Kim Ji-woon’s attempt to push the korean thriller genre to its limits; it’s bloodier, more violent, more hardcore than any other south korean film. And yet, it feels pointless.
The film’s main idea is an interesting hunting game, where the “Devil” of the title is clearly not who we thought, but after that, the film fails to develop the characters’ psychology. A graphic show which doesn’t explore people’s inner fears, does not make them face what they really are (empty shells).
I Saw The Devil looks more like a cynical trip through a dark south korea where you meet killers at, almost, every corners. Where Police is absolutely useless.
And KJW tries his best to magnify every extreme violence moments. With beautiful framework, great photography reinforcing the sick atmosphere. Too much effort on the visual aspect, not enough on the heart of the story.
It’s not always serious though, the violence tends to become more ironic, but not more meaningful. Showing how thrillers can sometimes be absurd and plain stupid, but what’s the point? Except revealing how much of a poser KJW can be? — 6/10
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