I Saw the Devil (2010)

I Saw the Devil (2010)
aka Akmareul boattda
Director: Kim Ji-woon
Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik
A secret agent tracks a serial killer who murdered his fiancée.
IMDB Page
I'll start by saying some films can be great without needing to be profound off the top of my head I'll say The Wild Bunch. Because movie wise I Saw The Devil shouldn't really work, the script is so over the top and dare I say far fetched it forces the viewer to just sit back and enjoy the action packed thrill ride rather than examine its plot.

The story follows an hunt by a police officer for the rapist and killer of his deceased wife and mother of his child to have been. After killing a few suspects already, the cop eventually finds the one responsible for his fiancee's death, only instead of just killing him out right he tags the offender vowing to track him down every time he does a crime and punish him all over. The rapist/killer though is compelled partly by his sick urges partly to see if the cop will track him to repeat his actions. This leads to a cat and mouse chase that ends up with us learning the killer is part of a larger rape/torture/murder club.

Both the cop played by Lee Byung-hun (from J.S.A.) and the killer Choi Min-sik (from Oldboy) lead performances are both superb and help hide the fact that the plot is a little on the silly side from time to time. I mentioned the Wild Bunch earlier, like that film I Saw the Devil is long, running in at over two and a half hours, but the action is relentless making it feel much shorter. Also the films as brutal as you'll see this year and at present my current fave of 2010. Essential viewing and one sadly I'd bet Hollywood studios will be scrambling for the rights to remake, I'd recommend you watch this original Korean version.
(9 out of 10)

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