A haunting
and blood pumping
action-horror, with a
an utterly horrifying
performance from
Min-Sik Choi.
I Saw the Devil is a very fascinating South Korean film from a few years ago for several reasons. For a start it stars Min-Sik Choi (que fan-girlish squealing concerning my love of Min-Sik Choi) and is one of the only film's I am aware of which qualifies as an 'action-horror-thriller'. All three of those genres are fairly vague in their boundaries and ideas, however all three defiantly come together and distinctly form this film. I can honestly say that I have not seen a film structured in this exact fashion, and although it's far from perfect, I give much praise to the execution of this interesting genre meld.
The most important element of the film...will have to wait. Because I want to talk about Choi first. He is horrifying. Choi delivers probably the most malevolent performance I have ever seen, and made my skin crawl in every single scene he occupied without a single exception. The man is one of my all time favourite actors, however he plays psychopathic and general despicable characters so well, that I would genuinely be worried about meeting him if given the opportunity. I honestly cannot praise this performance enough, and it is genuinely one of the most unsettling things a recent film can offer.
Aside from Choi, the film offers a very strong storyline. With ideas and concepts clearly inspired by Chan-Wook Park's Vengeance Trilogy, director Kim-Jee Woon offers a film with some of the most intense dramatic setpieces I can think of in a recent film. The violence is visceral and genuinely cringe-worthy in places,it is not for the faint of heart and creates a world of cruelty and horror. The atmosphere of this world is spot on, shot with gloomy and dirty colours resembling an underground basement or a public restroom. The film is genuinely unpleasant to watch, however it's execution is quite flawless from a technical perspective. In some places I feel that the film may have gone a little too far in an attempt to continuously up the ante past the point where it was actually possible. Certain acts of horror and cruelty come off as a little excessive and feel uneeded in a film which is already filled with grime and filth beforehand. Overall however this film will offer a deeply unsettling and powerful experience to viewers, and will likely exceed any previous expectations in term of explicitness.
Beyond Choi the film boasts a strong cast filled with several strong performances. Byung-hun Lee leads the cast with a subtle and powerfully introspective performance, reflecting the torment of a man in his position perfectly. His restrained, yet deeply emotional expressions and delivery contrasts perfectly with Choi loud and animalistic monstrosity, resulting in the climactic final sequence which features one of the most engrossing on-screen debates I have ever seen. The power struggle between these two character's is perfectly paced and fills the plot perfectly, making the meat of this film's plot deeply enjoyable.
Overall, although I feel the film can be somewhat purile at times, and can be a little cheap in it's attempts to shock, there is no doubting it's effectiveness. The film is a wonderful genre meld featuring some top-notch directing and stunning performances. It is a must see for fans of world cinema, or those who wish to see the darkest and bleakest thrillers they can get their hands on.
By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film Review
The most important element of the film...will have to wait. Because I want to talk about Choi first. He is horrifying. Choi delivers probably the most malevolent performance I have ever seen, and made my skin crawl in every single scene he occupied without a single exception. The man is one of my all time favourite actors, however he plays psychopathic and general despicable characters so well, that I would genuinely be worried about meeting him if given the opportunity. I honestly cannot praise this performance enough, and it is genuinely one of the most unsettling things a recent film can offer.
Aside from Choi, the film offers a very strong storyline. With ideas and concepts clearly inspired by Chan-Wook Park's Vengeance Trilogy, director Kim-Jee Woon offers a film with some of the most intense dramatic setpieces I can think of in a recent film. The violence is visceral and genuinely cringe-worthy in places,it is not for the faint of heart and creates a world of cruelty and horror. The atmosphere of this world is spot on, shot with gloomy and dirty colours resembling an underground basement or a public restroom. The film is genuinely unpleasant to watch, however it's execution is quite flawless from a technical perspective. In some places I feel that the film may have gone a little too far in an attempt to continuously up the ante past the point where it was actually possible. Certain acts of horror and cruelty come off as a little excessive and feel uneeded in a film which is already filled with grime and filth beforehand. Overall however this film will offer a deeply unsettling and powerful experience to viewers, and will likely exceed any previous expectations in term of explicitness.
Beyond Choi the film boasts a strong cast filled with several strong performances. Byung-hun Lee leads the cast with a subtle and powerfully introspective performance, reflecting the torment of a man in his position perfectly. His restrained, yet deeply emotional expressions and delivery contrasts perfectly with Choi loud and animalistic monstrosity, resulting in the climactic final sequence which features one of the most engrossing on-screen debates I have ever seen. The power struggle between these two character's is perfectly paced and fills the plot perfectly, making the meat of this film's plot deeply enjoyable.
Overall, although I feel the film can be somewhat purile at times, and can be a little cheap in it's attempts to shock, there is no doubting it's effectiveness. The film is a wonderful genre meld featuring some top-notch directing and stunning performances. It is a must see for fans of world cinema, or those who wish to see the darkest and bleakest thrillers they can get their hands on.
By Jack D. Phillips
A Zoom Film Review
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