Lee Chang-Dong’s “Quietly Riveting Stunner” BURNING Opens November 9th at AFS Cinema

BURNING opens Friday, November 9th at AFS Cinema.  Get tickets.

Passions reach a fever pitch in Lee Chang-Dong’s new thriller, BURNING. After a brief tryst with a former classmate, Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) is entrusted to watch his short-time lover’s cat while she takes a trip to Africa.  To his frustration, she returns with someone new: upper-class playboy Ben (Steve Yuen of “The Walking Dead”).  As jealousy deepens within the love triangle, the situation only grows murkier as Ben lets his new friends in on a dark secret. Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami.

Here’s what critics are saying:

“A slow dramatic simmer that intensifies gradually over two-and-a-half perfectly measured hours, until it reaches a shocking and powerful crescendo.” – A.A. Dowd, The A.V. Club

“…a quietly riveting stunner,” – Justin Chiang, L.A. Times

“a movie that makes you reconsider all the other times you called movies haunting because this one gets under your skin in completely unexpected ways.” – Brian Tallerico, Rogerebert.com

“Intelligence and subtle storytelling smarts are in evidence throughout BURNING, which gratifyingly pays off the viewer’s investment of time.” – Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

“a mesmerizing tale of working class frustrations.” – Eric Kohn, IndieWire

“a film that understands the power of suggestion—the force of a silent, fiery nightmare.” – Lawrence Garcia, MUBI

BURNING opens Friday, November 9th at AFS Cinema.  Get tickets.

• Contributed by Henry Graham