rapist to walk free. When I watched this and as I started to get invested, my little heart had hoped that Bok-soon would find out why Tae-soo killed Na-ri's sister and helped to bring justice to the late Na-ri's sister but well, a girl could only hope, yeah? Bok-soon was focused on saving Na-ri and taking revenge for her little sister's death. And I believe Na-ri unfortunately will always be kept in the dark as to why did her sister die so miserably like that because in the end she moved to the country with Bok-soon and lived with her together happily. Sobs.

An almost perfect gem! You will love it!

[monty-55 · 9/10 · 6 February 2023]

This movie is simply unique and adorable at the same. Let me say, it has 2 potholes I did not like. One, the sister of our protagonist was was killed and I was hoping she would be found alive. And two, the mobster who started this didn't get killed.

But besides that, our hero/protagonist Park Bok-soon played wonderfully by Lee Mini-ki is simply a treat. She has you rooting for her all the way. In the movie, she plays a slow person who despite not knowing the outside world, gets by on with and determination with hilarious results.

So what happens when she meets a serial killer who kills her sister...well you should pray for the serial killer because he doesn't know what he's up against LOL The fight scenes are exciting. The cinematography is great, the colors are wonderful. And the acting by the 3 leads is great. Yes 3 , because their is a little girl too. Also the supporting cast is good too. I've seen this movie many times and it never fails to make me laugh and cry for Bok-soon to overcome any difficulties. I wish this had a sequel of sorts. To continue her adventure. It's a gem.

Monster

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 18 April 2024]

This Korean drama has three main characters; Bok-soon, who may be a little slow but is happy enough running her vegetable stall at the local market hoping to fund her younger sister's university tuition. She is however prone to violence if confronted. Tae-soo, a potter who lives in a remote house; he is also a serial killer. Finally there is Nari, a nine year old girl. Their lives will become tragically entangled after Tae-soo's brother asks him to retrieve a phone from a woman who is blackmailing his boss. That woman is Nari's older sister. Tae-soo kills her and tells Nari to run; he will come after her and kill her and anybody she asks for help. She meets Bok-soon and this leads to her sister's death. Together Nara and Bok-soon flee. Bok-soon is determined to save Nari as well as avenge her sister. Tae-soo is now after both of them.

I found this film to be very enjoyable and not what I expected. There is plenty of drama and the violence, of which there is quite a lot, is bloody and brutal; that was expected. What was not expected was the fact that it frequently manages to be rather funny and there is a touching relationship that develops between Bok-soon and Nari. The cast is solid; especially those playing the three leads. Locations are used well and the cinematography is great; at times things had an almost dreamlike feel to them, most notably a foggy scene in a forest. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Korean films who are looking for something a little different.

These comments are based on watching the film in Korean with English subtitles.