History Film / ISawTheDevil

* CurbStompBattle: Kyung-chul is very skillfully beaten whenever he engages Soo-hyun in hand-to-hand combat. Justified in that Soo-hyun is a trained government operative.

* ChekhovsGun: Joo-yeon's ring. [[spoiler:It falls in a nearby gutter as Kyung-chul dismembers her, and Soo-hyun digging in and finding it later is what makes him realize Kyung-chul has killed her.]]

* DisposableWoman: Joo-yeon, whose death kicks off the plot.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Soo-hyun's constant catch-and-release torment of Kyung-chul gives the latter time to find out Soo-hyun's identity. Kyung-Chul then [[spoiler:tracks down Joo-yeon's family, beating her father within a centimeter of his life and killing his sister outright]].

* {{Revenge}}: Soo-hyun and his would-be father-in-law are motivated by vengeance against the murder of Joo-yeon.

* SacrificialLamb: Joo-Yun, whose death at the hands of Kyung-Chul kicks off the plot.

* TooDumbToLive: A woman standing at a deserted bus stop at night lets herself get convinced to accept a ride from a very insistent stranger in a van.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:We see Kyung-chul use a guillotine blade to decapitate a girl at one point; he is ultimately offed in that fashion by that same blade, in a particularly twisted setup organized by Soo-hyun. He would be left holding the blade up by a rope between his teeth that connected to a door. When his family would arrive later, by opening that door they would inadvertently trigger his decapitation.]]

-->''"I will kill you when you are in the most pain. When you're in the most pain and shivering out of fear, then I will kill you. That is a real revenge. A real, complete revenge."''

* MuggingTheMonster: The two crooks in the taxi plan to rob and kill Kyung-Chul, not knowing he is a murderous psychopath.

* NotIfTheyEnjoyedItRationalization: A scene only available in the Korean version of the film (the director cut it out of the international version for pacing reasons) has Kyung-Chul raping his cannibal friend's wife only her for to enjoy it after a while.
* OvertOperative: Soo-Hyun
* ParentalAbandonment: Kyung-Chul has a son whom he left with his parents.
* PayEvilUntoEvil: Soo-Hyun's vow.

* ProtagonistJourneyToVillain: Soo-Hyun begins the film as a sympathetic antihero motivated by getting vengeance on a brutal murderer. He makes more and more moral concessions to his vengeance, until, by the end, he's completely sacrificed his humanity.
* RealityEnsues: Soo-hyun [[spoiler: may have gotten his revenge by murdering Kyung-Chul]], but he [[spoiler:ends up causing huge amounts of damage, his father-in-law to be grieviously injured and the death of his sister-in-law]]. Never mind the fact that [[spoiler:he also [[HeWhoFightsMonsters becomes]] [[EvilvsEvil just as monstrous as Kyung-chul was in his pursuit for vengeance.]]]]
* {{Revenge}}: Soo-Hyun and his would-be father-in-law are motivated by vengeance against the murder of Joo-Yun.
* RevengeBeforeReason: Soo-Hyun strives for revenge over all other factors, even after being begged to stop by his fiance's family, and even though it puts a number of other people in peril.
* RuleOfDrama: There's no given reason why Kyung-Chul's sedatives wear off nearly a day earlier than expected, just in time to make a critical discovery. It happens simply to drive the next plot point.

* SerialKiller: Kyung-Chul has killed around a dozen women, as evidenced by the items in his lair.
* SerialKillerKiller: [[spoiler:Soo-Hyun.]]
* ShoutOut: Kyung-Chul ends up in a situation straight from ''Film/BloodsuckingFreaks'': [[spoiler: in a guillotine, holding the blade up with his teeth]].
* SmallNameBigEgo: Kyung-Chul. Even though he's a sleazy serial killer whose only known "friend" is [[spoiler: a psychotic cannibal]], he thinks very highly of himself. [[spoiler: And doesn't change his tune until the moment he is brutally killed.]]
* SoftGlass: Soo-Hyun knows that this is not true. The only time he jumps through a window, he wears gloves and a rather thick hoodie, and also grabs a sheet of cloth for extra protection.

** Kyung-Chul misplaces objects a few times, coming across as fairly bumbling on occasion.

* TranquilFury: Soo-Hyun maintains this state throughout the movie.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Soo-Hyun eventually [[RealityEnsues discovers what a bad idea it is to keep a deranged psychopath alive to toy with]].

** Near the end of the movie [[spoiler:Soo-Hyun succeeds in getting Kyung-Chul to beg for his life like so many of his own victims. Subverted in that it was an act on Kyung-Chul's part]].
** [[spoiler: Then played straight when Soo-hyun leaves and Kyug-Chul's parents and son come to visit him. Kyung-Chul really starts to panic as they're about to see him in the state Soo-hyon left him in, holding a rope with his teeth that, if released, would let the guillotine down]].
* VillainsOutShopping: An early sequence has Kyung-Chul engaged in mundane activities such as preening his hair and playing acoustic guitar.
* WickedCultured: The Cannibal Tae-joo enjoys listening to classical music while preparing his "meals".
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened to the schoolgirl and the kidnapped victim in the cannibal's house? We see them scurry away as Soo-Hyun battles Kyung-Chul, but there's no follow up.

->''"I will kill you when you are in the most pain. When you're in the most pain and shivering out of fear, then I will kill you. That is a real revenge. A real, complete revenge."''

''I Saw the Devil'' is a 2010 Korean {{Revenge}} movie directed by Kim Ji-Woon (''Film/ATaleOfTwoSisters'', ''Film/TheGoodTheBadTheWeird'', ''Film/ABittersweetLife''). It stars Lee Byung-Hun as Kim Soo-Hyun, a government agent who swears to violently avenge the murder of his fiancée. The crime was committed by [[BigBad Kyung-Chul Jang]] (Choi Min-Sik), a psychopath to whom kidnapping, raping and murdering young women come as easy as breathing. What ensues is a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in which both men vow to destroy the other's life.

* AgonyOfTheFeet: Kyung-Chul's ''both feet''. [[spoiler:One has its Achilles Tendon cut, another steps on a fishing hook]]
* AntiHero: Soo-Hyun, who doesn't seem to care that his plan for revenge also puts innocent bystanders in danger. [[spoiler: At one point he lets Kyung-Chul rape someone long enough just so he could disrupt his enjoyment that much further.]]
* AssholeVictim: The two crooks in the taxi plan to rob and kill Kyung-Chul, who figures it out and kills them both.

* AxCrazy: Kyung-Chul reveals himself to be a danger to just about everyone around him. Even after getting his hand mended by a doctor, he nearly decides to murder the doctor over some gentle scolding. The only reason he relents is because he turns his attention on the doctor's attractive nurse. All of this is part of what makes Soo-Hyun's catch-and-release plan so reckless.
* BigBad: Kyung-Chul Jang is the psychopath who murdered the fiancé of protagonist Kim Soo-Hyun, a government agent who seeks revenge on him for it.

** While preparing to murder a woman he's given a ride, Kyung-Chul misplaces his murder weapon. He rummages around behind his seat muttering to himself while his future victim watches him in confusion.

* BottomlessMagazines: A mild case when Kyung-Chul shoots three times with a double barrel shotgun before reloading.
* {{Bowdlerized}}: The Korean version was effectively censored by the Korea Media Rating Board; several shots of violence and some scenes depicting cannibalism had to be removed before being released. The international version is uncut and true to the director's intentions, however.
* CowboyCop: Soo-Hyun.
* CurbstompBattle: Kyung-Chul is very skillfully beaten whenever he engages Soo-Hyun in hand-to-hand combat. Justified in that Soo-Hyun is a trained government operative.
* {{Determinator}}: Soo-hyun[[spoiler:, but not as much as Kyung-Chul]]. To elaborate, [[spoiler: Kyung-Chul gets into a car accident (after murdering the two people inside the car with him) and breaks his arm. Later he has the Achilles tendon in one of his feet cut. Not long after his head is bashed in with a pipe. Through all of this, he is still somehow able to inflict brutal murder when in any normal situation, he could have been defeated by being shoved to the ground and kicked.]]
* DevilInPlainSight: How Soo-hyun sees Kyung-Chul. The title, which explains it all, is considered an ironic coincidence.
* DisposableWoman: Joo-Yun, whose death kicks off the plot.
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:Soo-Hyun manages to kill Kyung-Chul, but by this point, it's clear he's lost everything. His career as a police officer is in jeopardy because of the sheer amount of damage he's caused in his pursuit of vengeance, his father-in-law ends up grievously injured, his sister-in-law ends up ''dead'', and in having Kyung-Chul decapitated [[KickTheDog right in front of the guy's parents and son]], he realizes that he [[HeWhoFightsMonsters has become just as monstrous as Kyung-Chul had been]]. By the end of the movie, he's walking away from all the carnage he's caused, alternating between crying and laughing, completely alone.]]

* EvilVsEvil: By the end of the film, Soo-Hyun's desire for revenge has made him just as monstrous as Kyung-Chul.
* FromBadToWorse
* GlasgowGrin: [[spoiler: Soo-Hyun gives this to one of the cannibals by ripping open his mouth with his bare hands.]] We only see it briefly.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: Smoking is treated as bad and villainous. Squad Chief Jang smokes while in mourning for his daughter. Soo-Hyun gently tells him he should stop. Kyung-Chul the serial killer is constantly seen smoking. In the end, Soo-Hyun smokes a cigarette and uses it to burn Kyung-Chul.
* {{Gorn}}: Oh boy.
* GroinAttack: Soo-Hyun attacks his first suspect by smashing his groin with a hammer.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: Explored and discussed.
* HypocriticalHumor: Kyung-Chul often calls everyone crazy and/or psycho.
* IdiotBall: The Police has it bad. They have called Kyung-Chul in before, and know where he lives. So [[spoiler: When Kyung-Chul left all his evidence at the crime scene at the start of the movie, why didn't they get him then?]]
* ImAHumanitarian: Tae-joo is a cannibal, declaring that you'll never want to eat anything else after you taste human meat. He noisily scarfs down bite after bite during dinner with Kyung-Chul.
* InelegantBlubbering: At the end, [[spoiler:Soo-Hyun breaks down crying after finally killing Kyung-Chul]].
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Soo-Hyun uses this on some suspects early on when he's looking for the killer.
* {{Jerkass}}: Aside from the whole SerialKiller business, Kyung-chul treats every last person he comes across with violence, hostility and contempt - and that's when he doesn't end up killing them.
* TheKillerBecomesTheKilled: [[spoiler:Kyung-Chul is ultimately murdered in revenge for Soo-Hyun's fiancee.]]

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The most likely reasoning behind Soo-Hyun's breakdown at the end of the film, in combination with his loss and all the lives he indirectly ended or changed forever.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Soo-Hyun's constant catch-and-release torment of Kyung-Chul gives the latter time to find out Soo-Hyun's identity. Kyung-Chul then [[spoiler: tracks down and murders Joo-Yun's father and sister. Had Soo-Hyun finished his revenge earlier, his fiancee's family wouldn't have been killed]].

* ManlyTears: At the end, [[spoiler:Soo-Hyun breaks down crying after finally killing Kyung-Chul]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened to the schoolgirl and the kidnapped victim in the cannibal's house? We both see them scurry away as Soo-Hyun battles Kyung-Chul, but there's no follow up.

''I Saw the Devil'' is a 2010 Korean {{Revenge}} movie directed by Kim Ji-Woon (''Film/ATaleOfTwoSisters'', ''Film/TheGoodTheBadTheWeird'', ''Film/ABittersweetLife''). It stars Lee Byung-Hun as Kim Soo-Hyun, a government agent who swears to violently avenge the murder of his fiancée. The crime was committed by [[BigBad Kyung-Chul Jang]] (Choi Min-Sik), a psychopath to whom kidnapping, raping and murdering young women come as easy as breathing. What ensues is a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in which both men vow to destroy one another's life.

''I Saw the Devil'' is a 2010 Korean {{Revenge}} movie directed by Kim Ji-Woon (''Film/ATaleOfTwoSisters'', ''Film/TheGoodTheBadTheWeird'', ''Film/ABittersweetLife''). It stars Lee Byung-Hun as Kim Soo-Hyun, a government agent who swears to violently avenge the murder of his fiancée. Said crime was committed by [[BigBad Kyung-Chul Jang]] (Choi Min-Sik), a psychopath to whom kidnapping, raping and murdering young women come as easy as breathing. What ensues is a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in which both men vow to destroy one another's life.

* UnderestimatingBadassery: Soo-Hyun eventually discovers what a bad idea it is to keep a deranged psychopath alive to toy with.

''I Saw the Devil'' is a 2010 Korean {{Revenge}} movie directed by Kim Ji-Woon (''Film/ATaleOfTwoSisters'', ''Film/TheGoodTheBadTheWeird'', ''Film/ABittersweetLife''). It stars Lee Byung-Hun as Kim Soo-Hyun, a government agent who swears to violently avenge the murder of his fiancée. Said crime was commited by Kyung-Chul Jang (Choi Min-Sik), a psychopath to whom kidnapping, raping and murdering young women come as easy as breathing. What ensues is a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in which both men vow to destroy one another's life.

* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes:
** In spite of the fact that Kyung-Chul abandoned his family, the ending reveals that he does care for them to some degree.
** Tae-joo the cannibal has a girlfriend, though their relationship isn't explored. It's not even clear if she's a cannibal as well, since she scowls at him when he's eating human flesh and is only seen eating rice herself.

* BlackComedy: A good example is when Tae-joo tries to remove the screwdriver pinning his hand on the table. The handle promptly comes off, and he slams the table in frustration, before deciding to lift his hand up along the shank.

* DisposableWoman: Joo-Yun.

* FilmNoir

* ImAHumanitarian: Kyung-Chul is friends with some cannibals.

* {{Revenge}}:
** RevengeBeforeReason: What eventually defines Soo-Hyun.

* SerialKiller: Kyung-Chul.

* TooDumbToLive: Averted. Joo-Yun quickly realizes there's something strange about the man offering to help her with her flat tire, declines his help, and rolls up her windows and locks her doors. [[spoiler: It doesn't save her.]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened to the schoolgirl and the kidnapped victim in the cannibal's house? Also, [[spoiler: Soo-Hyun's sister-in-law, though {{WordOfGod}} has it that she was killed.]]

* {{Determinator}}: Soo-hyun[[spoiler:, but not as much as Kyung-Chul]]. To elaborate, [[spoiler: Kyung-Chul gets into a car accident and breaks his arm. Later he has the Achilles tendon in one of his feet cut. Not long after his head is bashed in with a pipe. Through all of this, he is still somehow able to inflict brutal murder when in any normal situation, he could have been defeated by being shoved to the ground and kicked.]]

* {{Determinator}}: Soo-hyun[[spoiler:, but not as much as Kyung-Chul]]. To elaborate, [[spoiler: Kyung-Chul gets into a car accident and breaks his arm. Later he has the tendons in one of his feet cut. Not long after his head is bashed in with a pipe. Through all of this, he is still somehow able to inflict brutal murder when in any normal situation, he could have been defeated by being shoved to the ground and kicked.]]

* TheDeterminator: Soo-Hyun, right up until the film's final moments, whereupon he finally [[HeroicRROD breaks and suffers a nervous breakdown.]]

* [[spoiler:TheKillerBecomesTheKilled]]

* [[spoiler:SerialKillerKiller]]: Soo-Hyun

* VillainousBreakdown: Near the end of the movie [[spoiler:Soo-Hyun succeeds in getting Kyung-Chul to beg for his life like so many of his own victims. Subverted in that it was an act on Kyung-Chul's part]].

* InfantImmortality: Just about the first thing the film does is subvert this.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Soo-Hyun manages to murder Kyung-Chul, but then he realizes [[HeWhoFightsMonsters what he's become.]]]]

* {{Badass}}: Soo-Hyun, especially during [[spoiler:the fight in the old mansion where he takes out Kyung-Chul and two other serial killers, all of whom were hunting him]].
** Kyung-Chul too, unfortunately. Despite how utterly monstrous and despicable he is, or rather in spite of it, [[spoiler: he is clever enough to figure out that the car he's hitchhiking in is being driven by two killers and proceeds to violently fight and murder them both ''while the car is still moving on a snowy road.'' And as soon as he figures out who Soo-Hyun is and why he's terrorizing him, he immediately turns his revenge plot on its head.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Featured on the DVD/Blu-Ray is an deleted extension to the ending which [[spoiler: after breaking down due to realizing what he became in the process of getting his revenge against Kyung-Chul]], Soo-Hyun is ordered by his bosses to disappear to China till things quiet down in Korea after what he did. Before he can go to his ferry, he notices a teenaged girl, who was seeing off her friends, walk to an isolated escalator and goes down it with a suspicious, stalker-looking guy following her. After giving it some thought, Soo-Hyun silently heads towards the escalator, hinting that, since he really has nothing left to live for and that he didn't get enough satisfaction from his revenge on Kyung-Chui, he's gonna look for more, accepting being the monster he became and will presumably become an PayEvilUntoEvil style vigilante.

* ExecutiveMeddling: See {{Bowdlerized}}.

* [[spoiler:BittersweetEnding: Soo-Hyun manages to murder Kyung-Chul, but then he realizes [[HeWhoFightsMonsters what he's become.]]]]

* {{Determinator}}: Soo-hyun[[spoiler:, but not as much as Kyung-Chul]]. To elaborate, [[spoiler:, Kyung-Chul gets into a car accident and breaks his arm. Later he has the tendons in one of his foot cut. Not long after his head is bashed in with a pipe. Through all of this, he is still somehow able to inflict brutal, murder when in any normal situation he could have been defeated by being shoved to the ground and kicked.]]

** Kyung-Chul too, unfortunately. Despite how utterly monstrous and despicable he is, or rather in spite of it, [[spoiler: he is clever enough to figure out that the car he's hitchhiking in is being driven by two killers and proceeds to violently fight and murder them both. ''While the car is still in motion on a snowy road.'' And as soon as he figures out who Soo-Hyun is and why he's terrorizing him, he immediately turns his revenge plot on its head.]]

''I Saw the Devil'' is a 2010 Korean {{Revenge}} movie directed by Kim Ji-Woon (''Film/ATaleOfTwoSisters'', ''Film/TheGoodTheBadTheWeird''). It stars Lee Byung-Hun as Kim Soo-Hyun, a government agent who swears to violently avenge the murder of his fiancée. Said crime was commited by Kyung-Chul Jang (Choi Min-Sik), a psychopath to whom kidnapping, raping and murdering young women come as easy as breathing. What ensues is a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in which both men vow to destroy one another's life.