A gripping thriller that viewers have branded ‘heart-pounding’ has landed on Prime Video – and it’s essential viewing for Squid Game enthusiasts.
Launched in 2008, The Chaser tracks former police officer Joong-ho Eom (Kim Yoon-seok) who oversees a group of sex workers following his departure from the force. As women begin vanishing, he becomes convinced a serial killer is prowling the streets and sets out to track them down.
Starring alongside lead actor Kim Yoon-seok, The Chaser features The Handmaiden’s Ha Jung-woo, My Demon’s Kim Yoo-jung and Bedevilled’s Seo Young-hee. The film marked the directorial debut of Na Hong-kin, who later created the celebrated 2016 horror The Wailing.
Prime Video’s description reveals: “Ex-policeman Joong-ho believes he’s caught the serial killer responsible for the disappearance of two young women. But when the bureaucratic police department are forced to release him, Joong-ho finds himself in a race against time to find evidence against the killer before it’s too late.”
The movie spans just over two hours and holds an outstanding 89 per cent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics, meanwhile, gave it an 82 per cent score, reports the Mirror.
One admirer of the picture wrote: “I did not expect much when I went to watch the movie but boy was I wrong. I was fully satisfied with this film because it had everything. The movie had suspense, action and a bit of humour put into it.”
Another viewer chimed in: One of the best thriller films I’ve seen. This film is squirm [sic] and gripping with dark and disturbing hard to watch scenes.”
A third fan echoed the praise, stating: “One of the best thrillers I have watched. It’s suspenseful and horrifying and keeps your heart pounding till the end credits roll. Kudos to both the leads, in particular I like how the hero is a flawed human being.”
The Korean thriller is a must-watch for fans of Squid Game due to its imperfect protagonist, dark themes and sprinkling of comedic moments.
Fans of The Chaser have also compared it to other renowned Korean thrillers such as Memories of Murder and I Saw The Devil.
The Chaser is now streaming on Prime Video