This Korean film, written and directed by Kim Yong-hoon, is a glorious affair where it’s best going in cold to get the full effect, but we’ll try to summarise without giving too much away.

Presented in six chapters, the film starts with put-upon Joong-man (Bae Seong-woo) finding a bag filled with money in a locker at the sauna where he works. He’s tempted by it, especially since things are not good at home, particularly as his mother, who is suffering from dementia, is being a pain with his wife. Meanwhile, ‘hostess’ Mi-ran (Shin Hyun-been), a victim of domestic abuse, gets into a relationship with one of her punters, Jin-tae (Jung Man-sik), who has come over from China. He suggests helping to do away with her husband, but things get complicated.

There’s so much to take in here. Ruthless crime bosses, desperation, and greed abound as the story unfolds. This is Yong-hoon’s feature debut, and he rarely puts a foot wrong as the twisted, jet-black comedy develops before our eyes. There are touches of the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple as well as Pulp Fiction, although not in a copycat way. The film takes its time to build the characters before revealing its secrets, and by the end, the puzzle comes together beautifully.

Based on Sone Keisuke’s Japanese novel, the film is destined to become a cult classic, and we’d wouldn’t be surprised if an English language version is on the cards.

Available on DVD/Blu-ray and digital in the US from December 15th.