I Saw the Devil (2010) Akmareul boatda (original title)

Director:

Jee-woon Kim

Writer:

Hoon-jung Park (screenplay)

Release Date:

12 August 2010 (South Korea)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Evil lives inside.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Secret Agent | Police | Vengeance | Serial Killer | Psychopath

Awards:

11 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Byung-hun Lee	...	Kim Soo-hyeon
Min-sik Choi	...	Kyung-chul
In-seo Kim	...	Se-jung
San-ha Oh	...	Joo-yeon
Seung-ah Yoon	...	The Cannibal's Girlfriend
Chun Ho-jin	...	Section Chief Oh
Yoon-seo Kim	...	Se-yeon
Bo-ra Nam	...	Section chief's daughter
Gook-hwan Jeon	...	Squad Chief Jang
Jin-ho Choi	...	Planning director
Yoon Chae-Yeong	...	Nurse Han Song-i
Park Seo-Yeon	...	Woman at pension
Moo-Seong Choi	...	Tae-joo
Cheol-woo Han	...	Detective Park
Deok-jae Jo	...	Detective Kang
Yeong-Soon Son	...	Keyong-cheol 's mother
Tae-goo Eom	...	Detective 4
Kim Min-Yeong	...	Junior high female student
Ji-yoon Jeong	...	Junior high female student
Park Ji-Yeon	...	Tutor teacher
Kil Geum-Seong	...	Man at harbor
Lee Joon-Hyeok	...	Agent
Choi Don-Gyoo	...	Middle-aged couple
Han Song-i	...	Joo-yeon's friend
Kim Hwa-Hyeon	...	Family of woman at pension, picture
Seung-Ri Ha	...	Female high school student at harbor
Seol-gu Lee	...	Taxi burglar 1
Jeong Mi-nam	...	Taxi burglar 2
Park Mi-Seon	...	Junior high female student
Kim Kap Soo	...	Planning team deputy head
Han Se-joo	...	Woman on bus
Kim Dae-hye	...	Hospital worker
Hyeon-hwa Heo	...	Family of woman at pension, picture
Nam Hyeon-joo	...	Section chief Oh's wife
Jae-geon Kim	...	Old doctor
Heo Seul	...	Nun 2
Lee Hang-soo	...	Investigation team leader
Seol Chang-hee	...	Plainclothes detective
Kim Yeong-Seon	...	Nun 1
Lee Hye-rin	...	Junior high female student 1
Ahn Hee-joo	...	Junior high female student
Lee Hyeon-Yong	...	Child at stream
Sin Yeong-sik	...	Taxi driver
Jo Seung-min	...	Hospital room police
Park Min-soo	...	Child at stream
Choi Seong-ho	...	Joo-yeon's cousin
Jang Ha-Neul	...	Junior high female student
Kim Yeong-Chan	...	Young pharmacist
Park Jeong-gi	...	Sergeant
Lee Ji-eun	...	Children at stream
Choi Moon-Sook	...	Joo-yeon's aunt
Jo Myeong-Yeon	...	Detective 3
Kim Bong-soo	...	Keyong-cheol 's father
Sin Jeong-Hoon	...	Police at stream
Kim Kang-il	...	Park Han-gi
Kim Seon-Nyeo	...	Middle-aged couple
Yoon Byeong-hee	...	Jjang-goo / Bulging head
Jeong Tae-Seong	...	Hotel worker
Yoo Yeong-bok	...	Family of woman at pension, picture
Goo Yong-wan	...	Corporal
Jang Jeong-won	...	Keyong-cheol 's son
Yang Mi-Ryeong	...	Joo-yeon's friend
Kim Chae-Yeon	...	Joo-yeon's cousin
Lee Hwan-goo	...	Joo-yeon's uncle
Sin Sin-Beom	...	Old pharmacist

Directed by
Jee-woon Kim

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hoon-jung Park		screenplay

Produced by
Kee-young Cheong	....	co-executive producer
Hyung-cho Il	....	co-executive producer
Hun-you Jeong	....	executive producer
Seong-weon Jo	....	co-producer
Yeong-shin Kang	....	co-executive producer
Byung-ki Kim	....	co-executive producer
Hyun-woo Kim	....	producer
Jae-young Kim	....	associate producer
Jung-hwa Kim	....	associate producer
Kil-soo Kim	....	co-executive producer
Greg Moon	....	executive producer
Jae-sik Moon	....	co-executive producer
Sungho Nam	....	line producer
Bryan Song	....	co-executive producer
Youngjoo Suh	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Mowg

Cinematography by
Mo-gae Lee

Film Editing by
Na-young Nam

Production Design by
Hwa-sung Cho

Costume Design by
Yoo-jin Kwon

Makeup Department
Tae-young Kwak	....	special makeup effects artist
Hee Eun Lee	....	special makeup effects artist

Sound Department
Romain Bigorgne	....	sound effects editor
Tae-young Choi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tae-young Choi	....	supervising sound editor
Kim Dong-Han	....	sound effects editor
Hye Young Kang	....	sound designer
Min Kyu Kim	....	foley mixer
Chung Gyu Lee	....	foley artist
Min Young Park	....	dialogue editor
Yong Ki Park	....	adr mixer
Yong Ki Park	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Kumsoon Hwang	....	digital matte painter: DIGITALIDEA
Il Hwan Na	....	digital matte painter: DIGITAL IDEA
Youngbin Park	....	digital compositor: DIGITALIDEA
Min Jung Shin	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Jae-Hyeok Lee	....	still photographer

Production Companies

• Softbank Ventures
• Showbox/Mediaplex
• Peppermint & Company
• Siz Entertainment

Distributors

• ARP Sélection (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Bir Film (2010) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Broadmedia Studios (2011) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• D Films (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Luna Films (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Magnet Releasing (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Optimum Releasing (2010) (UK) (theatrical)
• Showbox/Mediaplex (2010) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2011) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Beyond Home Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• CatchPlay (2010) (Taiwan) (all media)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Mediatres Estudio (2011) (Andorra) (all media)
• Mediatres Estudio (2011) (Spain) (all media)
• Panorama Distributions (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Panorama Distributions (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• PepperView Entertainment (2011) (Portugal) (all media)
• Splendid Film (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
• Splendid Film (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Splendid Film (2011) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• HFR  dailies and digital intermediate services
• ProCam  camera and lighting equipment supplied by
• Seoul Film Commission  location support

Also Known As:

"Akmareul boatda" - South Korea (original title)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:Limited (original rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) | Japan:R18+ | USA:Not Rated | Australia:R | UK:18 | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Hong Kong:III | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | New Zealand:R18 | Singapore:R21 | France:-16 (with warning) | Portugal:M/18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted | Malaysia:(Banned) | Finland:K-18 (self applied) | Sweden:15 | Germany:18 (cut) | Germany:Not Rated (JK) (uncut) | Canada:R (Manitoba)

Company:

Softbank Ventures

Trivia:

The film marks Choi's first major role since his self-imposed exile over his protest of the Korean screen quota system. It also reunites Lee with Kim who have worked together in the past on films such as A Bittersweet Life (2005).

Quotes:

Kim Soo-hyeon:I will kill you when you are in the most pain. When you're in the most pain, shivering out of fear, then I will kill you. That's a real revenge. A real complete revenge.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.9" (2011)

Brutally profound

Just came back from the TIFF 10 screening of the UNCUT version of this film, and after reading the very first review posted here, I feel somewhat compelled to leave a short comment.

the movie is about revenge. a woman is murdered by a serial killer, the woman's soon-to-be husband, who happens be a highly trained special agent, takes revenge on the serial killer in some of the most gruesome ways ever presented on film.

The "TAKEN"-esque plot is fairly straight forward and even predictable at times, for some people, this unfortunately exposes the violence and turns it into a dominating theme, hence remarks of it being mindless and unnecessary are brought up.

But fans of this genre can easily see past the violence, and be drawn back to the noir nature of the film with each passing violence "segement", in the end, you can feel the main character's will for revenge, and that simply transcends the violence, and ultimately turns the film into an imaginative commentary on the human condition.

the film would also remind you of classic Fincher films, namely se7en, however, the theatrical construction of plot is a signature Ji Woon Kim style, the mise-en-scene, the soundtrack, you see it in every single film of his, especially bittersweet life.

after watching this film I found myself immediately comparing it to another masterpiece sympathy for mr.vengeance, so for those of you who have seen chan wook park's revenge trilogy and loved it, you should find time to see this film.