Devils (2023) Film Review – The Freakiest of Fridays

Posted on by Jim Cox

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Devils is a 2023 South Korean crime thriller, written and directed by Kim Jae-Hoon in his first feature-length work. The film stars Jang Dong-yoon (Project Wolf Hunting), Jae-ho Jang (The Spies Who Loved Me), and Choi Gwi-hwa (Train to Busan).

After his brother-in-law is murdered at the hands of a vicious ring of serial killers, homicide detective Jae-hwan, is more determined than ever to bring these cold-blooded murderers to justice. However, after he finds himself inhabiting the body of one of the criminals after an accidental tumble, will he be able to bring these psychopaths to justice and keep his family safe?

 

Beginning at a breakneck speed, Devils provides minimal exposition from its inception—choosing to purposefully drip-feed its story elements to the audience over the entire film. While this propels the viewers head-first into the action, it additionally maintains a consistent level of dramatic tension with its breathless mix of grisly violence and an ever-evolving game of cat-and-mouse. The implementation of its body-swapping narrative features a subtle introduction to the story (less Freaky Friday and more Face/Off), delivering a less fantastical and more grounded scenario overall.

Delivering a sharply-honed narrative full of unexpected twists, Devils shows a significant level of skill from the first-time writer/director. Distributing a compelling blend of brutality and manipulation, the film certainly keeps the audience on tenterhooks until the very end.

 

Whilst the film begins with scenes full of technical camera work, Devils instead implements a more standard level of cinematography throughout the majority of its runtime. Although this isn’t necessarily a negative, the beginning sets somewhat of a president that feels abandoned after its introduction and would have been positive to have seen more expressive camerawork in certain scenes.

Despite this, the film does feature an impeccable use of colour throughout. Drenching scenes in a chroma of primary colours, this heavy level of tinting undoubtedly aids in denoting a scene’s tone. Additionally, the use of UV lighting and neon paints creates a stylish means to self-censor some of its more gruesome scenes without sacrificing their shocking nature.

 

Both Oh Dae-hwan and Jang Dong-yoon give an incredible performance in their dual roles as Jae-hwan and Min-seong Kim, each being able to incorporate vastly different personalities into their performance at the drop of a hat as they alternate between. However, it’s Jang Dong-yoon that provides the standout performance of the film. Delivering an overtly robust portrayal of a psychotic killer, taking bountiful glee from the suffering of both himself and others.

An incredibly chaotic romp into the crime thriller genre, Devils delivers a thrillingly engrossing experience that is sure to keep the audience guessing until the credits roll. With its anfractuous narrative, marvelous performances, and stylish visuals, the film delivers an atypical story of revenge that’s sure to captivate the audience with its lust for barbarity, mystery, and suspense.

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Devils (2023) is available to watch exclusively on Screambox here (US only)

 

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