I Saw the Devil
악마를 보았다
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Cast
Choi Min-shik, Lee Byung-hun
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Release Date
2010
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Runtime
144 mins
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Cert
18
Director Kim Jee-woon
By day, Kyung-chul (Choi Min-shik) is a school bus driver, happily and safely ferrying children to
and from school. But this is a mask he wears because at night, he transforms into his true nature;
one of the most disturbing and sadistic serial killers Korea has ever known. One evening, a young
women, Ju-yeon, falls into the manic murder’s sights, resulting in a brutal homicide.
Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun) is a federal agent and Ju-yeon his fiancee. Upon being informed of her death, unable to deal with his grief, Soo-hyun leaves a bloody trail in his wake as he turns the
hunter into the hunted with the intention of torturing his lover’s killer in the same manner she was.
Kim Jee-woon has built a successful and brilliant career with films that challenge the conventions
of film genres with previous films tackling horror, westerns and noir with a powerful visual effect. He now turns his attention to the revenge film with startling effect. The film centres on the characters as opposed to the chase to find the culprit responsible as the two protagonists
transform into what each loathes the most.
Choi Min-shik is electrifying as the pure evil serial killer in his return to the big screen after a five
year absence. He manages to bring a fresh and invigorating dynamic to the much-seen role of
serial killer. Lee Byung-hun, a fresh faced 20-year veteran of film and TV brings a nuanced and
calculated polar opposite to Min-shik’s ultimate killer, seamlessly shifting between cool, calm and
collected to the embodiment of vengeance.