I Saw the Devil

Kim Jee-woon's I Saw the Devil drops you into a brutal chase between a driven secret agent and a remorseless killer. After a devastating crime, Soo-hyeon drops out of everyday life to find Kyung-chul, a man whose urge to kill seems boundless. He swears to do whatever it takes to bring him to justice, convinced that vengeance can be earned only if he is willing to cross lines he once believed were inviolable. The story tracks their escalating pursuit through crowded streets, dim apartments, and rain slicked alleys, building a claustrophobic mood and a relentless cat and mouse dynamic. The film foregrounds moral risk, personal sacrifice, and the heavy toll that vengeance extracts on both pursuer and pursued, consequence looming.

Directed by Kim Jee-woon, I Saw the Devil is built from an original screenplay by Park Hoon-jung with Lee Yoon-ho contributing to the story. It stands as a high profile entry in Korea's modern thriller scene and widely discussed worldwide.

Box office data for I Saw the Devil is not provided here. The film has been positioned for strong performances in genre and festival circuits rather than as a blockbuster, reflecting its reputation as a hard edged, muscular thriller worldwide.

The film has left a mark in conversations about vengeance on screen, noted for its unflinching mood and moral ambiguity. Its relentless pursuit sequences echo in later Korean thrillers, while discussions about justice and humanity in extreme circumstances echo beyond the genre. Its influence continues in conversations about ethical revenge.

Critics widely praised the director's restrained pacing, the electric chemistry between Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik, and the film's willingness to place moral questions above conventional heroism. Its central themes probe how vengeance corrodes identity, blurs boundaries, and tests the limits of what a person will become for many viewers.