A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
- Director
- Writers
- Park Hoon-jung(screenplay)
- Jee-woon Kim(adaptation)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Park Hoon-jung(screenplay)
- Jee-woon Kim(adaptation)
- Stars
- Awards
- 17 wins & 19 nominations
Videos4
Lee Joon-hyuk
- Agentas Agent
- (as Lee Joon-Hyeok)
- Director
- Writers
- Park Hoon-jung(screenplay)
- Jee-woon Kim(adaptation)
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
SPOILER: Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) is a dangerous psychopath serial killer. He has committed infernal serial murders in diabolic ways that one cannot even imagine and his victims range from young women to even children. The police have chased him for a long time, but were unable to catch him. One day, Joo-yeon, daughter of a retired police chief becomes his prey and is found dead in a horrific state. Her fiancé Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), a top secret agent, decides to track down the murderer himself. He promises himself that he will do everything in his power to take bloody vengeance against the killer, even if it means that he must become a monster himself to get this monstrous and inhumane killer. —jck movies
- Taglines
- Evil lives inside.
- Genres
- Certificate
- Not Rated
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe Korea Media Rating Board forced Kim to recut the film for its theatrical release, objecting to its violent content. Otherwise, the film would have gotten a "Restricted" rating, preventing any sort of release in theaters or on home video.
- GoofsAt 00:15:45 an extra is seen peeking a glance at the camera next to him from under the brim of his ball-cap.
- 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.
- Crazy creditsThe title card unfolds with a scene in the background.
- Alternate versionsThe director Kim Jee-woon made seven cuts between 80 to 90 seconds in order to receive an '18' (youth not allowed) certificate by the Korean Media Board (film censorship board). The cuts were made to one scene of body parts being eaten by a dog and humans, and a human body being mutilated. Before the censorship decision, the Korean censors twice gave the film a 'Limited' certificate which means to prevent a video and mainstream theatrical release. After cuts, it was later re-rated '18'.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.9 (2011)
Top review
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was linking his name to this stupendous horror/thriller!
While the Western half of the world (and Hollywood in particular) was still focused on making torture-porn horror movies with as sole purpose to show as many sickening, repulsive and shocking sequences as humanly possible, the Eastern part of the world (with South Korea as the usual pioneer) evolved to the next level already with "I Saw the Devil". In this fantastic film, perhaps one of the 10 best since the year 2000, the extremely explicit and uncompromising violence is only secondary to the character development and to writer/director Ji-Woon Kim's main message that revenge - contrary to popular belief - doesn't taste sweet at all, but sour instead, and that it leaves a horrible aftertaste in you mouth. You won't see that intensity and genius in a random "Saw" or "Hostel" sequel anytime soon...
Both Choi Min-Sik and Lee Byung-Hun give away stupendous and almost unsurpassable performances. The former as a mad dog serial killer of the cruelest and most disturbing kind. The latter as a special agent turned avenging angel, and at least as cruel and disturbing as the killer. The difference between them is that young Soo-Hyun is driven to blinding rage when his pregnant fiancé falls victim to the sadist serial killer Kyul-chul. Her death so agonizingly painful that Soo-Hyun pledges that her tormentor will suffer just as much and just as brutally as she did. And so, an unspeakably tense game of cat and mouse ensues.
"I Saw the Devil" isn't entirely without flaws, though. The script often requires an enormous dose suspension of disbelief, and according to all laws of human anatomy and pain-endurance, Kyul-chul should have been dead 2 or 3 times. Personally, I really don't like it when horror/thriller movies have running times of more than two hours (which is also why it took me 10 years to finally see it), and even though the film is never boring, it wouldn't have hurt if it was 30-40 minutes shorter. Still, based on the numerous amount of powerful sequences, the nail-biting suspense highlights, the pure evilness of the lead character and the realistic (and often downright nauseating) gore effects, "I Saw the Devil" is one of the most unique films out there, and an absolute must-see for genre fanatics with nerves of steel and a stomach of concrete.
Both Choi Min-Sik and Lee Byung-Hun give away stupendous and almost unsurpassable performances. The former as a mad dog serial killer of the cruelest and most disturbing kind. The latter as a special agent turned avenging angel, and at least as cruel and disturbing as the killer. The difference between them is that young Soo-Hyun is driven to blinding rage when his pregnant fiancé falls victim to the sadist serial killer Kyul-chul. Her death so agonizingly painful that Soo-Hyun pledges that her tormentor will suffer just as much and just as brutally as she did. And so, an unspeakably tense game of cat and mouse ensues.
"I Saw the Devil" isn't entirely without flaws, though. The script often requires an enormous dose suspension of disbelief, and according to all laws of human anatomy and pain-endurance, Kyul-chul should have been dead 2 or 3 times. Personally, I really don't like it when horror/thriller movies have running times of more than two hours (which is also why it took me 10 years to finally see it), and even though the film is never boring, it wouldn't have hurt if it was 30-40 minutes shorter. Still, based on the numerous amount of powerful sequences, the nail-biting suspense highlights, the pure evilness of the lead character and the realistic (and often downright nauseating) gore effects, "I Saw the Devil" is one of the most unique films out there, and an absolute must-see for genre fanatics with nerves of steel and a stomach of concrete.
helpful•171
- Coventry
- Jul 11, 2021
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Angmareul boatda
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $129,210
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $13,567
- Mar 6, 2011
- Gross worldwide
- $12,966,357
- Runtime2 hours 24 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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