Ex-detective Joong-ho operates a massage parlor. Some time ago, the girls working for him started to disappear one by one. Following the trail of Mi-jin, one of those girls, Joong-ho succeeds in capturing the suspect Young-min. However, Young-min is acquitted because of insufficient evidence, and Joong-ho gets furious. Like its title, The Chaser is a ‘chasing and being chased’ type of a very simple story. However, at a certain point towards the end, it becomes difficult to differentiate whether Joong-ho is chasing the victim Mi-jin or the serial killer Young-min. Joong-ho’s chase gradually shows aspects of the victim and the suspect becoming intermixed. This phenomenon happens often in this film. Young-min’s impassive face and the incompetent police force are intermixed, destroying the border between what is ordinary and what is lunacy. The fast editing of more than 2,000 cuts establishes an important style that makes the viewers accept such confusing situations. In Korea, the film’s style has raised both public praise and critical response, making it an interesting case study that brings to light Korean society’s group unconsciousness and fear. (LEE Sang-yong)