I Saw the Devil

Original title: Angmareul boatda

2010
18
2h 24m

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

152K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

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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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

152K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,472

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 18 wins & 19 nominations

Section Chief Oh
(as Ho-jin Chun)

San-ha Oh

Joo-yeon

Kim Yun-Seo

Se-yeon

Choi Moo-seong

Tae-joo
(as Moo-Seong Choi)

In-seo Kim

Se-jung

Kim Kap-su

Planning team deputy head

Lee Jun-hyuk

Agent
(as Lee Joon-Hyeok)

Jo Deok-jae

Detective Kang
(as Deok-jae Jo)

Han Cheol-woo

Detective Park
(as Cheol-woo Han)

Myeong-Yeon Jo

Detective Jo

Um Tae-goo

Detective Eom

Se-joo Han

Woman on bus

Choi Jin-ho

Planning director

Kim Kang-il

Park Han-gi
(as Kang-il Kim)

Yoon Byung-hee

Jjang-goo…

Director
- Kim Jee-woon
Writers
- Park Hoon-jung
- Kim Jee-woon
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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A Tale of Two Sisters

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Forgotten

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The Korea Media Rating Board forced Kim Jee-woon 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
After the fight in the greenhouse, Soo-hyeon breaks Kyung-Chul's left wrist. Yet shortly after, when Kyung-Chul kills the two men in the cab, he grabs and holds back the man in the rear seat while he alternately stabs him and the driver. He shouldn't have physically been able to do this with the wrist broken. Also, it would take six weeks for the wrist to heal, yet Kyung-Chul shows little sign of any impedance in using the left arm for the remainder of the film.

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 reviews465

Review

Featured review

9/10

Ugly and visceral serial killer movie.

The plot of "I Saw the Devil" revolves around a detective whose beautiful fiancée is savagely murdered by a vicious psychopath played by "Oldboy" himself Min-Sik Choy.Despairing cop quickly tracks down the psycho,tortures him a little and lets him free to play his own gruesome catch-and-release game...Hauntingy beautiful and sickeningly violent thriller from the director of mesmerizing "A Tale of Two Sisters".The cinematography is gorgeous,the action is hypnotic and the murders are savage and unrelenting.The plot is extremely dark and demented,so I was utterly enthralled.You will feel pain,agony and sadness in every inch of your body during "I Saw the Devil".The best serial killer movie since "The Silence of the Lambs".Watch it in pair with Gerald Kargl's "Angst" and be amazed.9 serial killers out of 10.