This staggeringly assured second feature from Lee Won-tae, THE GANGSTER, THE COP, THE DEVIL is a multi-layered thrill ride that never fails to entertain. A formidable mix of Lethal Weapon-style buddy movie, serial killer chiller and an all-out action spectacular.
Kim Moo-yeol is spectacular as an incorruptible, overworked detective on the trail of a serial killer. But it is Ma Dong-seo (Train to Busan) - introduced here working out on a human body bag - who steals the show here as a fearsome, sharp suited gangster who crosses paths with the killer, and teams up with the cop to hunt him down. He’s so good Sylvester Stallone, who is producing the remake, has already tapped him to reprise his role.
Beautifully
filmed, and featuring a pulsing score by Jo Yeong-wook (The Handmaiden),
it’s packed with superbly choreographed action sequences (and some
wince-inducing moments of ultra-violence that make Old Boy’s hammer
attack look like a warm up).
If you liked I Saw The Devil and Memories of Murder, this slick, slam-bang, brutal and brilliant South Korean crime classic will knock you sideways.
Available on digital in the UK and Ireland on 15th November. Also playing at the Mayhem Festival in Nottingham, Horrorthon, the London East Asian Film Festival and the Leeds International Film Festival
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