This is a haunting, deeply affecting film, directed by Ki-duk Kim (of 3-Iron and Spring Summer Autumn Winter). I’m not sure how to review it without spoilers, so be alerted. A teenage schoolgirl raises money to go to Europe for her and her friend by prostituting herself; the friend helps to set up the encounters with men and stands guard despite being disgusted by what they are doing. When the first girl dies, her friend sleeps with all the men who had sex with the dead girl, and returns the money to them. It is a sort of homage to her dead friend, and she achieves a kind of peace as she crosses off the names of former johns, and overcomes her earlier disgust. Meanwhile, her father discovers what his daughter has been doing, is distraught and wreaks a measure of retribution on the men. He then sets off on a trip with his daughter to visit the grave of his wife, her mother.
This is a remarkable film. The relationship between the two girls, which borders on love, drives the first part of the film, and the grief of the father — etched onto his face — drives the second part. The plot sounds bizarre, but there is a normalcy to the way the characters respond to their situation that saves it. The cinematography is also beautiful, with lush colors and carefully-framed shots (the bend of a river from far overhead as a car skids on gravel, tiny rivulets of blood running between paving stones). Highly recommended.