Connect with us

News

‘I Saw the Devil’ is Devastating, Fascinating, and Totally Amazing

Published

on

I Saw the Devil

Kim Jee-woon (A Tale of Two Sisters, The Good The Bad and The Weird) has created a masterpiece of tension, terror and tragedy in his 2010 film, I Saw the Devil.

It was announced in 2014 that Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (The Guest, You’re Next) have been slated to create the American remake (Click here for more info). For a film that is so uniquely intense, brutal, and heartbreaking, it will certainly provide a challenge.

In I Saw the Devil, NIS agent Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven) embarks on a quest of revenge when his fiancée is brutally killed by a psychopathic murderer, Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik, Oldboy). Their twisted game of cat-and-mouse descends into chaos as they engage in ruthless acts of ferocious retaliation.

First off, let me just say that the casting is perfection. Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik are captivating as they trade the roles of hunter and prey. Their characters are both unstoppable forces and immovable objects, trapped in a battle of life and death.

It’s absolutely fascinating to watch how they travel further and further into darkness, knowing that there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Both actors bring their A-game and, for such a bleak film, they make it very enjoyable.

via IMDb

I Saw the Devil is unflinching in its approach, taking the audience on a violent journey into madness. We spend the first act of the film in observation mode, tracking our hero and villain separately to show their dedication to their work.

Soo-hyun is sharp, focused, and committed to tracking down his fiancée’s killer. Kyung-chul is a savage and vicious opportunist, finding his victims as often as he can.

The second act is where we really have some fun. The first meeting between Kyung-chul and Soo-hyun thunders in like a freight train. From there, the action does not let up as Kyung-chul frantically tries to get the upper hand in this demented game of catch-and-release. He’s tired, furious, and completely bewildered. With moments of the darkest slapstick comedy you’ll ever see, it’s incredible to watch.

via IMDb

The film has justifiably received high praise for its cinematography and direction. Every action sequence is brilliantly shot, showing the full power and frantic skill of each character.

There’s one scene in particular that involves a tracking shot in a moving vehicle that strikes a balance somewhere between bizarre comedy and horrific violence. It’s gloriously filmed, visually striking and very bloody.

As a whole, the practical effects are visceral. Each torturous act is filmed from a close angle and the shots are held to completion. Just like our villain, there’s no way for the viewer to escape.

via IMDb

Ultimately, I Saw the Devil is sincerely haunting. It shows us how, even as civilized people, we can be horrifically destructive. All-encompassing hatred will transform and consume. In our natural world, the real devils are not demonic, they’re human.

Honestly, I could go on for days about the emotional landslide of this film and how it will punch you in the gut and leave you breathless. However, it would probably either be a paragraph of spoilers or just a lot of passionately unintelligible sounds that do not translate well as text. Mostly the latter.

There are so many reasons why it’s a personal favorite. This two-and-a-half-hour march of complete devastation is so absolutely heavy, but oh my god I love it. The acts of violence are insanely intense, and every single time they still make me squirm.

It’s a film that is, at times, gruesomely difficult. However, once you start watching, it’s impossible to turn away.

via IMDb

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

Published

on

In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

Published

on

Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading