I just finished watching "The Gifted Hands," and it is one of those movies that seems to leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
A warning for those faint at heart: this movie may not be for you. While the plot depicts a crime thriller, I found that this film's villain is more disturbing than other Korean crime thrillers I have seen.
As for the plot, my largest disappointment is that there was a lot of potential, but poor execution. The idea of having a character with psychometry, where he could see glimpses of another person's life by touching the person/an item they touched is cool in theory. The film had a few moments of showing the character's range of abilities, but I wish that they developed and explained the ability in more depth. I found myself a bit confused throughout the film as to what he could truly do.
Also, the plot felt rather choppy, almost rushed. There was not enough character background or development for the audience to get emotionally attached to the characters. Basically if one of them had a tragic end, I do not see myself reacting much, as I barely knew anything about the characters. While the film produced glimpses of the main characters' pasts, these hints were brief and did not contribute much to the plot.
While I would not recommend "The Gifted Hands" as a good example of Korean crime thrillers, it is not that bad for a lazy day watch. Just do not expect for it to be as complex or thought-provoking as the description makes it out to be.

Lees verder