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Hye-ja Kim, Bin Won, Jin Goo, Yoon Jae-Moon, Jun Mi-sun ... see more see more... , Song Sae-beauk , Lee Young-suck , Moon Hee-ra , Chun Woo-hee , Kim Byeong-seon , Yu Mou-young , Jung Young-ki , Ko Kyu-phill , Lee Mi-do , Kim Gin-goo , Kim Hong-jip , Min Kyung-Jin , Cho Kyung-sook , Myeong-shin Park , Yoon Yeong-geol , Gweon Byeong-Gil , Beom-taek Gweon , Ha Deok-sung , Yeom Dong-hun , Lee Young-eun , Yim Geun-ah , Hwang Young-hee , Kim Mi-joon , Hong Gyung-yeon , Kim Tae-wan , Yoo In-soo , Cho Moon-ui , Kwack Byung-gyu , Lee Dae-Yun , Lim Sung-mi , Sung Joon-seo , Lim Hyoung-guk , Han Jee-jee , Kim Min-Jung , Jang Pil-gyung , Moon Bock-dong , Kim Tae-hwan , Lee Seung-hyung , Nam Sung-ho , Lee Ok-joo , Kim Jung-wook , Kim Bo-Gyeong , Lee Byeol-im , Lee Hyun-joo , Han Mee , Jae-Won Choi , Lee Gyu-hyun , Kim Gyu-nam , Jang Yong-joo , Choi So-mang , Christopher Briscoe , Park Tae-joon , Yoon Hye-jin , Jeong Dong , Kwon Ki-hoon , Shin Young-sik , Shin-Jae-young , Park In-mok , Yoo Jong-hwan

A woman devoted to her son struggles to keep him from spending his life in prison in this drama from director Bong Joon-ho. Do-jun (Weon Bin) is a man in his mid-twenties who isn't especially bright a... read more read more...nd is easily led. Do-jun lives with his elderly mother (Kim Hye-ja), who loves him fiercely even though she has no illusions about his abilities or his bad habits. Do-jun spends much of his spare time with Jin-tae (Jin Gu), a borderline criminal who takes advantage of Do-jun's credulous nature, much to his mother's annoyance. When Do-jun is arrested by police and accused of the murder of a young woman, his mother is certain he couldn't have done it and sets out to prove her son's innocence to police detectives, who seem more interested in closing the case than researching other possible leads. At first, mother feels certain that Jin-tae has framed her son to avoid being punished himself, but as she digs deeper she suspects the truth is more complicated. Madeo (aka Mother) was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

86% liked it

13,597 ratings

Critics

95% liked it

109 critics

R, 2 hr. 9 min.

Directed by: Joon-ho Bong

Release Date: March 12, 2010

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DVD Release Date: July 20, 2010

Stats: 945 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (945)

  • fb1463751009
    March 10, 2012
    fb1463751009
    Korean moms are hella paranoid and always filled with worry for their children... but this mom takes it to the SSJ-hardcore-to-the-max limit. I've been loving Korean movies recently... no, it's not cause I'm Korean. They're expertly structured, artistically vibrant, and extremely... read more immersive. "Mother" continues to keep the Korean movie industry running smoothly. "Mother" staggers slightly due to the lack of a moral or thematic foundation and, contrary to more recent Korean films, slight pacing issues. Yet, these are just minor issues for an deftly crafted thriller with a multiple of riveting, suspenseful scenes.

    All the actors play their roles superbly, the cinematography is unique, the editing has an unbelievable amount of precision, and the dialogue is simple yet smart. I'm gonna tell ya though, this is a violent movie that exudes a very eerie and disturbing tone. Haven't seen a movie like it. For a movie with a very linear plotline, "Mother" dishes in variety through unpredictability, enthralling "indie-like" scenes that add artistic value, and incredibly tense scenes. Yeah... Hollywood's missing out...

    "Mother" exceeds on all levels and unlike many Korean movies, leaves viewers with something more then just a story -- it leaves an impression that won't be forgotten for a while.
  • flixsterman
    November 26, 2011
    flixsterman
    Slow-burning dark drama that features a fantastic performance by Hye-ja Kim in the title role.
  • romy861
    June 6, 2011
    romy861
    Expected to like this a little more than I did. Was a very long movie, and it seemed to change half way through. It starts off as being about an overprotective mother and her simple son. I liked that angle. Then the son goes to jail over a murder it seems likely he did not com... read moremit (or did he...), and suddenly this turns into a murder investigation led by the mother. It does pick up again at the end, but whether or not it was worth sticking with is debatable.
    This is quite a popular films with a lot of good reviews, so it's possibly just me and the mood I was in when I watched it, but it wasn't quite what i was expecting, and I was a little underwhelmed by it, though I'll admit the acting and filming was very good here.
  • adammahler1
    May 24, 2011
    adammahler1
    Finally, a movie people can watch on Mother's Day who are unsentimental about it. Antoine Doinel would love this one.
  • ceWEBrity
    February 4, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    Absolutely stunning. Bong Joon-ho has refined his fusion of dark comedy and darker mystery to an even sharper razor point than previously seen in The Host - where his creature feature was a bit unwieldy, suffering from balance and pacing issues despite its creativity, Mother feel... read mores superbly judged. The film moves at a slow clip, but every scene is so beautiful and thoughtful and loaded with innovative ideas that surprise and entertain. Mother is a massively original film, if not in premise then certainly in execution, but it would be lost without a lead performance that sells the breakneck insanity of the narrative. Kim Hye-Ja is a revelation, fiercely devoted, heartbreaking, a little crazy, and slyly funny. She is an incredibly limber communicator, much as the movie strives to be, and in many ways she's exactly the mouthpiece it needs for its often very violent tonal shifts. Min-sik Choi served a similar role in The Host, but Joon-ho is more generous to his main character here. Both of them have a goal, but Kim knows at least where to start looking.

    Yet another bright jewel in the South Korean crown, Mother is a film that will hopefully be celebrated for a long time to come. A vital piece of work; necessary viewing.
  • gor41
    October 29, 2010
    gor41
    Another beautifully crafted Korean thriller with a gripping central performance from Kim. Sprinkled with subtle humour, it plays with maternal devotion to their sons and the ending surprises you by its unexpectedness.
  • Alireza64ir
    August 13, 2010
    Alireza64ir
    It's so impressive how korean directors like Joon-ho Bong, Chan-wook Park and to a lesser degree Ji-woon Kim intellectually combine comedy,violence and sentimentalism.Even after almost a decade of making anti-genre movies,their works still looks fresh to us.I wonder howcome it ha... read morednt been chosen in Cannes Festival's competition section.
  • deano
    May 30, 2010
    deano
    Superb Korean murder mystery film, with twists coming thick and fast... paced like Hitchcock suspense thriller.
    This is edge of the seat stuff, with a dash of wry humour, from a filmmaker with a good understanding of family dynamics and the mechanics of suspense.
    Korean director-... read morewriter Joon-ho Bong does a remarkable job of populating the world of this film with real people and manages to give them depth and development in a very short period of time.
    Hye-ja Kim is excellent as the mother. Her performance is understated but at the same time intense, cold and at the same time powerful. The cinematography is beautiful. The film moves along and builds slowly, more akin to the tempo of the small town we're visiting for the duration of the film, but the twists, turns, and suspense make it a highly rewarding and satisfying ride.
  • 366weirdmovies
    April 30, 2010
    366weirdmovies
    When her mentally incompetent adult son is accused of murdering a girl, an overprotective mother will go to any lengths to establish his innocence. A winner thanks to the believably tender and slightly twisted mother/son relationship, the engaging mystery, and a great performanc... read moree by an obsessed and pathetic Hye-ja Kim.
  • DrBenway
    April 6, 2010
    DrBenway
    Mother is more than a mystery. It's a story of love, devotion and sacrifice. However, the director Bong Joon-ho isn't interested in delivering a mushy melodrama but instead suggests incest, sexual dysfunction and unhealthy emotional relations. Early part of the film takes a whi... read morele to get steam going, but lead actress Kim Hye-ja is solid in her performance and supporting actors do well. I seem to be in the minority with my lower rating, but I will say the film was done with style and class. There was a nice balance of humor, especially in showing the ineffectiveness of detectives which echoed Memories Of Murder. Being a fan of Korean cinema, it's nice to see more and more directors turning out well done alternatives to the usual "play it safe" dramas here at home.

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Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
December 30, 2010
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Bong's opening and climactic scenes, in which the old woman bops around to a dance tune amid a vast field of yellow grass, are typical of the movie's cockeyed poetry. Full Review

Roger Moore
April 21, 2010
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It is Hye-ja Kim that carries Mother, making her mother of a Mother an all-suffering, all-enduring victim who acquires more spine and subtler shadings as the story deliberately, patiently reveals its ... Full Review

Tom Long
April 16, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

Disturbing, enthralling and filled with interesting shots that reflect an artist's eye. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
April 16, 2010
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

Bong is a talent to heed. Full Review

A.O. Scott
March 29, 2010
A.O. Scott, At the Movies

Really strange and fascinating. Full Review

Michael Phillips
March 29, 2010
Michael Phillips, At the Movies

It is a crazy mixture of genres and very stimulating. Full Review

Rick Groen
March 26, 2010
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

It's deliriously creepy. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
March 26, 2010
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

As with director Bong Joon-ho's previous film The Host, Mother also is a movie about a monster. Only this one wears an apron. Full Review

Roger Ebert
March 25, 2010
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The film is labyrinthine and deceptive, and not in a way we anticipate. It becomes a pleasure for the mind. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
March 19, 2010
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

An alluring piece of work, an artful whodunit that melds shrewd plotting with resourceful camera work and sympathetic characters that are fascinatingly, morbidly off. Full Review

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