Moebius is a 2013 South Korean drama film with strong horror elements written and directed by Kim Ki-duk (The Isle, Bad Guy). It was screened out of competition at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. The film was initially banned in South Korea, before the Korea Media Rating Board reviewed it and changed the rating.
Plot teaser:
A housewife (Lee Eun-Woo) becomes enraged with jealousy over her husband’s (Cho Jae-Hyun) affair. Meanwhile, their son (Seo Young-Joo) sits in the periphery, observing their violent confrontations. One evening, the housewife takes a kitchen knife into their bedroom to exact revenge on the father. The father though is able to repel her attack and throws her out of the bedroom. The mother then goes into the son’s room…
Moebius has a limited UK release from August 5th 2014.
Reviews:
“Moebius isn’t particularly graphic, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Relentlessly, Kim plucks away at certain visual notes — a knife’s handle sticking out of a shoulder blade, a patch of skin being rubbed raw and bloody. You kind of wish he would stop, but you understand why he doesn’t: In a movie about obsessions, his obsessiveness is a way of keeping order.” The Village Voice
“No amount of critical praise will convince you to see Moebius if the premise turns your stomach, but for followers of Kim’s fascinating but uneven career, this represents a welcome uptick. “What is family? What are desires? What are genitals?” he asks in a director’s statement handed to audience members at the Venice screening. In Moebius, those three questions share the same answer: they are all repulsively funny.” Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
“The darkness is often so over the top that it results in purposeful comedy, yet it is always comedy that carries with it a great deal of pain. If laughter and tears are so closely related then Kim exploits it very well indeed. Furthering respite to the depravity on screen is Kim’s almost fantastical way of shooting. Unlike most filmmakers, Kim is not a slave to logic, but abuses it to further his artistic exploration of key ideas. The film is one extended metaphor that delves deep into the world of family, desire and gender.” The Hollywood News
“Somehow despite it all, the film is compulsively watchable. Kim Ki-duk certainly knows his way around a camera, possessing undeniable skill in manipulating audiences even if it’s to the point of provocation. It is impossible to tear your eyes away from MOEBIUS, and not just for the freak show element. The plot is carefully constructed so as never to lapse outside of plausibility, the acting is incredibly strong across the board, complex themes about sexuality in society are easily absorbed and even the silent format never feels like a gimmick.” Phil Brown, Fangoria
Buy Moebius on DVD from Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com
Will Holland
