Samaritan Girl
Two teenage friends become entangled in prostitution, grief, and a father's violent attempt to impose moral order.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- bleak
- intimate
- contemplative
- serious viewing
- international cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a stark and provocative drama that gained stronger recognition internationally than in South Korea, especially after its Berlin award.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Yeo-jin retraces Jae-young's encounters with clients after her friend's death, turning imitation into a ritual of grief and expiation.
The girls arrange sexual encounters for money, while desire, jealousy, and repayment complicate every apparent act of intimacy.
Jae-young and Yeo-jin operate within an adult commercial world while facing police scrutiny, clients, and consequences they cannot control.
Hotels, streets, apartments, and family settings remain visually familiar while prostitution, death, and revenge unfold inside them.
Films like Samaritan Girl, and why
The Piano Teacher
shared themes of adolescent alienation, transgressive sexuality, and emotionally austere psychological drama
Rosetta
shared focus on prostitution, moral ambiguity, and stark social-realist drama
Lilya 4-Ever
shared themes of sexual exploitation, female vulnerability, and bleak contemporary drama
Nobody Knows
shared atmosphere of quiet transgression, damaged intimacy, and morally troubling family relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Kim Ki-duk
- Release Date
- 2004-03-05
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (272)
Cast
- Han Yeo-reum
- Kwak Ji-min
- Lee Eol
- Jung In-gi
- Kwon Hyun-min
- Oh Young
- Im Gyun-ho
- Lee Jong-gil
- Han Chang-hyun
- Chong Yun-su
Common questions
- What is Samaritan Girl about?
- Two teenage friends become entangled in prostitution, grief, and a father's violent attempt to impose moral order.
- What is Samaritan Girl like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Samaritan Girl as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Samaritan Girl violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Samaritan Girl as moderate.
- What did critics think of Samaritan Girl?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a stark and provocative drama that gained stronger recognition internationally than in South Korea, especially after its Berlin award.
- Which films are like Samaritan Girl?
- Films with a similar feel include The Piano Teacher, Rosetta, Lilya 4-Ever, and Nobody Knows.
- How long is Samaritan Girl?
- Samaritan Girl runs 96 minutes.
