PREVIEW Burning

Burning, dir. Lee Chang-dong, South Korea, 2018, 148 mins, Korean with English subtitles

Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in), an isolated young man from a broken family, meets beguiling Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo) in the streets of a densely chaotic South Korean city. He can’t recall having met before, but she assures him they are long-lost childhood friends. Back at her cramped apartment, the two embark on a short-lived romance before Hae-mi abruptly jets off on holiday, leaving Jong-su to look after her cat, which is strangely nowhere to be seen. When Hae-mi returns from her travels with a wealthy, charismatic new friend Ben (Steven Yeun), Jong-su’s distrust of the newcomer grows as the film’s uneasy narrative menacingly unravels.