I Saw The Devil
Synopsis: When his pregnant fiancee becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge.
Director: Jee-woon Kim
Starring: Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi
Year: 2010
Warnings: High Impact Violence, coarse language, sexual references, adult themes.
Recommended for: A mature audience of 18+
My Review:
To start off I must admit I’m a big fan of Jee-woon’s films and I Saw The Devil is no exception. It is brilliant. Full stop.
Jee-woon has managed to create the most intelligent and thrilling serial killer film I have seen in recent years. The film does not sugar coat anything and some of its main criticism has been due to the fact of how gory and violent the film actually is. I on the other hand believe this helps the film achieve a level of realness unmatched by any other serial killer films which have been pumped out of Hollywood in recent years.
As for the acting both Lee and Choi put in award winning performances as the two leads. As a big fan of Lee I found this to be one of his strongest performances to date even with the lack of dialogue he actually spoke in the film. Choi also once again proves just what a convincing villain he can play as he steals the screen as the heartless serial killer who won’t give in.
The cinematography throughout the film is also mesmerising..from the snowy nights in the Korean wilderness to the final dramatic early morning scene which will haunt you long after the film has finished. I’d go as far as to say it has one of the best endings I have ever seen. Not just in a Korean film but films in general.
10/10
Definitely worth seeing for any fan of international or Korean cinema.