---
title: "Decision to Leave: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/decision-to-leave/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/decision-to-leave"
critics_score: 77
critics_reviews: 32
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Decision to Leave (2022): what the critics said

Critics' score 77 from 32 reviews: 27 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics like it, and many like it a great deal. The reviews describe a murder mystery that turns out to be a love story, and the praise gathers in two places: Park Chan-wook’s direction, particularly the inventiveness of his compositions and the precision of the editing, and Tang Wei’s performance as the suspect, which several critics name as the thing that makes an enigmatic character worth following. Her chemistry with Park Hae-il comes up nearly as often.

The reservations are about the second half. Several critics find the middle baggy or the final third drifting, and some feel the plot’s technology and twists grow overcomplicated. The spread is narrow, with no outright negative reviews, but a few dissent: Slant finds the thriller so convoluted that the romance goes inert, Vulture finds it fragmentary and emotionally distant despite a haunting finale, and Deadline faults the pacing and an unfeeling conclusion. Even they praise Tang Wei.

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating A-. 23 May 2022. Festival review. 

Ehrlich calls it an unexpectedly romantic procedural whose restrained approach still delivers a deeply affecting finale. He praises Park’s precise editing and staging, while noting that the technology-driven plot and complicated third act can feel overworked.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook-1234727459/)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2022. 

Chang finds the film an invigorating, despairing love story and a luxuriant romantic noir. He especially praises Park’s inventive visual style and Park Hae-il and Tang Wei’s performances.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-10-13/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook-korean-oscar-submission)

## The AV Club — Mark Keizer

Rating A-. 13 October 2022. 

Keizer praises the film as an intricate, restrained, and probing drama, though its tragic ending feels more intellectual than emotional. He singles out Park’s visual inventiveness and the leads’ finely calibrated chemistry.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/decision-leave-review-park-chan-wook-tang-wei-1849633103)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2022. Festival review. 

Bradshaw gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it gorgeously made and gripping. He particularly praises Tang Wei’s magnificent performance and the film’s suspenseful, consistently surprising storytelling.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/23/decision-to-leave-review-tang-wei-stuns-in-park-chan-wook-black-widow-noir)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2022. Festival review. 

Rooney finds the film intoxicating and praises Park as a world-class artist at the top of his game. He singles out the leads’ smoldering chemistry and the film’s ravishing visuals, especially its striking compositions.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/decision-to-leave-park-chan-wook-cannes-2022-1235152464/)

## Empire — Nick de Semlyen

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2022. 

The critic calls it a tremendous, sophisticated erotic thriller and praises Park’s inventive visual storytelling. The middle section occasionally feels baggy, but Tang Wei’s mesmerizing performance and the film’s precise camerawork stand out.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/decision-to-leave/)

## The i Paper — Christina Newland

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 October 2022. 

Newland praises the film as absorbing, enigmatic and masterful, with a hypnotic rhythm. She singles out Park’s precise editing and his ability to make tiny visual details feel charged with meaning.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/decision-to-leave-review-hypnotic-masterful-return-park-chan-wook-1925650)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2022. 

Lane finds the film an astonishing and persuasive romance, whose elaborate mystery ultimately brushes against tragedy. He praises the visual wit and forensic precision of Park’s imagery.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/10/17/the-persuasive-potency-of-decision-to-leave)

## Variety — Jessica Kiang

Rating Critics Pick. 23 May 2022. Festival review. 

The review calls the film a masterful, dazzling love story wrapped in a mischievous murder mystery. It especially praises the expressive camerawork and the leads’ subtle, compelling chemistry.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook-1235275058/)

## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong

Rating 5/4/5. 19 October 2022. 

Strong presents the film as an intimate, sumptuous romance whose mystery keeps its emotional cards close. She particularly praises Tang Wei’s magnetic performance as Seo-rae and the film’s morally complex characters.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/decision-to-leave)

## Radio Times — Max Copeman

Rating 4/5. 

Copeman finds the mystery exquisitely made and Hitchcockian in spirit. He especially praises Tang Wei's performance for its depth and intrigue.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vxnqgb/decision-to-leave/)

## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen

Rating 4/5. 24 May 2022. 

The review finds the film a woozily seductive murder mystery. It singles out Park Chan-wook’s slowed-down, spellbinding approach for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/decision-to-leave-2022)

## Total Film — Neil Smith

Rating 4/5. 23 May 2022. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film an intoxicating, achingly romantic neo-noir, though its second half loses momentum and it feels too long. They single out the elegant visuals, evocative score, and sophisticated costumes for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/decision-to-leave-review-cannes-2022/)

## Film Comment — Imogen Sara Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

The critic presents the film as a notably romantic entry in Park Chan-wook’s filmography. The standfirst singles out its epic detective story and romantic emphasis.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/unsolved-mysteries-park-chan-wook-decision-to-leave-review/)

## Screen Daily — Wendy Ide

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2022. Festival review. 

The standfirst presents the film as a seductive neo-noir. It singles out the blurred lines between detective and suspect as central to its appeal.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/decision-to-leave-cannes-review/5171039.article)

## Sight and Sound

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2022. 

The critic finds the film’s image-rich, ambiguous approach largely successful, despite a drifting final third. Tang Wei’s magnetic performance is singled out for making an enigmatic character compelling.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/decision-leave-danger-keeps-spiralling-this-tense-tale-obsession)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. Its praise or complaints cannot be determined from the provided content.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/decision-to-leave-movie-review-2022)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or criticism can be verified from the supplied text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/13/movies/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook.html)

## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen

Rating 2.5/4. 11 September 2022. 

Bowen finds the thriller pointlessly overcomplicated, leaving its emotional story inert. He praises the beauty of a beachside disappearance, though he says the film does little to make its tragedy meaningful.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook/)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 22 October 2022. 

Ebiri finds the film fragmentary and emotionally distancing, though its haunting finale nearly saves it. He especially praises Tang Wei’s layered, captivating performance.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/decision-to-leave-movie-review-directed-by-park-chan-wook.html)

## The Skinny — Ross McIndoe

Rating ★★★★★. 18 October 2022. 

The review praises the film as a consistently accomplished work of filmmaking. It singles out Park Chan-wook’s visual inventiveness and the sensual chemistry between the two leads.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/decision-to-leave)

## Collider — Ross Bonaime

Rating B+. 21 September 2022. Festival review. 

Bonaime praises the film as an accomplished blend of romance and mystery. He especially singles out Park Hae-il and Tang Wei for conveying powerful feelings through quiet, restrained performances.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook/)

## The Ringer — Adam Nayman

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2022. 

Nayman finds the film a controlled, absorbing high point in Park Chan-wook’s later work. He praises how its restrained visual style serves the story’s uneasy blend of mystery and romance.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2022/10/13/movies/decision-to-leave-park-chan-wook-films)

## Consequence — Clint Worthington

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 September 2022. Festival review. 

Worthington finds the film a captivating, inventive take on a romantic crime thriller. He especially praises Park’s inventive camera work and Tang Wei’s precise performance.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2022/09/decision-to-leave-review-chan-wook-park/)

## Polygon — Tasha Robinson

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2022. 

Robinson finds the film a sophisticated, satisfying portrait of obsession and regret, despite its less dynamic procedural story. She especially praises how its quiet character details gradually reveal the leads’ feelings and deepen their relationship.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/23402587/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook/)

## The Playlist

Fi1m's normalised score 79/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

The headline presents the film as an elusive, alluring romance. It highlights Park Chan-wook’s conjuring of seductive illusions.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook-conjures-elusive-illusions-a-seductive-romance-cannes-20220524/)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2022. 

The critic finds the film difficult but ultimately rewarding, with an ending that lingers in the mind. She praises its intricate psychological romance and the way desire emerges through the characters’ intellectual conflict.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/decision-to-leave-2022-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Paste — Brianna Zigler

Rating 7.3/10. 13 October 2022. 

The critic calls it an extravagant, hopelessly romantic thriller, though not Park Chan-wook’s best work or a masterpiece. She praises its lavish visual style and yearning romance, while noting that the excess can overwhelm the film and leave it feeling as if something is missing.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/park-chan-wook/decision-to-leave-review)

## /Film — Rafael Motamayor

Rating 7/10. 24 May 2022. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film fascinating and exquisitely directed, though less surprising and innovative than Park Chan-wook’s earlier work. They praise the palpable chemistry between the leads and the director’s skill at building tension through staging and visual composition.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/872714/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook-directs-the-hell-out-of-a-romantic-mystery-cannes/)

## NME

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film intriguing and addictive, though some twists do not strengthen its narrative. They particularly praise its stunning, inventive cinematography.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/decision-to-leave-review-park-chan-wook-k-drama-3333399)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2022. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film gorgeous and richly dramatic, though at times confounding and emotionally uneven. They praise Park’s intricate, visually striking filmmaking and its ability to make ordinary settings feel alluring.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/decision-to-leave-film-review-cannes/)

## Deadline — Valerie Complex

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2022. Festival review. 

The critic finds the film uneven but ultimately recommends it, largely for its stellar first half. She praises Tang Wei’s performance and the leads’ subtle, compelling dynamic, while faulting the latter half’s pacing and emotionless conclusion.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2022/05/cannes-review-park-chan-wooks-decision-to-leave-1235030449/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/decision-to-leave.md