Telmisseomding (Tell Me Something) (2000)

44% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(1,816 ratings)

This film opens with a young man arriving at an apartment and ending up on a concrete slab getting slowly dismembered with a scalpel by an unseen killer. That unfortunate soul, along with a number of other hapless victims, turns up in a bunch of plastic garbage bags littered around Seoul during… More This film opens with a young man arriving at an apartment and ending up on a concrete slab getting slowly dismembered with a scalpel by an unseen killer. That unfortunate soul, along with a number of other hapless victims, turns up in a bunch of plastic garbage bags littered around Seoul during Korea's steamy, rainy season. Burnt-out cop Jo (Han Suk-Kyu) is assigned to head up the investigation. The killer, who puts the limbs of a body with the corpse of another, clearly must have a basic grasp of surgery, Jo and his colleague Oh (Jang Hang-seon) quickly surmise. Their inquiry soon leads them to Chae Su-yeon (Korean idol Shim Eun-ha), a beautiful museum restorer who knew three of the victims. At first, she is wary and unresponsive. The cops' attention is briefly turned toward Kim Ki-yeon (Yu Jun-sang), an obsessive suitor of Chae who had not been seen for several days, that is, until a video tape surfaces of the missing man getting his legs lopped off. Later, as Chae begins to divulge the dark secrets of her past -- sexual abuse and the fiery death of a friend -- the body count grows and the murders become more gruesome. Director Chang Yoon-hyun's profoundly creepy "hardgore" thriller was a major box-office success in its native South Korea, matching that of Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (1999). ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 58 min.
Directed By: Chang Youn Hyun
Genres: Horror, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Nov 13, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Jun 18, 2002
Studio: Kino International

Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
A complicated and stylish Korean thriller that will make viewers' skin crawl.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
For all its style and assurance, Tell Me Something is not ultimately original enough to sustain its many horrific images, however brief they may be.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Mainly demonstrates that Asian filmmakers are just as adept as Americans at producing genre exercises.
, Village Voice
Stylish, sullen, and a little predictable, Tell Me Something is the match of any American film in its quasi-genre.
Jonathan Foreman, New York Post
So bedeviled by plot holes and violations of common sense that by the time you get to the climax, you've ceased to buy the whole story line.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
Though it comes from halfway across the world, the movie, directed by Chang Youn-hyun, shows a desultory mastery of Hollywood clichés.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The Grand Guignol effects seemed more grim than convincing.
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
Has strong characters and a gruesomely intriguing plot but doesn't wrap up its central mystery convincingly.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Has a lot to show but little to say.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
How can filmmakers from other countries make basically the same films we're making here but make them better?
Wade Major, Boxoffice Magazine
A thoroughly predictable and irritatingly mechanical movie that nonetheless works exceptionally well within the parameters of its genre.
Andy Klein, New Times
Stylish, but definitely not for the squeamish.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
A thriller-chiller that is as shamelessly predictable as it is memorably grim.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
While the ending might not come as a huge surprise, the journey makes for a grisly, dark bit of entertainment.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lee ?

Grisly Korean serial killer thriller. It's a little bit overlong, has a few plot holes and the twist ending isn't quite as surprising as it tried to be. Still a solid effort, it was certainly twisted and gruesome enough for me. If you enjoy disturbing thrillers like The… More
Grisly Korean serial killer thriller. It's a little bit overlong, has a few plot holes and the twist ending isn't quite as surprising as it tried to be. Still a solid effort, it was certainly twisted and gruesome enough for me. If you enjoy disturbing thrillers like The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en then give this a look.
Lady D

This film heavily relies on shockability, blood and gore, without it the investigations would not have been as interesting and this film would not be popular, having said that, the blood and gore were at least something 'new' and is definitely not for the squeemish.
Luke B

An all round good attempt at a serial killer thriller. It just can't stand up against the heavyweights in the category and results in a a bit of a mess. There's too much dialogue being spoken and not a lot of it relates to the actual murders. The film then becomes more and… More
An all round good attempt at a serial killer thriller. It just can't stand up against the heavyweights in the category and results in a a bit of a mess. There's too much dialogue being spoken and not a lot of it relates to the actual murders. The film then becomes more and more complex and feels as though it is trying to confuse its audience in an attempt to seem like something more. While watching it becomes such a chore piecing it all together your brain starts to hurt. It has moments of style and moments of suspense but with 5 different writers the pacing and overall story is a jumble.
Stephen M

With a multiple vehicle pile-up, a relish for grisly detail and a soundtrack reliant on cherry-picked, westernised popular music, this slick, South Korean serial-killer flick tries so hard to emulate similar Hollywood fare that it becomes every bit as tedious, flavourless and… More
With a multiple vehicle pile-up, a relish for grisly detail and a soundtrack reliant on cherry-picked, westernised popular music, this slick, South Korean serial-killer flick tries so hard to emulate similar Hollywood fare that it becomes every bit as tedious, flavourless and forgettable as that which it is copying. The only difference, really, is that an equivalent Hollywood thriller would condescendingly hammer home the explanations, whereas "Tell Me Something" makes very few concessions to being understood at all. Alternately smart and silly, there's nothing here that hasn't been done better elsewhere.
alan j

moody, a bit slow, nonetheless interesting whodunit..a bit gory..main problem I have with it is that the lead detective does not have much personality that shows....nice surprise ending!! if you can tolerate the pacing, its worth watching
Christopher B

Very good psychological thriller that was far gorier than I expected. Another film with good performances and a story that deserves repeat viewings (or surfing the net) to catch things you may have missed.