Burning (Beoning) (2018)
RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
17 wins & 24 nominations total
Burning patiently lures audiences into a slow-burning character study that ultimately rewards the viewer’s patience — and subverts many of their expectations
Burning is like a slow-cooked meal that you savor every bite of. It’s a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but also makes you think about the complexities of human relationships. The cinematography is stunning, and the performances are top-notch. It’s a movie that will stay with you long after the credits roll, and you’ll find yourself wanting to watch it again and again to uncover all of its hidden meanings. Plus, it’s got a killer soundtrack. Don’t miss out on this one!
Production Company(ies)
Anonymous Content
Distributor
Well Go USA
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Prime Video)
Filming Location(s)
Ross Barnett Reservior, Mississippi, USA
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1989
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 28m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:Australia
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 26, 2018 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 29, 2019
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Burning, Drama, 2h 28m, starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo, Kim Soo-kyung, Choi Seung-Ho, Moon Seong-geun, directed by Lee Chang-dong, written by Lee Chang-dong, Haruki Murakami, produced by Lee Chang-dong, Ok Gwang-hui, reviewed by David Stratton, Wenlei Ma, Jake Wilson, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Wendy Ide, Mark Kermode, Brian Eggert, Taylor Baker, Carolyn Hinds, Dustin Chang, genre, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, slow-burning, character study, mystery, revenge thriller, obsession, love triangle, cat, resentment, anger, rich, overbearing, nuanced performances, exacting tone, metaphors, symbolism, subtle, haunting, enigma, psychological thriller, VERTIGO, THE CONVERSATION, DON’T LOOK NOW, MIKE’S MURDER, Talented Mr Ripley-esque, sociopath, narcissist, disaffected youth, poorly solving problems, Murakami roots, modern thriller, engaging, visuals, sounds, camerawork, dreamy, muffled scream
Worldwide gross: $34,603,943
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $84,321,919
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,096
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 9,195,411
US/Canada gross: $34,603,943
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $84,321,919
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 834
US/Canada opening weekend: $225,034
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $548,357
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,382
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $36,551,580
Production budget ranking: 1,027
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $19,683,026
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $28,087,313
ROI to date (est.): 50%
ROI ranking: 1,152
Steven Yeun – Ben
Jeon Jong-seo – Hae-mi
Kim Soo-kyung – Yeon-ju
Choi Seung-Ho – Yong-seok
Moon Seong-geun – The lawyer
Director(s)
Lee Chang-dong
Writer(s)
Lee Chang-dong, Haruki Murakami
Producer(s)
Lee Chang-dong, Ok Gwang-hui
Film Festivals
Venice, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
17 wins & 24 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (197) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (187) | Rotten (10)
Burning…refers to the resentment and the anger felt by the young and struggling towards the rich and overbearing. Revelations like these hover just beneath the surface of this beautifully directed mystery.
April 25, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Lee hypnotises with his story of a love triangle, crafting a movie that could be described as visual poetry.
April 21, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
Wenlei Ma
News.com.au
TOP CRITIC
This is the kind of film that all but demands a second viewing in order to appreciate the complex elegance of the design, assembled from details systematically calculated to lend themselves to more than one interpretation.
April 19, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Wave your lighters in the air. This bleak movie is one of the year’s best.
February 4, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
It’s chilling and brilliant.
February 3, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Burning casts such a strange spell.
February 2, 2019
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
Perfectly calibrated as a piece dependent on nuanced performances and an exacting tone, Burning rewards those willing to invest and engage in all that Lee refuses to spell-out or show to his audience.
March 4, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Episode 20: When Jeff Tried To Save The World / Creed II / The Ballad of Buster Scruggs / The World Is Yours / Burning
September 3, 2021 | Rating: 75/100
Taylor Baker
Drink in the Movies
Characters and viewers are taken on a journey that both fascinates and unsettles.
July 30, 2021 | Rating: 9/10
Carolyn Hinds
But Why Tho? A Geek Community
Burning is a slow-burn thriller that is utterly captivating from beginning to end. It’s economic emasculation that brings inevitable violence. It’s Lee’s script that shines: layered with hefty metaphors and symbolism, yet the film is surprisingly subtle.
February 13, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
Lee Chang-dong’s potent drama sparks unconventional mysteries
August 19, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeff Mitchell
Art House Film Wire
It unfolds like a poem in its esotericism, wearing the ambiguity on its sleeves that make for something almost entirely transfixing.
July 24, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Matt Cipolla
Film Monthly…
Plot
Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his former Sheriff partner.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Steven Yeun, known for his role as Glenn on The Walking Dead, delivers a standout performance in Burning.
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