[Movie 2010] I Saw The Devil, 악마를 보았다

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Art by young_e99_

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May 27, 2018

 

The 15 best thrillers on Hulu to get your heart racing

The best thrillers on Hulu are just a click away.

 

Audra Schroeder The Daily Dot

 

The best movies on Hulu are just a click away, but sometimes you’re in the mood for something that doesn’t fit squarely in the comedy or drama genres. Something that gets under your skin and stays with you long after viewing. Hulu has an impressive selection of thrillers to keep you up at night. Here are the best thrillers on Hulu right now.

 

The best thrillers on Hulu

 

1) 10 Cloverfield Lane

 

2) Cloverfield (with Showtime add-on)

 

3) The Matrix

 

4) Borgman

 

5) 13 Assassins

 

6) Zodiac

 

7) I Saw the Devil

 

This South Korean thriller pits two of the country’s most well-known actors (Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun) as a cop and a serial killer, respectively. It’s a cat-and-mouse story, or maybe cat-and-cat is more appropriate, as Byung-hun relentlessly tracks and tortures the man (Min-sik) who killed his wife. The film is directed by maestro Kim Jee-woon, so you’re in good hands. I Saw the Devil is brutal and provocative, and if you have the stomach for it, it’s well worth a watch. —Eddie Strait

 

8) The Crow

 

9) Manhunter

 

10) Arrival

 

11) Children of Men (with Showtime add-on)

 

12) Mom and Dad

 

13) Let the Right One In

 

14) The Babadook

 

15) Bronson

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May 28, 2018

 

12 Foreign Films That Show Hollywood How A Genre Film Should Be Done
Studios could learn a few lessons from these. 

 

Source: WhatCulture.com

It's no controversial thing to say that American cinema has some huge issues with its genre films, especially with its big studio movies.

 

There are still plenty of good Hollywood films, but if it deviated from genre templates and franchises, while actually taking risks for once, its output would be a lot more consistent. And what's also very noticeable is how often foreign cinemas are doing just that, and pull off similar films far better.

 

It's not clear exactly why foreign films seem to avoid all of Hollywood's mistakes. It could be down to the lack of studio interference compared to Hollywood, or it might be the more culturally specific themes, or maybe the more artistic styles a lot of these movies favor.

 

Whatever the reasons, these films from the past two decades could provide plenty of guidance in making Hollywood's studio output more worthwhile, while putting the U.S. movies to shame.

 

12. I Saw The Devil

Showbox/Mediaplex
Country: South Korea

Genre: Revenge Thriller/Horror

 

Plot: A South Korean horror film from director Kim Jee-woon, this stars Lee Byung-hun and Choi "Oldboy" Min-sik. Byung-hun's secret agent, devastated after the death of his fiancee, goes on a campaign of vengeance against her murderer, played by Min-sik.

 

I Saw the Devil is by far the weakest film on this list. It's overlong, difficult to watch and the themes of how revenge destroys you are trite by now, yet despite these issues it is a very memorable work. It's unlikely you'll watch it again given how disturbing it is, but that's a sign that the film has done its job well.

 

While most Hollywood thrillers feature clear-cut heroes and villains, as well as following conventional story-lines, ISTD stands out thanks to two hugely important elements. Firstly, it unfolds in a moral grey area, with the apparent hero and villain ultimately being quite hard to tell apart. This is a far more emotionally resonant approach, largely because it helps the story feel more realistic.

 

Secondly, it commits fully to bleakness. This was risky, but this approach hammers in a familiar message and makes the film seriously powerful. Frustratingly, Hollywood Revenge Thrillers are usually fairly risk-free in comparison.

 

Remake?

 

One was planned, with You're Next director Adam Wingard attached, but word had been quiet recently. By the looks of it it'll probably eventually be made, though maybe not with Wingard directing.

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Thanks to the highlight & English description by mistymorning at LBH soompi ~

 

Bring you nice clip from 

The show is called "Pocha without border" (Pocha = Pojangmacha, a street food stall you can see in Korea, sell drinks and foods). I think they go abroad and I see old movie star Park Joonghoon here and current star Shin Sekyung(I remember her from drama, Deep rooted tree) cooking and serving foods here. In this clip, a French writer, Bernard Werber(Famous in Korea for the book , Empire of the ants),  visited with his friend a movie script writer. His friend is talking about the movie "I saw the devil", that it's his all time favourite movie.

 

Not in this clip, but later Bernard Werber said he liked the movie, "The Chaser" and "The Fortress". (Source) Hey, they happen to have great tastes in movies, just like us. 

 

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Source: Matticus Tattooi

 

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February 1, 2019

Celebrating Burning | 10 Great South Korean Thrillers

 

By Andrew Carroll  HeadStuff

We here at Headstuff loved new release Burning, a strange blend of social drama and Hitchcockian mystery. In fact, it could be an early contender for best film of 2019. That said, it is only the latest entry in a series of stellar South Korean thrillers. With their enhanced grittiness, more morally ambiguous characters and a willingness to push boundaries, they leave American counterparts in the dust.

 

To mark Burning’s release, Headstuff editors Andrew Carroll and Stephen Porzio have outlined the South Korean movies cinephiles need to see. Read below to see what made the list.

Shiri (1999) – Dir Kang Je-gyu

Spoiler

 

A great entry point for Western audiences, Shiri was South Korea’s first attempt at crafting a blockbuster to rival Hollywood and other Asian cinema following an economic boom in the country. It centres on a South Korean agent on the trail of an elusive North Korean female assassin who has resurfaced and is seeking to get her hands on a new experimental bomb capable of destroying cities.

 
Fans of John Woo will get a kick out of Shiri’s hyper-kinetic action and spy intrigue. However, its the exciting twists, moments of dark comedy and exploration of paranoia surrounding reunification with North Korea which feel distinct to the country. Also, watch out for great supporting turns from future leading men Song Kang-ho (Memories of Murder, The Host and Thirst) and Choi Min-Sik (I Saw the Devil, Oldboy), the latter akin to a South Korean Gary Oldman. Stephen Porzio

 

Memories of Murder (2003) – Dir Bong Joon-ho

Spoiler

 

Far more original and distinct than Shiri is Memories of Murder, based on the true story of Korea’s first serial murders in history. Set over 17 years, it follows an older less formal local cop, Parl (Kang-ho), and a young idealistic officer, Seo (Kim Sang-kyung), from Seoul as they attempt to find a killer who targets his victims when it rains.

While the rural setting looks gorgeous and Joon-ho stages not only some thrilling action but terrifying scenes of the killer stalking his victims – often hiding above them in trees – what stands out about Memories of Murder is its story. The viewer really gets a sense of the effect these killings have on the local community. It’s as if the violence has upset the natural order, with both the locals and police’s fear and interest in the case leading to more chaos.

Without sanding off any rough edges, Memories of Murder is also a very moral film, criticising the desperate police’s torturing of suspects for information. Each act of violence comes back to bite the cops in some way as the movie progresses. Meanwhile, its heartbreaking to watch the youthful confidence of Seo disintegrate, growing wearier until he finally snaps in the climactic scene.

Fans of David Fincher’s Zodiac should watch this great video essay comparing it to Memories of Murder. Stephen Porzio

 

The Host (2006) – Dir Bong Joon-ho

Spoiler

 

No, not the Saoirse Ronan film. Yes, the film about the mutant fish monster that attacks Seoul. By the end of its run in 2006 The Host was the most successful South Korean movie ever made up to that point.

Coming off of Memories of Murder, Bong Joon-ho has had a run of success making films about the country’s and the world’s downtrodden with Snowpiercer (2013) and Okja (2017). Yet, The Host is his most personal and probably best work. Ostensibly a creature-feature horror film, it’s surprisingly tender and a lot funnier than it should be.

In 2000, American army doctors pour gone-off formaldehyde down a drain. In 2006, a mutated fish emerges from a river and swallows Park Gang-du’s (Kang-ho again) daughter (Go Ah-sung). What follows is a comedy of errors rescue mission by the bumbling Park, his nagging father, overachieving sister and alcoholic brother.

The Host has a lot to say about America’s effect on South Korea but it also indicts uncaring politicians and inept protesters. Plus, the flopping, ungainly creature is a sight to behold and ranks as one of the most original monsters in the modern cinematic landscape. Andrew Carroll

 

Thirst (2009) – Dir Park Chan-wook

Spoiler

 

Vampires don’t have much of a reputation anymore. You can probably thank Twilight for that but if Thirst doesn’t put some respect back on the vampire name I don’t know what will.

Dedicated but doubtful Catholic priest Sang-hyun (Kang-ho yet again!) takes part in an experimental medical trial to find a cure for a deadly virus. After receiving a blood transfusion he finds himself cured and in possession of extraordinary powers and a thirst for blood. Not only that but he’s also attracted to his childhood friend’s wife. Nothing’s ever simple especially as Sang-hyun’s condition worsens.

Thirst might be a horror film but it’s also a film about forbidden, illegal love. It’s a love triangle story much like but also very different from Burning. Directed by Korean master Park Chan-wook – who by this point had already made his much loved Vengeance trilogy [Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (2002), Oldboy (2003), Lady Vengeance (2005)] – the film is noticeably different from his earlier work. It’s an oddity that despite all the bloodletting is quite a sweet film that slowly curdles into sourness.

Relationships are difficult especially when you’re a member of the living dead and Chan-wook makes sure to examine this from every angle. A domestic spat, for instance, turns dramatic as the bickering couple clear rooftops in a single bound. Vampire movies may be well and truly staked but you can always resurrect Thirst if you need a reminder of how good they once were. Andrew Carroll

 

The Man From Nowhere (2010) – Dir Lee Jeong-beom

Spoiler

 

South Korean movies, especially genre movies as this list shows, are often brutal affairs. Maybe it’s their unpredictable northern neighbour. Maybe it’s centuries of upheaval and foreign invasion. Whatever it is it’s leant itself to one of the most brutal, harrowing and uncompromising national cinemas in the world. The Man From Nowhere is no exception with its tale of former government assassin Cha Tae-sik (Won Bin) and his race to rescue his young neighbour So-Mi (Kim Sae-ron) from Korean-Vietnamese organ harvesters.

Won Bin is the most selective Korean actor working right now with only five films throughout his entire career. The Man From Nowhere was his most recent and that came out in 2010. Still the film’s physically demanding and fatally efficient action alongside its viciously nihilistic story would encourage anyone to take a break from acting. The final fight scene sees Tae-sik knife fight seven goons. Mostly shot in closeups, it is both a bloody grudge match and a lesson in major blood vessel placement. I would say that South Korean revenge movies don’t get more disturbing than this but that’s just not true. Andrew Carroll

 

I Saw the Devil (2010) – Dir Kim Jee-woon
Speaking of disturbing and bloody, this action horror thriller may be the most disturbing and bloody movie ever! When a serial killer (Choi Min-sik – playing the character like he is pure id) brutally murders the pregnant wife of an National Intelligence Service Agent (Lee Byung-hun, G.I. Joe), the latter goes rogue to track him down.

However, it doesn’t stop there. Wanting him to suffer as his wife did, he beats the murderer half to death and implants within him a tracker before setting him free. The goal: so that any time the killer thinks he is safe, the agent will be on call again to give his bones a fresh break. Needless to say, all does not go according to plan.

One could laud tons of praise on the direction which manages to casually chuck into the film insane action set pieces on top of its already gripping cat and mouse thriller – beats which would be the centrepiece of your typical Hollywood movie. The result: a film which feels like Seven meets John Wick.

However, that’s not what I Saw the Devil is truly about. Like Memories of Murder, it’s character and idea driven. People throw around phrases like ‘violence begets violence’ or the Nietzsche quote: “He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby becomes a monster.” When I hear them, the first thing that springs to mind is I Saw the Devil. Stephen Porzio

Train to Busan (2016) – Dir Yeon Sang-ho

Spoiler

 

Reinvention seems to come so easily to South Korean cinema. Whether it’s vampires in Thirst, a two-and-a-half hour slow boiler like Burning or zombies in Train to Busan, the country seems to know just how to tweak the formula. Train to Busan is not especially violent or gory nor does it generate any new characters out of the stock of pre-existing zombie movie sketches. Instead it mobilises pre-existing tropes for the whole film.

After a zombie outbreak in Seoul banker Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) and his young daughter board a train to Busan. Unbeknownst to them and their fellow archetypes, I mean passengers, an infected girl is also on board. Much like the speeding bullet it’s set on the movie never slows down. Yet, even at moments such as the station attack or train switches director Yeon Sang-ho keeps things human. Characters instantly become favourites through their actions. Working class everyman Sang-hwa (Ma Dong-seok) bulldozes through zombies. Brave highschool lovers fight it out to the end. Seok-woo might be an richard simmons in the world of finance but when his daughter’s in danger he’s a different man.

Train to Busan is one of this decade’s best zombie movies even if that phrase means very little these days. Andrew Carroll

 

The Handmaiden (2016) – Dir Park Chan-wook

Spoiler

 

Queer romance doesn’t come more complex than this. Inspired by the British novel Fingersmith. Park Chan-wook adapts a tale of con artistry turned into female rebellion powered by layered, defiant performances from its two leads. A conman under the moniker Count Fujiwara (Ha Jung-woo) hires pickpocket Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri) as a maid for the Japanese heiress Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee). Hoping that Sook-hee will convince Hideko to marry him things instead begin to turn against the Count as the two women fall for each other and the Lady’s perverted Uncle Kouzuki (Cho Jin-woong) enters the fray.

Complex as the plot is, The Handmaiden never strays far from its core conceit which is – like Chan-wook’s previous movie Thirst – the trials and tribulations of forbidden love. No matter how many pornographic tales Lady Hideko is forced to read to her uncle nor how desperately the Count tries to insinuate himself in between Sook-hee and Hideko, The Handmaiden always comes back to its two leads. It’s in their long looks and stolen glances as well as the over-the-top love scenes the film makes its mark.

The Handmaiden is Romeo and Juliet only Romeo’s a conniving thief and Juliet is an impassive vixen that crushes men in her white gloved hands.

 

The Wailing (2016) – Dir Na Hong-jin

Spoiler

 

Na Hong-jin is one of the most promising figures in South Korean cinema, having broken onto the scene with 2008’s The Chaser, centring on an ex-detective turned pimp whose forced to go back to his old ways when his girls begin to go missing. He followed this up in 2010 with The Yellow Sea, a grander more uneven tale of gangsters and immigrants, with flashes of utter brilliance.

However, The Wailing is his best work to date, a thrilling over two and a half hour genre mash up which really puts into perspective how bad Cowboys vs Aliens and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies truly are. Set in a little village in the mountains of South Korea – resembling True Detective’s depiction of Louisiana – a series of random gruesome murders take place. The only element common to the crimes is that the killers all share a strange rash. Could the murders be linked to the Japanese stranger who has newly arrived in the village?

Beginning as a crime thriller before adding zombies, demonic possessions and more into the mix, The Wailing strength comes from how mysterious it is. While many American mash-ups literally spoil the twist in their title, one never gets a sense of where Hong-jin’s thriller is going. It continually dishes out rich symbolism and intriguing details – never spelling out anything clearly for audiences. It helps too the whole film is seen through the eyes of an ordinary joe police officer, adding an off-kilter mundanity to proceedings – leading everything to feel even more visceral. Stephen Porzio

 

The Villainess (2017) – Dir Jeong Byeong-Gil

Spoiler

 

I was a little harsh when I reviewed The Villainess for HeadStuff back in 2017. But with hindsight and a greater appreciation for Korean cinema I see it’s value. Essentially The Man From Nowhere with a female lead and a healthy dose of melodrama, it follows Sook-hee (Kim Ok-bin), a former assassin turned South Korean intelligence agent trying to protect her child and fellow agent lover Jung Hyun-soo (Sung Joon) from the truth. Although The Villainess isn’t cut from the taboo breaking mould of Park Chan-wook or Bong Joon-ho it’s influence is still felt worldwide.

The thriller is not as cleanly shot as it could be which works to both its advantage and disadvantage. The action scenes from the opening first person POV assault to the bus set climax are exhilarating. It feels like a found footage action movie just not like Hardcore Henry thankfully.

The romantic interlude between Sook-hee and Hyun-soo adds a bit of levity and a lot of pathos as the thriller barrels towards its end game. Without The Villainess we wouldn’t have the shot in the John Wick 3 trailer that seems to hint at a sword fight on motorbikes. Not many people in the West may have seen The Villainess but those that did took notice. Andrew Carroll

 

 

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Art by Wonman Kim

 

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April 25, 2019

 

Korean Films About Revenge That Are Served Ice Cold

 

Source: Soompi by seheee

Wanting revenge is a natural human instinct, but most of us know better than to act on such desires. Besides, it often proves better to forgive and forget than it does to hold onto a deep-seated grudge. The characters in these Korean films, however, embrace their desire for vengeance, often relying on shocking violence as a means to this end. But what will become of them if and when they finally do achieve their revenge?

 

As Nietzsche once wrote, “He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster.”

 

Warning: Many of the films mentioned below feature graphic violence and other elements (e.g., drug use, suicide, nudity) that may disturb viewers. I recommend checking the Parents Guide on each film’s IMDb page if you are concerned about particular triggers or other content.

 

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
“Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance” is a must-watch for fans of Korean cinema, despite being less popular than “Oldboy,” which is actually the second film in Park Chan Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy. Park once said in an interview that when making this film, he wanted to make something that felt “too real,” so buckle your seat belts and get ready for a bumpy ride. This movie will make you wonder whom you should ultimately feel sympathy for, as well as whether anything good can ever come of revenge, no matter how justified it may seem. Also, don’t let the old school trailer stop you from watching this movie — it’s definitely worth your time.

The Deal
“The Deal” is a movie that makes no attempt to conceal the identity of the killer or aid him in evading the police in almost miraculous ways to help propel its plot. Instead, it relies on cold, calculated revenge. The question is: Just how satisfying will revenge be in the end? After all, vengeance often comes at a cost, whether it’s in the form of money, human life, or even one’s own humanity. Although this movie doesn’t add anything new to the genre — it actually employs numerous tried-and-true elements found in various other crime films, ranging from a remorseless serial killer to gangsters — it’s still a decent watch.

The Man From Nowhere
It took me almost 10 years to get around to watching this movie, but let me just say that it did not disappoint. Sure, the film gets off to a bit of a slow start, taking its sweet time to get viewers acquainted with its enigmatic, taciturn lead and the charming girl who lives next door to him. By the time we get to the second half of the film, however, it becomes obvious that we’re watching a man who won’t be stopped until he saves the day or destroys everyone else and possibly even himself. The film’s dark atmosphere in general also lets us know that this movie makes no guarantee of a happy ending, maintaining its suspense and intensity until the very end. If you aren’t a Won Bin fan going into this movie, you likely will be one by the end of it.

 

The Villainess
“The Villainess” pulls no punches during its opening scene, pitting the protagonist — who it turns out is a highly skilled killer — against what feels like an endless onslaught of attackers. Clearly, someone has messed with the wrong woman. The action doesn’t stop there though. Having been raised by criminals and later trained by a covert intelligence group, the protagonist continually shows she is a force to be reckoned with as she seeks to exact revenge on those who hurt her and her family. While this film leaves much to be desired narrative-wise, its kinetic action sequences that almost leave you wondering which way is up make this an entertaining watch nevertheless. In fact, the cinematography overall was enjoyable.

 

 

I Saw the Devil
You know a movie means serious business when even its trailer says it’s been approved for mature audiences only. (The one I’ve embedded here is the more subdued of the two trailers I found and did not come with the same advisement, though it’s still quite intense.) Full disclosure: I haven’t gotten around to watching this one yet, but I have seen some clips and can confirm that people aren’t joking when they say this movie is brutally violent, perhaps almost excessively so. Then again, people sometimes go to horrific lengths in real life for the sake of revenge, so what’s there stopping someone from going even further in the world of fiction?

Broken
As a parent, what would you do if someone murdered your child? On top of that, how helpless would you feel knowing that her murderers were still roaming free while the police told you to simply wait at home? Would you take it upon yourself to ensure her killers are brought to justice in the end? Well, that’s what the father in “Broken” does, showing that even children (albeit high school age ones) can become victims of revenge. He might wind up losing more than he bargained for by seeking out his own form of justice though. Whether you’re a parent or not, this film is bound to stir up some emotions in you, largely thanks to the lead actor’s great portrayal of a grief-stricken father.

Monster
“Monster” separates itself from most other revenge films by giving its protagonist not, say, incredible ingenuity or weapons training, but an indefatigable nature along with what might be considered blind courage. Unlike the protagonists in many of the other films mentioned above, this heroine feels very much like the underdog as she engages in a deadly game of cat and mouse. For me, this film falls short of its potential, but it still has some noteworthy moments (such as the final encounter between the heroine and the villain), and Lee Min Ki’s performance as the psychopathic antagonist is spot on.

 

seheee is a software engineer by day and an avid K-pop concert goer by night. You can find her on twitter @_seheee.

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An ISTD fan-discussion thread on twitter. Some spoilers if you've not seen the movie.

 

Source: virginie. @221BadWolf

 

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Related excerpt only 

 

July 1, 2019

 

What are the best horror movies from the last decade?

 

BY: TAMARA VLAHOVIC The Frisky

 

For some people, horror movies are too scary and they might never understand why anyone would watch them, but for others, they are masterpieces that make you feel all the emotions at once – fear, uncertainty and sometimes even compassion for the characters that are in danger. If you are thinking about entering the world of horror films, here is the list of the best horror movies from the past 10 years.

 

Source: Express Elevator to Hell

 

The first film we are going to tell you about is “I Saw the Devil”, a South Korean film from 2010. The movie follows Kim Soo-hyeon, a trained secret agent played by Byung-hun Lee on a hunt for a serial killer who murdered his pregnant fiancée. Once he has captured him, turning him to the police is the last thing on agent’s mind, and that is when the game of cat and mouse begins, erasing all the lines between good and evil.

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Source: Jeremy Benoit

One of my favourite films to come out of South Korea. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it while it's still on @netflixca **WARNING! Not for the faint of heart** 

 

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September 13, 2019

 

From 'Bharat' To 'Ek Villain': Bollywood Movies That Took Inspiration From South Korean Films

 

Source:  India Times

 

03/9 'Ek Villain'

 

Filmmaker Mohit Suri’s romantic thriller film, ‘Ek Villain’ starring Sidharth Malhotra, Shraddha Kapoor, and Riteish Deshmukh was inspired by the South Korean film, ‘I Saw The Devil’. The original film starred Choi Min Shik, Lee Byung-hun and San-ha Oh in the lead roles.

 

Riteish Deshmukh’s stunning performance as a villain the film was much appreciated. The original film is touted to be more violent than the Hindi movie.

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October 19, 2019

 

October Horror Movie Recommendation: I Saw the Devil

BY SPENCER PERRY ComingSoon.net

 

Every day for the month of October, Coming Soon is making a new horror movie recommendation for those eager to find a new frightening flick for Halloween. From the creepy goodness of a classy ghost story to a blood-spattered gorefest and everything in between, we’ll have something for every taste of horror. And today’s pick is…..

I SAW THE DEVIL

What’s I Saw the Devil about: A deadly game of cat and mouse erupts across the city streets of Seoul and countryside of South Korea after a serial killer targets the wife of a well trained government spy. Kim Soo-hyun uses his training and knowledge to find the killer and torture him across a series of escalating catch-and-kill scenarios, pitting the two experienced killers against each other using the most brutal tools at their disposal.

 

Why I Saw the Devil rules: This movie is hardcore. It’s high concept plot is easy to follow but the way that it continues to build on its own devious scenarios with more

 

How scary is I Saw the Devil: Not an outright frightening movie, but I Saw the Devil features an INTENSE amounts of blood and gore as body parts fly and knives slice.

 

Be on the lookout for: You’ve definitely seen stars Byung-Hun Lee and Min-sik Choi, with Lee appearing as Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe films and the T-1000 in Terminator: Genisys, and Choi starring in Lady Vengeance and (most notably) Oldboy.

 

Where to watch I Saw the Devil: You can rent I Saw the Devil digitally on Amazon Prime Video by clicking here or purchase your own copy on DVD and Blu-ray by clicking here.

 

Photos: watched_movie

 

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October 4, 2019

 

16 Best Korean Movies of This Decade

 

by Diksha Sundriyal TheCinemaholic

 

In international cinema, there are a couple of countries that have made their presence felt strongly. While European cinema continues to excel, in the Asian market, Korean filmmakers have taken charge. Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook and Kim Ki-duk are just a couple of directors that have made excellent films while succeeding in breaking into the international market. Their films are commercially successful without compromising with the soul of the story. In the past decade, this trend has been followed by a number of other directors. Here, we have compiled the list of the best Korean movies of this decade, from 2010 to 2019. that you must watch:

16. Train to Busan (2016)
 

15. The Man from Nowhere (2010)

 

14. The Day He Arrives (2011)

 

13. Masquerade (2012)

 

12. The Wailing (2016)

 

11. I Saw the Devil (2010)

 

‘I Saw the Devil’ is a psychological thriller that blurs the line between the hero and the villain. The story begins with Jang Joo-yun. She is stranded on a highway in the middle of a snowy night with a flat tire. Just in time, a school-bus driver, Jang Kyung-chul happens to pass by. It looks like he wants to help her, but that is not his true intention. A couple of days later, Joo-yun’s severed head is discovered which breaks the heart of her fiancée. The brutality of her murder makes him vow the same fate for her killer. His background as a secret agent helps him track down Kyung-chul, but he doesn’t kill him. Not straightaway.

 

10. The Handmaiden (2016)

 

9. House of Hummingbird (2018)

 

8. The Age of Shadows (2016)

 

7. Burning (2018)

 

6. Planet of Snail (2011)

 

5. Poetry (2010)

 

4. The Bacchus Lady (2016)

 

3. Hope (2013)

 

2. Silenced (2011)

 

1. Parasite (2019)

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November 12, 2019

12 BEST SOUTH KOREAN MOVIES YOU SHOULD WATCH
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."

 

by Gabriel Ricard Cultured Vultures

From the origins of Korean cinema in the 1920s, to the current slew of critically and commercially successful movies that define the current Korean New Wave, South Korea has an incredible stake in film history. While the country has released its own films for decades, the last 20 or so years have been particularly fruitful. With just a handful of titles to define this list of the best South Korean movies, the 2000s and 2010s alone have numerous films that are worthy of consideration. South Korean horror movies make up a long list of contenders for the best, as well.

 

So, while we can’t reach all the way back to Korea’s initial efforts, with their first feature being released in 1923, we can highlight why South Korean films are more popular with worldwide audiences than ever. That doesn’t just apply to horror films. With stories that can create an experience that is unique to the country itself, yet imminently relatable to the rest of us on one level or another, cinema from South Korea is finding larger and larger audiences around the world.

 

New to the country’s film output? This chronological list of the best films from South Korea is a primer for what their filmmakers, actors, writers, and other artists have to offer. This list won’t cover everything. Hopefully, it will emphasize their releases nationwide and abroad.

THE BEST SOUTH KOREAN MOVIES

1. THE HOUSEMAID (1960)

 

2. CHILSU AND MANSU (1988)

 

3. THE POWER OF KANGWON PROVINCE (1998)

 

4. PEPPERMINT CANDY (1999)
 

5. MY SASSY GIRL (2001)

 

6. SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (2002)

 

7. SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! (2003)
 

8. A TALE OF TWO SISTERS (2003)
 

9. OLDBOY (2003)

 

10. THE HOST (2006)
 

11. I SAW THE DEVIL (2010)

 

Director: Kim Jee-woon

 

You could probably make an argument that vengeance is a big recurring theme in many of the top South Korean movies. It’s a subject we can all get behind. At the same time, the intensity and shock of how many South Korean films delve into the topic is unique to that country.

 

I Saw the Devil depicts a secret service agent (Lee Byung-hun) seeking a very dark approach to revenge against the serial killer (Choi Min-sik) who murders his fiancé. The agent elects to take his time. So does the movie, which consistently hits us with one stunning, often violent development after another. Everything is a pitch-perfect build to one of the most shocking conclusions you will ever see.

 

Watch if: You want to see the lengths someone will go to, in order to bring suffering to someone they hate.
Avoid if: It’s hard for you to imagine someone wanting to toy with a serial killer.

 

12. BURNING (2018)

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November 25, 2019

 

The Most Iconic Horror Performances of the Decade
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BY HALEIGH FOUTCH Collider.com

Horror has always been a home for some of the most iconic performances of all time. They may not clean up at the Oscars, but when you think about the most enduring characters and performances — Jack Nicholson in The Shining, Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby, Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs — they’re so often the result of a stunning actor taking on genre without flinching.

 

And the last decade has been an absolute bounty for the horror genre, from indie horror made more accessible with each new development in digital photography and studio horror that endured as one of the few non-superhero, non-Star Wars guarantees at the box office. So it should come as no surprise that the decade was absolutely jam-packed with phenomenal performances, elevated by a peak era in horror storytelling that has seen some of the best actors in the world turn to genre for their meatiest roles.

 

This isn’t a list of the best horror performances of the decade — that list would be impossibly long, including plenty of performances that slipped under the radar in indie and foreign cinema. For the purposes of this list, we’re looking back at the most iconic horror turns of the last ten years. These are the screaming faces that will endure in the zeitgeist; the terrified and terrifying character and creature creations that will spring to mind for generations to come when they think back on the decade in horror cinema.

 

 

Choi Min-sik in 'I Saw the Devil', 2010

 

Image via Magnet Releasing

 

On the heels of a spectacular decade in the early 2000s, New Korean Cinema continued to excel in the 2010s and Kim Jee-woon delivered one of the best yet with I Saw the Devil.

 

Easily one of the most ruthless and relentless revenge tales of all time, the film stars Lee Byung-hun as a police officer who hunts down the serial killer who killed his pregnant girlfriend and gives over to his darkest instincts in a blood-soaked game of cat and mouse between two brutal enemies. Lee gives a remarkable performance in his own right, but it’s Choi Min-sik‘s turn as the sadistic killer Kyung-chul that offers an indelibly terrifying piece of work for the ages.

 

In Choi’s hands, Kyung-chul is a carnal, despicable monster with just enough humanity to keep him captivating beyond his hideous acts. He is terrifying, right on the line of unhinged but with the wily awareness of a true psychopath relishing in the ever-nearer, ever-more permeable threshold of sanity. And Choi goes all in; from the squealing agony of physical agony he endures to the giddy joy he takes in doling out punishments of his own, Kyung-chul is impossible to pin down and the spark of unpredictability and emotional dissonance in Choi’s performance makes him a singular source of nightmare fuel for the ages.

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Published on October 24, 2019 by 뭅뭅

 

Korean Movie Poster for Domestic VS Poster for Overseas What is your choice? 

 

 

Mentioned at 1.12 time-mark

 

Jason Bechervaise: Even this domestic poster is showing the two lead actors.
Darcy Paquet: Movie marketing in Korea is very star-driven.

 

 

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Published on October 31, 2019 by 뭅뭅
 

 

0:37 time-mark: Even though it's his most favorite Kim Ji Woon movie, Pierce Conran strongly recommends to avoid watching I SAW THE DEVIL for first-timers to Korean movies.. because it's super violent. 

 

 

Terrible doesn't necessarily mean bad.. just not suitably appropriate.. well, you know.. I know.. we all know.. 

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February 11, 2020

 

ROAD TO PARASITE: THE RISE OF KOREAN CINEMA IN 11 MUST-SEE MOVIES
A brief history of the Korean New Wave.

 

Source: Inverse.com

 

THE AWARD WAS GIVEN TO PARASITE, BUT ALL OF KOREA FELT ACCOMPLISHED.

 

The mountainous rise of Korean cinema reached its highest peak on Sunday when the American-centric Oscars crowned Korean director Bong Joon-ho and his acclaimed drama Parasite as the year's Best Picture (not best international, just best).

It was a historic moment, not just for foreign language cinema, but for the wide breadth of the Korean film industry that has seen pictures regularly transcend language and cultural barriers, from cult classics like Old Boy to sci-fi blockbusters like Snowpiercer. The list goes on, but we've whittled it down to an essential eleven.

 

For the unfamiliar, it may be hard to understand how this happened, and why Korean cinema is now the darling of the worldwide film community. While Japan boasts legends like Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki, and Hong Kong has Wong Kar-Wai, Ann Hui, and John Woo, the most renowned artists of South Korea didn't emerge until the 2000s. Out of the 1997 financial collapse and a boost from screen quota laws, the East Asian nation of 51 million found their voices in directors like Park Chan-wook, Bong Joon-ho, Kwak Jae-yong, and more, who helped kick off the Korean New Wave that's now lasted nearly two decades.

 

The can't-miss films below illustrate a region's cinema that carved its identity through blending overly familiar genres into pointed social commentaries. Spy movies, monster movies, zombies, vampires, and rom-coms are remixed with uniquely Korean flavor that all point to a nation, and a people, who fell hard in the global economy only to resurge amidst grand, sweeping technological shifts. By the second decade, Korean filmmakers began to reckon with the unfair income inequality that continues to plague the nation.

 

Below is a brief history of the Korean New Wave, as illustrated by 11 must-watch movies that all led to the crowning of Parasite. If you're less "#BongHive" and more "Bong Joon-who?" let this be your starting point.

 

11. JOINT SECURITY AREA (2000)

 

Spoiler

 

It is commonly understood that the Korean New Wave kicked off in 1999 with South Korea's first Hollywood-style blockbuster, Shiri. A spy film directed by Kang Je-gyu, Shiri had the highest budget of a South Korean film at the time ($8.5 million) and still broke box office records upon its release. It was the reason James Cameron's Titanic sunk in South Korea, the only Asian nation the movie bombed.

But while Shiri was the first punch, Park Chan-wook's Joint Security Area (2000) was the haymaker. A mystery thriller that helped cement the careers of actors Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, and Lee Young-ae, the film explores the circumstances of a murder at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the border separating North and South Korea. In its microscopic view of the war-torn region, the film looks far and wide to the irreconcilable differences between two nations still at war today.

The fourth release from Park Chan-wook, Joint Security Area was a smash hit at home, becoming the highest-grossing movie in Korean film history in 2001. It developed an international cult following thanks in part to American directors like Quentin Tarantino giving it public praise.

Fun fact: When the film was released on DVD, South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun gifted the movie to North Korea's Kim Jong-il at the 2007 Inter-Korean summit.

 

 

10. MY SASSY GIRL (2001)

 

Spoiler

 

Before Tom met Summer in (500) Days of Summer, director Kwak Jae-yong adapted a popular online blog written by a lovestruck boy obsessed over the perfect, if not quirky, girl.

My Sassy Girl, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Chae Tae-hyun, was a major hit that spawned one of the most popular Korean franchises of all time, earning acclaim across all of Asia. The inevitable American remake was produced in 2008 with Elisha Cuthbert, while other adaptations and remakes have popped up in Japan, India, China, and Nepali. In 2014, The Korean Wave author Jennifer Jung-Kim wrote of My Sassy Girl that it's a film that "deserves to be called a global success" based on its numerous localized adaptations.

 

 

9. VOLCANO HIGH (2001)

 

Spoiler

 

When misfit teenager Kim Kyung-soo (Jang Hyuk) is transferred to a secret martial arts school, he literally fights to survive in a mashup of teen dramas and kinetic action movies that all pay homage to Korea's homegrown manhwa (comics).

You won't find much praise for Volcano High outside the most niche action movie blogs. If it wasn't for an MTV-produced dub starring hip-hop musicians like André 3000, Lil Jon, Snoop Dogg, and Method Man, Kim Tae-kyun's martial arts teen comedy would be forgotten to time.

But it was precisely because of MTV and the movie's wide distribution in the US on DVD that Volcano High become a cult hit among American teens — and the first real dose of Korean action for a mass, impressionable audience. (I knew about the movie because it was always so cheap at Walmart.)

Peep the YouTube comments and you'll find people reminiscing about discovering it on MTV and DVD in their youths. While not the highest of brows, the availability of Volcano High may have been the untold Westerners' first dose of Korean cinema.

 

 

8. OLDBOY (2003)

 

Spoiler

 

Easily one of the most renowned movies of the Korean New Wave, this neo-noir thriller from Park Chan-wook adapts the Japanese comic of the same name. The film tells the story of a man mysteriously imprisoned for 15 years. When he's finally released, he's given only five days to figure out the reason for his torture.

Choi Min-Sik, Yoo Ji-tae, and Kang Hye-jung star in a gritty revenge tale whose reach and influence went far beyond its homeland. The film played a direct influence on American movies and shows like John Wick and Marvel's Daredevil.

Like Park's Joint Security Area, Old Boy's praise from Western voices like Quentin Tarantino and Roger Ebert — who in his review called the film "powerful ... not because of what it depicts, but because of the depths of the human heart which it strips bare" — helped cement the movie as a must-see and the real barn burner for the Korean New Wave around the world.

 

 

7. THE HOST (2006)

 

Spoiler

 

By the time Bong Joon-ho got to making his political monster thriller, The Host, he was already a veteran with film credits like Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) and Memories of a Murder (2003). But it was The Host that put Bong on the global map. Merging together the styles of Japanese monster films with Korean social commentary, Bong tells the story of a Korean family that tries to stay together when a mutant monster emerges from the Han River.

Eschewing the spectacle of blowing things up in favor of family drama, The Host won acclaim and proved the Korean New Wave's tendency to mesh and reinvent genres like science fiction and horror into something more profound. The film is also proudly Korean, with scathing depictions of American imperialism. (The film was in part inspired by an international incident in 2000, when the United States military dumped formaldehyde into the drinking water of Seoul.)

 

 

6. THIRST (2009)

 

Spoiler

 

Amid the height of the West's obsession for vampires, thanks to the Twilight phenomenon, Park Chan-wook directed Thirst. A loose adaptation of the 1868 French novel Thérèse Raquin by Émile Zola, the movie stars Song Kang-ho as a Catholic priest who volunteers for a medical experiment that turns him into a vampire. The priest must then resist his bloodlust as he falls in love with an old childhood friend.

The film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 and debuted at number one at the South Korean box office upon its release. While not the capital-B biggest movie in the Korean New Wave, the film's buzz — supported by Park who was still floating internationally thanks to the popularity of Oldboy — kept Korean film popularity going into the 2010s.

 

 

5. I SAW THE DEVIL (2010)

 

A movie seemingly made for the Reddit crowd, Kim Jee-woon's gruesomely morbid thriller, I Saw the Devil, took the Korean New Wave into its darkest territory yet. Flipping the manhunt movie on its head, the movie stars Lee Byung-hun (by now known to Americans for his role as Storm Shadow in 2009's G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra) as a heroic NIS agent who pursues a serial killer (Choi Min-sik) for the murder of his fiancé.

 

What the movie does differently than other hunt movies, to unnerving effect, is a downward spiral journey revealing what, or who, is a real monster. Praised by Rolling Stone for "relentless nastiness" that's "hard to watch and even harder to turn off" and by Taste of Cinema as "a modern masterpiece of South Korean cinema," the film endures thanks to discussions on places like Reddit.

 

4. SNOWPIERCER (2013)

 

Spoiler

 

Bong Joon-ho went international with Snowpiercer, a Korean-Czech financed movie with a majority English-speaking script and cast all based on a French comic book. Fresh from The Avengers, Chris Evans fights for freedom as the leader of a revolution aboard a high-speed train that circles a frosted Earth — an apocalypse from an overcorrection of reversing climate change. Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Go Ah-sung, Alison Pill, and Ed Harris also star.

A critical favorite when it was released in 2013, the film not only proved the international appeal of Korean cinema, but it also became a bonafide franchise. An American TV series will premiere on TNT in 2020.

 

 

3. TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016)

 

Spoiler

 

Like The Host before it, Yeon Sang-ho's Train to Busan takes another horror genre (this time zombies) and again explores the meaningful bond of a family and class warfare when a zombie outbreak occurs on a train to the second-most populous city in South Korea.

Amidst the decorations for the film, the biggest praise came from English director Edgar Wright, of the 2004 comedy Shaun of the Dead, who tweeted Train to Busan was the "best zombie movie I've seen in forever. A total crowd-pleaser. Highly recommend."

 

 

2. THE HANDMAIDEN (2016)

 

Spoiler

Another erotic thriller from Chan-wook Park, this adaptation of Fingersmith by Sarah Waters changes Victorian England to Korea, dominated by colonial Japan, and is notable for borderline "pornographic" sex scenes between two main female characters. The film made numerous critics' end-of-year top 10 lists and included a nomination for the Palme d'Or. Just halfway past the 2010s, movies like The Handmaiden proved Korean cinema was here to stay.

 

1. BURNING (2018)

 

Spoiler

 

Lee Chang-dong's Burning adapts Haruki Murakami's short story "Barn Burning" into a mystery drama that, according to The Atlantic, "rejects the glamorization of Asian wealth and the notion of a universal Asian identity."

With two opposing characters — one working-class native Korean and one "Americanized" wealthy Korean played by The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun — the film imbues suspense into another harrowing tale of class warfare.

 

 

[rubie]

February 19, 2020

‘I Saw the Devil’ — One of the best South Korean Thrillers

by Ricky Fernandes Da Conceição GOOMBA STOMP

Best South Korean Films: Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw the Devil

This article is part of our South Korean spotlight, highlighting some of the best films South Korea has to offer in light of Parasite’s historic Best Picture win at the 2020 Oscars.

 

Korea has produced some of the greatest entries in the serial killer sub-genre over the past twenty years, with Memories of Murder and The Chaser being the two prime examples. Kim Ji-woon’s epic I Saw the Devil, starring award-winning actors Lee Byung-hun (The Good, The Bad, The Weird) and Choi Min-sik (Oldboy) in the lead roles, clearly sets a new benchmark with its exceptionally graphic violence. The film even had to undergo extensive re-editing before its premiere in order to get a theatrical release in Korea. The result is still a shockingly violent, disturbing, dark, brutal and painful film, that pushes the concept of revenge to some extreme limits.

 

Korean genre master Kim Jee-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters) has once again proven the versatility of his talent, effortlessly switching genres to craft a uniquely terrifying experience. Part police procedural and part serial killer, Kim finds surprising and exciting new ways to tell his story. As a crafty thriller and as a brutal horror film, I Saw the Devil is now a staple of late-night festival strands, but as an epic battle between good and evil, I Saw the Devil is unfortunately mostly style over substance.

 

The Pitch

Choi Min-sik plays Kyung-chul, a psychopath who kills simply for pleasure. The embodiment of pure evil, he has committed countless murders on helpless victims while successfully eluding capture by the police. His latest victim is the beautiful daughter of a retired police chief and the pregnant fiancée of a special agent named Soo-hyun. Obsessed with revenge, Soo-hyun decides to track down the man who murdered his wife-to-be and enact his own form of revenge—by teasing and torturing the killer as much as humanly possible.
 

Spoiler

 

I Saw the Devil certainly has an interesting premise. In attempting to sidestep the conventional revenge thriller, Kim delivers a story of a once-good man taking his revenge while examining the effect it has on him. But the difference here is that our protagonist allows the serial killer to escape so he can find him again and repeat the punishment. The second aspect that makes I Saw the Devil unique, is how it shows the perspective of the serial killer as both predator and prey. The hunter becomes the hunted, reverts to the hunter, and back again. It’s an increasingly bizarre and twisted game of cat-and-mouse that spins out of control, resulting in a series of blood-thirsty showdowns.

Our hero becomes instantly infected by the malicious evil he’s trying to destroy, bringing new meaning to Nietzsche’s assertion that “when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” As the film proceeds, its fundamental concerns about the nature of revenge becomes undermined by the nihilistic vigor of the excessive carnage, and thus the problem with setting the violence levels so high and refusing to let them drop means that any emotions other than anger and revenge are quickly abandoned. So as much as we try to sympathize with Dae-Hoon, and as much as we enjoy watching Kyung-Chul’s suffering, the characters are defined simply by their actions, preventing us from feeling terribly invested. Exploring the main characters’ psychological motivations to violence in any meaningful way is brushed aside in order to make way for the next depraved set-piece.

 

Still, while the overall examination of the dangers and effects of revenge seem a bit vacuous (or at least lightweight), fans of ultra-violent thrillers will most likely be pleased. As expected, I Saw The Devil shows all the hallmarks of the South Korean filmmaker: gorgeous camera work, whip-smart editorial control, several intriguing set pieces, beautiful cinematography, a brooding atmosphere, a nerve-wracking score, some surprisingly interesting narrative twists, and stunning lead performances. The direction, writing, production, editing, music, and acting are all top-notch. I Saw the Devil also features what is possibly the best scene from any film released in 2009, which involves a cab driver and two homicidal maniacs. The choreography in this one scene alone is well worth the price of admission— ingenious both in the camera work and in the execution of the actors spiraling out of control.

 

In between moments of chisel-hacking horror, there is also some impressively dark humour and top-notch acting. But be warned: even by Asian extreme standards, Kim Ji-woon’s I Saw the Devil is exceptionally graphic. Rape, decapitation/dismemberment, and cannibalism are all shown with glee, and blood and gore populate the frames. Emotionally, this movie will reach deep into the pit of your stomach and stab your guts repeatedly before tearing them out.

 

At 144 minutes, I Saw The Devil could stand to trim ten to fifteen minutes to improve the pacing, but it is still quite an achievement -a movie full of visceral shocks and aesthetic pleasures: it has an explosive immediacy and will surely stand the test of time. It is something you will never forget.

Ricky D