It would make an excellent double feature with Parasite. It reminds me of Taxi Driver as well: the simmering boil of a man who’s at his wit’s end with the world he’s been placed in.
This is a slow burn, filled with metaphor. A more obtuse film than Parasite that’s much less obvious. It’s also a film that requires some understanding of Korean culture — I had to do some reading after the fact to fully understand the context for some scenes.
I mention Parasite repeatedly because both films are about the same thing: the separation between rich and poor, the privilege of wealth, and the voyeurism that comes with being poor.
This film’s title is not about the fire. It’s about the burning of jealousy. The burning of desire.