I Saw the Devil (2010)

A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.

Director:

Jee-woon Kim (as Kim Jee-woon)

Writers:

Jee-woon Kim (adaptation), Hoon-jung Park (screenplay)

Stars:

Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi, Gook-hwan Jeon

16 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Byung-hun Lee	...	Kim Soo-hyeon
Min-sik Choi	...	Jang Kyung-chul
Gook-hwan Jeon	...	Squad Chief Jang
Joon-hyuk Lee	...	Agent (as Lee Joon-Hyeok)
In-seo Kim	...	Se-jung
Kap-su Kim	...	Planning team deputy head
Moo-Seong Choi	...	Tae-joo
Bo-ra Nam	...	Section chief's daughter
Ho-jin Chun	...	Section Chief Oh
Tae-goo Eom	...	Detective 4
Seung-ah Yoon	...	The Cannibal's Girlfriend
San-ha Oh	...	Joo-yeon
Jin-ho Choi	...	Planning director
Chae-young Yoon	...	Nurse Han Song-i
Seo-yeon Park	...	Woman at pension (as Park Seo-Yeon)

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.

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Plot Keywords:

revenge | fighting | murder | tragic event | decapitation | 

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Taglines:

Evil lives inside.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marks Min-Sik Choi's second role as a serial killer, following 2005's Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (known in the US as Lady Vengeance.)

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Quotes

Kyung-chul: What? You're alone? Are you a cop?
[Waits for response]
Kyung-chul: Must be right.
Kyung-chul: The cops found me this quick?
Kim Soo-hyeon: You're shitting me.
Kyung-chul: [laughs] Guess you don't know who you're dealing with.
Kyung-chul: Damn cops.
Kyung-chul: What else do you expect?
[Spits]
Kyung-chul: Anyways...

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Crazy Credits

The title card unfolds with a scene in the background.

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Alternate Versions

The German ratings board FSK denied the uncut film its highest rating "Not under 18". Approximately 11 minutes were cut from the film to achieve this rating after all. For the release of the uncut version, the film was approved by an independent legal committee (because the legal committee of SPIO denied an approval).

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Connections

Referenced in Taapmaan (2018)

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Soundtracks

I Want to Love You
Written by Kwang Hyun Park
Performed by Kwang Hyun Park

User Reviews

A bloody masterpiece

I Saw The Devil is a bloody masterpiece. Jee-woon Kim has proved himself to be a master storyteller. Beautiful shots, a creative script, perfect acting and intense violence make I Saw The Devil a must-see movie for anyone who calls themselves a horror fan.

It's a breath of fresh air in a seemingly stagnant genre full of the same old vampire and zombie stories being retold over and over. And yes, there have been loads of revenge movies before, but I Saw The Devil takes it to the next level.

Gritty, dark, gory and original: I loved this movie, and I don't like anything. I just hope an American company doesn't comes along to make a shallow remake (Let The Right One In).

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

12 August 2010 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

I Saw the Devil

Filming Locations:

South Korea

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,567, 6 March 2011

Gross USA:

$129,210

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,966,357

Company Credits

Production Co:

Softbank Ventures, Showbox/Mediaplex, Peppermint & Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

144 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1