Decision to Leave
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
The film earned $16.9M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Decision to Leave (2022) showcases carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Park Chan-wook's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 12-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 19 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.5, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Detective Hae-jun investigates crime scenes with methodical precision, suffers from insomnia, and maintains a distant marriage where he and his wife live in separate cities. His controlled, routine-driven life is established.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
At 70 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Of particular interest, this crucial beat The case is closed with another suspect confessing to the murder. This seems like victory—Seo-rae is innocent—but it's a false victory. Hae-jun loses his reason to see her, and they must part ways. He returns to his wife, but he's fundamentally changed., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 104 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Hae-jun discovers evidence that Seo-rae murdered her second husband and likely the first as well. Everything he believed about her was a lie. His career, marriage, and moral compass collapse as he realizes he was manipulated by the woman he loved., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 111 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Hae-jun chooses to help Seo-rae escape justice by destroying evidence. He synthesizes his two identities—the dutiful detective and the obsessed lover—by making a conscious choice to abandon his principles for her, fully aware of what he's sacrificing., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Decision to Leave's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 12 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Decision to Leave against these established plot points, we can identify how Park Chan-wook utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Decision to Leave within the thriller genre.
Park Chan-wook's Structural Approach
Among the 6 Park Chan-wook films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.8, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Decision to Leave takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Park Chan-wook filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional thriller films include Eye for an Eye, Lake Placid and Operation Finale. For more Park Chan-wook analyses, see Thirst, The Handmaiden and Oldboy.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Detective Hae-jun investigates crime scenes with methodical precision, suffers from insomnia, and maintains a distant marriage where he and his wife live in separate cities. His controlled, routine-driven life is established.
Theme
A colleague discusses the nature of obsession and how watching someone can become a form of connection. This foreshadows Hae-jun's surveillance of Seo-rae and the ambiguous boundaries between investigation, obsession, and love.
Worldbuilding
Introduction to Hae-jun's world as a dedicated detective in Busan: his partnership with Soo-wan, his long-distance marriage, his insomnia and meticulous nature. A mountain climber is found dead at the base of a cliff, setting up the central case.
Resistance
Hae-jun begins surveillance of Seo-rae as the prime suspect. He debates his growing fascination with her while maintaining the investigation. His insomnia worsens as he watches her through the night, blurring professional and personal boundaries.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
The promise of the premise unfolds as Hae-jun and Seo-rae engage in their intricate dance of surveillance and counter-surveillance. Their connection deepens through glances, stake-outs, and charged encounters while the murder investigation continues.
Midpoint
The case is closed with another suspect confessing to the murder. This seems like victory—Seo-rae is innocent—but it's a false victory. Hae-jun loses his reason to see her, and they must part ways. He returns to his wife, but he's fundamentally changed.
Opposition
Time passes. Hae-jun transfers to a coastal city to save his marriage. A new murder case emerges, and shockingly, Seo-rae reappears—now married to the victim. The past resurfaces, complicated by new suspicions and Hae-jun's realization that Seo-rae may have deceived him.
Collapse
Hae-jun discovers evidence that Seo-rae murdered her second husband and likely the first as well. Everything he believed about her was a lie. His career, marriage, and moral compass collapse as he realizes he was manipulated by the woman he loved.
Crisis
Hae-jun wrestles with the dark truth of Seo-rae's guilt and his own complicity. He must decide whether to arrest her or protect her. His identity as a righteous detective dies, replaced by a man compromised by impossible love.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Hae-jun chooses to help Seo-rae escape justice by destroying evidence. He synthesizes his two identities—the dutiful detective and the obsessed lover—by making a conscious choice to abandon his principles for her, fully aware of what he's sacrificing.
Synthesis
The finale unfolds as Hae-jun covers up Seo-rae's crime. But Seo-rae, understanding that their love is impossible and that she has destroyed him, makes her own final decision. She walks into the ocean at the beach they once discussed, choosing death over a life that would further corrupt him.
Transformation
Hae-jun stands at the beach where Seo-rae disappeared, now fundamentally transformed from the controlled detective of the opening. He has lost everything—his case, his integrity, his love—but has experienced a profound, devastating connection. The waves erase evidence, mirroring his complicity.