Pieta
A merciless loan shark confronts the possibility of lost motherhood when a mysterious woman enters his violent world.
Overview
A violent loan shark's life spirals into chaos when a woman claiming to be his mother appears, forcing him to confront his past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- oppressive
- harrowing
- visceral
- serious film night
- korean cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found Pieta viscerally powerful and anchored by committed performances, while divided over its extreme violence, limited subtlety, and moral melodrama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mi-sun's claimed motherhood becomes entangled with Gang-do's emotional regression and disturbing intimacy.
The mother's arrival initially suggests reconciliation but gradually reframes the violence and drives the story toward retaliation.
The film's handheld images frequently press its violent industrial interiors against black frame edges.
Gang-do's work as a loan shark exposes borrowers to coercion, bodily harm, and economic desperation.
Films like Pieta, and why
Oldboy
dark moral drama, brutal violence, psychological transformation, and transgressive family dynamics
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
korean crime thriller intensity, revenge structure, bleak atmosphere, and moral complexity
The Piano Teacher
disturbing psychological drama centered on taboo desire, guilt, and fractured identity
The Chaser
austere crime drama combining cruelty, emotional estrangement, and unsettling family revelations
Movie Details
- Director
- Kim Ki-duk
- Release Date
- 2012-09-06
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (434)
Cast
- Cho Min-soo
- Lee Jung-jin
- Woo Ki-hong
- Kang Eun-jin
- Heo Joon-seok
- Kwon Yul
- Jin Yong-uk
- Yoo Ha-bok
- Kim Jae-rok
- Cho Jae-ryong
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Fandor, FlixFling, Cinefest Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, FlixFling
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Pieta about?
- A merciless loan shark confronts the possibility of lost motherhood when a mysterious woman enters his violent world.
- What is Pieta like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Pieta as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Pieta violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Pieta as graphic.
- What did critics think of Pieta?
- Critics broadly found Pieta viscerally powerful and anchored by committed performances, while divided over its extreme violence, limited subtlety, and moral melodrama.
- Which films are like Pieta?
- Films with a similar feel include Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, The Piano Teacher, and The Chaser.
- How long is Pieta?
- Pieta runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Pieta?
- In United States, Pieta streams on Fandor, FlixFling, Cinefest Amazon Channel.
