K-Movie Review: “Devils” Is The Newest Must-Watch Crime Thriller From South Korea
There is a fine line between good and evil. It is ultimately our choices that determine if we are one or the other.
Devils stars Oh Dae Hwan and Jang Dong Yoon in veteran detective and deranged serial killer roles, respectively. It is an action-packed film that has a solid narrative and offers enough blood and gore which would satisfy fans of the genre. This crime thriller has reached Philippine cinemas.
A seasoned detective, racked with guilt after losing his partner two years ago, did the unthinkable. In order to catch a group of serial killers, he concocted a devious plan which eventually backfires.
Devils: Movie Overview
In a mission to catch a serial killer who posts his killings online, Homicide Detective Choi Jae Hwan (Oh Dae Hwan) loses his partner, who is also his brother-in-law. Haunted by such loss, the police officer became more adamant in putting an end to the killer’s crime spree. Two years later, and with a new partner, Jae Hwan comes face to face with the murderer Cha Jin Hyuk (Jang Dong Yoon).
Jin Hyuk tries to escape and runs to the mountain as Jae Hwan chases him. As he reaches a ravine, Jae Hwan catches up with him and a struggle ensues. Both falls off and have been missing for a month. As the authorities are still occupied with the continuous killings, Jae Hwan’s teammates alternately join the search for him. One day, a driver intentionally crashes his car outside the police station where Jae Hwan works. The police officers rush to the scene only to find a handcuffed and passed out Jae Hwan in the passenger seat. Meanwhile, an unconscious Jin Hyuk sits on the driver side.
Both are taken to the hospital and upon waking up, soon realizes they have swapped bodies. To get back to his old self, Jae Hwan, now having the face of the serial killer, must deliver to Jin Hyuk all his accomplices.
Devils Takeaway
With its absorbing story, combined with its excellent cast, Devils is such an engrossing watch. As someone who is a fan of crime thrillers, this movie did not disappoint. While the plot is not something new, I love the execution as well as the character portrayals.
Jang Dong Yoon, in his most deranged role yet, played Jin Hyuk in a manner that is equally scary and loathsome. The actor did his utmost best to deliver Jin Hyuk’s madness. His portrayal was topnotch, despite the character being not overly complex even with his psychopathy. It is the only thing that I found lacking as it would have been perfect if Jin Hyuk is somehow relatable and not totally devoid of his humanity.
But given the film’s premise, I get the reason his character was written as such and Jang Dong Yoon delivered a fantastic performance nonetheless. He could easily switch from a man desperate to get his life back he is willing to do anything to the unhinge individual boiling with so much rage.
Playing the role of Detective Choi Jae Hwan is character actor Oh Dae Hwan who also did great in showcasing the officer’s inner conflict and guilt. The character that most represent ordinary people and perhaps the one a lot of viewers can truly sympathize with is Min Sung played by Jang Jae Ho. Min Sung’s loyalty and trust became his undoing . The moment he realizes thing are messed up, it was so painful to watch. The supporting cast all contributed to give the audience a movie well worth watching.
Devils highlighted how our morality is defined by our choices. In the movie, Jae Hwan made a horrendous decision that endanger people’s lives. Though he was willing to take full responsibility, he did not anticipate the severity of the damage his actions yielded. While his intentions are pure, the means he used to put the criminals to justice cannot be justified. It made him the same as the very person he is trying to put behind bars.
For a movie falling into the crime-thriller category, Devils commits and lives up to the expectations. Although the narrative and storytelling are solid, the film does have some weak points. However, these minor shortcomings do not diminish the overall satisfaction. Fans of the genre will undoubtedly find enjoyment in the film.
Devils is now showing exclusively on SM Cinemas nationwide.
Watch the trailer:
Hellokpop would like to thank VIVA International Pictures for the invitation to “Devils” advance screening.
Images From: VIVA International Pictures
