Orora gongju

A pretty good South Korean thriller, although not quite up there with the likes of THE CHASER or MEMORIES OF MURDER. PRINCESS AURORA sees the inimitable Eom Jeong-hwa as a wronged mother who sets out on a seemingly random massacre of people who offend her, and of course the police are hot on her trail.

I find these Korean police procedural films to be typically gripping and PRINCESS AURORA is no exception. I loved the mystery aspect of the storyline, which gradually unfolds towards crystal clarity at the climax, even though I did easily guess the twist ending this time around. The film is also interspersed with those stark, gruesome set-pieces that the Koreans portray so well.

The acting is excellent and complements the script well, and the only reason I haven't given this a higher rating is because the subject matter is so dark. It's ultimately a very sad and depressing movie, but that doesn't stop it from being decent; it's just not one of those films that screams entertainment value at you.