You know that feeling when a movie just feels too heavy for your chest? That’s basically the 144-minute experience of watching Lee Byung Hun I Saw the Devil. Released back in 2010, this wasn't just another entry in the "K-Horror" or "K-Thriller" boom. It was a wrecking ball.
Honestly, if you've seen Lee Byung-hun in Squid Game or Mr. Sunshine, you might think you know his range. You don't. Not until you've seen him as Kim Soo-hyeon, a man who decides that killing his wife’s murderer isn't enough. He wants to break the man's soul. In the process, he kinda loses his own.
Why Lee Byung Hun I Saw the Devil Hits Different
Most revenge flicks follow a simple rhythm. Bad guy does something awful. Good guy gets mad. Good guy trains. Good guy kills bad guy in the final ten minutes. Roll credits.
I Saw the Devil tosses that script into a wood chipper by the thirty-minute mark.
Lee Byung-hun plays an elite NIS agent. When his pregnant fiancée is butchered by a psychopath named Kyung-chul (played by the legendary Choi Min-sik of Oldboy fame), Soo-hyeon doesn't call for backup. He doesn't even turn the guy into the cops when he catches him.
Instead, he beats him to within an inch of his life, implants a GPS tracking pill in his stomach, and lets him go.
Why? Because he wants to play.
He wants to show up every time Kyung-chul is about to commit another crime and deliver a fresh hell of physical agony. It's a "catch and release" program from the darkest pits of human imagination.
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The Physicality of the Role
Lee Byung-hun is known for his "cool" factor, but here, that coolness is a mask for a terrifying, vibrating rage. There’s a scene early on where he’s investigating suspects. He doesn't ask questions. He just uses a sledgehammer.
It’s brutal.
But it’s the eyes that do the heavy lifting. Lee has this way of looking completely vacant—like the lights are on but the person who lived there moved out weeks ago. He moves with the precision of a predator, yet you can feel the grief leaking out of his pores. It’s a masterclass in "less is more" acting, especially when paired with Choi Min-sik’s loud, boisterous, and utterly repellant performance.
The Problem With Becoming the Monster
Director Kim Jee-woon really put Lee through the ringer here.
There's a specific tension in Lee Byung Hun I Saw the Devil that most people overlook. We start the movie rooting for Soo-hyeon. We want him to get justice. But as the film drags on—and it is a long, exhausting journey—you start to realize that Soo-hyeon’s "justice" is actually just a different flavor of psychopathy.
He ignores other victims.
He lets Kyung-chul stay on the streets just so he can keep the game going.
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In one particularly hard-to-watch sequence, Soo-hyeon finds the killer in the middle of assaulting another woman. Instead of staying to help the victim, he focuses entirely on the torture of Kyung-chul. It raises the question: at what point did he stop being the hero?
Actually, the title gives it away. It’s not just about seeing the killer. It’s about the reflection in the mirror.
Real Behind-the-Scenes Grit
Filming wasn't a walk in the park. The production was notoriously difficult due to the extreme violence. In fact, the Korea Media Rating Board slapped it with a "Restricted" rating twice. They had to cut several minutes of the most graphic gore just to get it into theaters.
And then there's the mental toll.
Choi Min-sik famously mentioned in interviews that he stayed in character so deeply he found himself getting irrationally angry at strangers in elevators. While Lee Byung-hun is a bit more private about his process, you can see the exhaustion on his face during the film's final act.
That ending? That’s not movie crying. That’s "I have nothing left" crying.
A Quick Comparison of Styles
If you're a fan of the genre, you might compare this to A Bittersweet Life (also a Kim Jee-woon and Lee Byung-hun collab).
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- A Bittersweet Life: Stylized, noir-ish, heavy on the "cool" aesthetic.
- I Saw the Devil: Raw, ugly, and intentionally de-glamorized.
In the former, Lee is a tragic hero. In the latter, he’s a cautionary tale.
The Lasting Impact on Lee’s Career
Before this, Lee was the "pretty boy" lead of Iris and a rising star in Hollywood (remember G.I. Joe?). This role proved he could handle the most depraved, emotionally demanding material on the planet.
It changed how the West saw Korean actors.
It wasn't just about martial arts or looking good in a suit. It was about the ability to convey a psychological breakdown without saying a single word.
How to Approach Your First Watch
If you haven't seen it, or if you're planning a re-watch, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Uncut Version: If you can find it, the international cut restores the pacing that the censors messed with.
- Look for the Mirrors: The film uses reflections constantly to show the blurring lines between the two lead characters.
- Check Your Stomach: It’s "torture porn" to some, but to others, it’s a philosophical treatise on the futility of vengeance. Be prepared for both.
The brilliance of Lee Byung Hun I Saw the Devil is that it doesn't give you a "win." It leaves you in the same place as the protagonist: empty, tired, and wondering if any of it was worth it.
Next Steps for the Cinephile:
If you want to understand the full evolution of Lee Byung-hun's craft, your next move is to watch A Bittersweet Life followed by the more recent Concrete Utopia. This "unofficial trilogy" shows his progression from a stylized action star to a gritty revenge lead, and finally, to a complex character actor. Pay close attention to how he uses his silence in each—it's his secret weapon.