I Saw the Devil – Review

This intense and violent experience is not for the faint of heart; however, it remains expertly crafted while presenting a vicious story of revenge unlike most anything else. It tackles the serial killer genre, however with high levels of energy and an atypical twist to the plot.

Late one stormy night, killer Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) is out looking for victims. Unfortunately, he finds one. While he has had many victims before, this current attack puts him in the crosshairs of the victim’s father as well as her fiancé, Soo-hyeon (Lee Byung-hun). The father is a retired police chief, and has access to ongoing case information, while the fiancé is a highly trained special agent/bodyguard.

The path of the special agent and the killer are doomed to intersect, however what plays out next is beyond initial comprehension. The movie simply asks, when is killing not a strong enough revenge? What then IS sufficient vengeance? How can one inflict a pain of losing a loved one, on a killer who appears to have no feelings and no remorse? Don’t assume that this answer is purely physical torture, as that is definitely not the case.

The agent and the killer enter into a world of hurt, as the agent inflicts his devious plan on the violent offender. The viewer can feel the tension in this movie from opening to ending, and the grisly nature of the story is fully on display. While the viewer unpacks just what the crap is going on, the long tale continues its games well beyond a typical cat and mouse affair.

Somehow despite all the graphic violence presented, the movie is gorgeously shot. Everything from the falling snow to the scenic landscapes are presented with beauty, completely at odds with the stark and grisly revenge story embedded in them. The acting is fantastic, especially the always amazing Choi Min-sik as the insane and disturbed killer. Lee Byung-hun plays his role with calculated ease, showing the right emotions at the right times.

Only watch this one if you can handle the violence, but the plot is not one to be missed for fans of serial killer or revenge movies. It does run a touch long, but it’s hard to notice since mostly it moves at a breakneck pace.