Devils is awaiting a UK release date.
Dark, foreboding and violent writer-director Kim Jae-hoon’s Devils (악마들) takes us into the underbelly of a city caught in the grip of a violent, cold-blooded killer and his associates. Under a neon glow, Kim Jae-hoon’s devilishly clever thriller twists and turns, never allowing the audience to catch their breath as the stakes get higher and blood begins to flow down the city’s backstreets.
Jae-hwan (Oh Dae-hwan) is the homicide detective charged with taking down the serial killer Jin-hyuk (Jang Dong-yoon) and his violent associates. Jae-hwan will stop at nothing to bring their torturous rampage to an end, even if it means stepping outside of ethical police conduct. But after capturing the insane Jin-hyuk in an isolated forest, everything suddenly becomes a blur, and when Jae-hwan comes too, he appears to have swapped bodies with the man he aimed to bring to justice. The only man who can help him is his young, inexperienced partner Min-Sung (Jang Jae-ho). But tensions rise as Min-Sung attempts to unpick the unfathomable events at play and finds himself drawn into the inescapable darkness of a killer with no remorse and a cop willing to break every rule.
Kim Jae-hoon’s movie plays with several body swap thrillers and horrors in weaving its horrific tale. The one many may point to is Face Off (1997); however, Devils is no overblown Hollywood action flick and shares far more in common with the lesser-known The Man Who Changed His Mind (1936), Black Friday (1940) and David Fincher’s Seven (1995). Here Jae-hoon weaves a deadly game of cat and mouse with a fascinating conversation on ethics and twisted morality. The result is a taut, blood-soaked thriller that subverts audience expectations as the net tightens and the fantasy elements at play give way to something far more terrifying.
At the heart of the film’s success are the performances of Oh Dae-hwan and Jang Dong-yoon, who both appear to relish the challenge of their roles, keeping us hooked as we try to unpick who is who. At the same time, Jang Jae-ho is exceptional as a young cop drawn into darkness, fumbling around trying desperately to find the truth as he falls deeper and deeper into the mystery at play. Surrounding the exceptional cast is the stunning cinematography of Chae Jung-seok, as subdued daytime colours morph into neon-lit alleyways in a city held hostage by unspeakable violence.
While it occasionally trips up in its ongoing effort to keep the audience on its toes, Devils once again proves that South Korea is home to some of modern cinema’s most exciting and creative storytelling. With an uncompromising tone, superb performances and a devilishly clever screenplay, Devils is one crime thriller you won’t forget in a hurry.
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Devils | South Korea | 2023
Summary
While it occasionally trips up in its ongoing effort to keep the audience on its toes, Devils once again proves that South Korea is home to some of modern cinema’s most exciting and creative storytelling. With an uncompromising tone, superb performances and a devilishly clever screenplay, Devils is one crime thriller you won’t forget in a hurry.
