Prior to my screening on I Saw the Devil at the Toronto International Film Festival, all I knew about the film was the one sentence provided to me by IMDb.com: A secret agent tracks a serial killer who murdered his fiancée. But I did know that the film was directed by Ji-woon Kim who helmed last year's brilliant, the Good, The Bad and The Weird. And on the strength of that resume entry alone, I secured tickets to I Saw the Devil. To say that I wasn't prepared for what I was about to screen was an understatement. And I certainly wasn't prepared to comment that I Saw the Devil is the best film about a serial killer since Se7en. The film begins with the serial killer abducting a female victim. After nearly destroying her head with a hammer, he dismembers her and disposes of the various body parts. A search ensues, and her head is found is shallow waters. We learn that the murdered young girl was the fiancée of Kim So-Hyun who happens to be some kind of Special Service bodyguard. She also was the daughter of the former Chief of Police. Kim So-Hyun abruptly takes two weeks off work and begins a manhunt for his finances killer. He has narrowed it down to four possibilities and after roughing up the first two (multiple wrench blows to the nuts) he focuses on his third suspect named Kang. We know from the opening scene that Kang is indeed the killer and when Kim So-Hyun breaks into his home, he realizes he has found his man. But instead of turning Kang over to justice, Kim decides that he will beat, torture and then release Kang over and over again tormenting him without peace. A transmitter swallowed unwillingly by Kang allows Kim to follow his every move. The next reels of film will follow as Kim dispels some incredibly violent and bloody vengeance on Kang. Using everything from rocks to plastic bags to fire extinguishers and fish hooks, Kim will enter Kang's life, beat him near death, then leave him to his wounds only to hunt him down and beat him some more. The scenes of the beatings are not for the faint of heart as I Saw the Devil is not for the squeamish. I scalpel to the foot and the cutting of the Achilles tendon got the biggest reaction from the crowd, but there is enough blood and torture afflicted here to give anyone nightmares. Ji-woon Kim brilliantly weaves a tale that has not been shown in film before. Our two leads meet each other early in the film whereas most serial killer films don't pit the law and the maniac on the screen together until the final act. Kim clearly has the upper hand until a turn of events allow Kang to again strike back. It's like two heavyweight boxers standing in the ring going toe-to-toe in a crowd pleasing match of heavy blows. And just when Kang takes control again and tries to surrender to police, Kim again finds a way to avenge his family. Byung-hun Lee as Kim and Min-sik Choi as Kang, are brilliantly cast and bring an energy to the screen that is maintained through the 144 minutes of the uncut edit. The supporting cast which essentially involves further Kang victims or unsavory characters that deserve their fates, do just enough to distract us from the brutality of the one-on-one battle and allow us to catch our breath (barely) before the carnage begins anew. It's been a while since I have been so invigorated and involved in a film such as I Saw the Devil that I wanted to climb the highest mountain and sing its praises, but this film delivers the goods. Rarely do you find an audience involved with that much violence on screen, cheering and applauding when a character utters, "I'm far from done" during a blood soaked frenzy of activity. I didn't just see the devil. I saw the best serial killer movie in many years and clearly one that goes in my Top 5 serial killer films of all time.
Review of I Saw the Devil
