Burning

(Beoning, Lee Chang-dong, South Korea 2018, 148 min., DCP, Korean w/subtitles)

Rochester Premiere. Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) is a part-time deliveryman, introverted, and without much of a future. By chance, he meets Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), a young woman who grew up in his village. Getting to know Hae-mi again, Jong-su grows closer to her, yearning for a connection. When Hae-mi returns from a trip to Africa with wealthy and good-looking Ben (Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead), Jong-su’s dreams are crushed. When Ben reveals his secret hobby to Jong-su, he becomes obsessed with this mysterious figure, culminating in a shocking finale. Based on Haruki Murakami’s short story, “Barn Burning,” this film is Lee’s first since 2010’s Poetry and was nominated for the Palme d’Or in Cannes.