Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

I Saw the Devil

Original title: Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da
  • 20102010
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 2h 24m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
127K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,696
121
Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun in I Saw the Devil (2010)
When his pregnant wife becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge.
Play trailer2:16
4 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Crime
  • Drama
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.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
127K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,696
121
  • Director
    • Jee-woon Kim
  • Writers
    • Park Hoon-jung(screenplay)
    • Jee-woon Kim(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Lee Byung-hun
    • Choi Min-sik
    • Jeon Gook-hwan
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jee-woon Kim
  • Writers
    • Park Hoon-jung(screenplay)
    • Jee-woon Kim(adaptation)
  • Stars
    • Lee Byung-hun
    • Choi Min-sik
    • Jeon Gook-hwan
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 407User reviews
    • 282Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 17 wins & 19 nominations

    Videos4

    I Saw the Devil: Greenband Trailer
    Trailer 2:16
    I Saw the Devil: Greenband Trailer
    I Saw the Devil: Redband Trailer
    Trailer 2:15
    I Saw the Devil: Redband Trailer
    I Saw the Devil 2010 Teaser
    Trailer 0:53
    I Saw the Devil 2010 Teaser
    "Greenhouse Fight" from I Saw the Devil
    Clip 1:41
    "Greenhouse Fight" from I Saw the Devil

    Photos102

    Jee-woon Kim in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Choi Min-sik in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Lee Byung-hun and In-seo Kim in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Lee Byung-hun in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Choi Min-sik in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    In-seo Kim in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Choi Min-sik, Lee Byung-hun, and In-seo Kim in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Hye-rin Lee in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Choi Min-sik and Hye-rin Lee in I Saw the Devil (2010)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lee Byung-hun
    Lee Byung-hun
    • Kim Soo-hyeonas Kim Soo-hyeon
    Choi Min-sik
    Choi Min-sik
    • Jang Kyung-chulas Jang Kyung-chul
    Jeon Gook-hwan
    Jeon Gook-hwan
    • Squad Chief Jangas Squad Chief Jang
    Ho-jin Chun
    Ho-jin Chun
    • Section Chief Ohas Section Chief Oh
    San-ha Oh
    • Joo-yeonas Joo-yeon
    Yoon-seo Kim
    • Se-yeonas Se-yeon
    Moo-Seong Choi
    Moo-Seong Choi
    • Tae-jooas Tae-joo
    In-seo Kim
    In-seo Kim
    • Se-jungas Se-jung
    Kim Kap-su
    Kim Kap-su
    • Planning team deputy headas Planning team deputy head
    Lee Joon-hyuk
    Lee Joon-hyuk
    • Agentas Agent
    • (as Lee Joon-Hyeok)
    Deok-jae Jo
    • Detective Kangas Detective Kang
    Cheol-woo Han
    • Detective Parkas Detective Park
    Myeong-Yeon Jo
    • Detective Joas Detective Jo
    Tae-goo Eom
    • Detective Eomas Detective Eom
    Se-joo Han
    • Woman on busas Woman on bus
    Choi Jin-ho
    Choi Jin-ho
    • Planning directoras Planning director
    Kang-il Kim
    • Park Han-gias Park Han-gi
    Yoon Byung-hee
    Yoon Byung-hee
    • Jjang-gooas Jjang-goo…
    • Director
      • Jee-woon Kim
    • Writers
      • Park Hoon-jung(screenplay)
      • Jee-woon Kim(adaptation)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Chaser
    7.8
    The Chaser
    The Wailing
    7.4
    The Wailing
    The Man from Nowhere
    7.7
    The Man from Nowhere
    Memories of Murder
    8.1
    Memories of Murder
    Mother
    7.8
    Mother
    Oldboy
    8.4
    Oldboy
    A Tale of Two Sisters
    7.1
    A Tale of Two Sisters
    A Bittersweet Life
    7.5
    A Bittersweet Life
    Train to Busan
    7.6
    Train to Busan
    The Host
    7.1
    The Host
    The Handmaiden
    8.1
    The Handmaiden
    Lady Vengeance
    7.5
    Lady Vengeance

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The 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.
    • Goofs
      At 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 credits
      The title card unfolds with a scene in the background.
    • Alternate versions
      The 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'.
    • Connections
      Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.9 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Habanera
      (uncredited)

      From "Carmen" by Georges Bizet

    User reviews407

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Exquisite, effective and merciless
    First and foremost, much of this movie borders on, for lack of a better word, the obscene. There are plenty of scenes that bring to mind soft-core pornography, and the violence is incredibly gory and at times, over the top. Some of the actions performed on screen will make most viewers squirm uncomfortably, while a vast majority of those that aren't will let the audience's mind drift to some very, very scary places.

    In short, its a visceral thriller. The movie is essentially driven by both lead characters trying to inflict as much pain and terror in one another as possible. Unlike most serial killer/crime thrillers, both the two characters collide (in violent, brutal fashion) with one another many, many times, leaving each other bloodied and eager for the next encounter. During these scenes, the movie takes on an unexpected action tone, with plenty of engaging fights that include knives, scythes, screwdrivers and in one scene, a fire extinguisher. In between these scenes the audience is shown the full depravity of the serial killer's psychopathic nature, who pretty much succeeds on setting the bar for on screen insanity.

    If this sounds like a mindless action/thriller summer film, you'd be mistaken. Both Choi M.S and Lee B.H deliver great performances, with Choi in particular acting disturbingly convincing as a completely unhinged maniac. The plot, although somewhat predictable, is nonetheless entertaining and once set in motion, incredibly gripping. There are plenty of cheap "boo! gotcha" scares, but some scenes are masterfully crafted to generate a LOT of tension. Believe me when I say that there were plenty of scenes where you could literally see that the rest of the audience wasn't even breathing, much less moving. As mentioned earlier, the action scenes are shot surprisingly well, and there's a certain pleasure to be derived from watching the hunter become hunted... and in such an exquisite, effective and merciless manner.

    On an aside, the movie seems to have remake potential with Hollywood production. Perhaps starring Will Smith and Robert Downey Jr. (as a serial killer? wouldn't you be terrified?), with maybe... Danny Boyle at the helm? Hopefully the movie does well enough in its release to receive any considerations.
    helpful•122
    68
    • barnezboi
    • Aug 18, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 12, 2010 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • Angmareul boatda
    • Filming locations
      • South Korea
    • Production companies
      • Softbank Ventures
      • Showbox/Mediaplex
      • Peppermint & Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $129,210
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,567
      • Mar 6, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $12,966,357
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 24 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun in I Saw the Devil (2010)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of I Saw the Devil (2010) in Australia?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in June
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.