Netflix Instantwatched: I Saw The Devil

I'd been wanting to watch I Saw The Devil the second I heard that critics were both raving and lambasting the Korean revenge film. I'm happy to report that I fall into the former group. I'll admit that contrary to many of the films dissenters, I'm not one to have problems with movie violence. But this movie's brutal, stylized violence is not shallow, voyeuristic torture porn. It highlights an important connection between the films two main characters; Dae-hoon, a secret agent and Kyung-chul, a serial killer who murders the wife of Dae-hoon. This understandably drives Dae-hoon to seek retribution, but the violence underlies the films central theme; the line between good and evil.

Like any good story about revenge, the line between what is right and wrong must inevitably blurred. But here, that line is shattered, shredded, and shanked (literally). Dae-hoon doesn't just plot revenge against his foe: he toys with and tortures him. What made this rather simple reversal between the protagonist and antagonist so fascinating was how the film played with the typical tropes of serial killer films. Despite all the violence inflicted on Kyung-chul, one of the most devastating things Dae-hoon does to him is simply to deny him a kill. Eventually, these two characters become reflections of each other, to the point where it's hard to consider Dae-hoon anything more than an outright villain. And I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the superb and innovative cinematography: I was bombarded with more creative framing and frenetic staging in this single movie than nearly all the other movies I've seen this year combined. Add I Saw The Devil to your Netflix Watch Instantly queue today.