THE GANGSTER, THE COP AND THE DEVIL / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: WON-TAE LEE / STARRING: DONG-SEOK MA, MU-YEOL KIM, SUNGKYU KIM / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15TH (VOD)
With a title that sums up its synopsis perfectly, The Gangster, The Cop and The Devil is an over-the-top, action thriller that never really takes itself too seriously. Throwing subtlety out of the window in favour of bombastic performances, Won-tae’s latest film doesn’t shy away from living up to its ludicrous premise. After barely surviving a violent attack by an elusive serial killer, mob boss Jang Dong-su (Dong-seok) finds himself forming an unlikely alliance with a young cocksure detective named Jung Tae-seok (Mu-yeol). Together they must uncover the sadistic killer’s identity and provide their own personal brand of justice for their own personal gain.
A hyperkinetic, lightweight thriller, this is a far cry from the relentlessly dark and violent films that foreign audiences have become accustomed to when watching Korean cinema. With Oldboy, I Saw the Devil, and The Chaser being notable examples, The Gangster, The Cop and The Devil takes a slightly different approach by living up to its buddy cop narrative whilst still retaining the level of violence that one has come to expect. Each of the actors are able to perform their respective roles well, although they’re unfortunately nothing more than one-dimensional caricatures.
Whether that be Mu-yeol’s fearless detective or Dong-seoks menacing crime lord, these are characters who are here to serve the films exciting premise. The contrast between them is what makes it all worthwhile as we see the overly-headstrong Tae-seok butt heads with a gangster who isn’t afraid to let his fists do the talking. Then there’s the devil himself, portrayed by Kim Sung-kyu in appropriately creepy fashion. A killer who shows no remorse, there isn’t a whole lot to explore in regards to his motivations although that doesn’t stop his performance from being any less compelling. When all three eventually cross paths, the mayhem that ensues is truly a spectacle to behold with a solid car chase and a medley of violence that’ll keep audiences stuck to the edge of their seats.
So is this the latest Korean export to whip up a frenzy amongst fans of foreign cinema? Well, not exactly although it’s an entertaining way to kill a couple of hours. Won-tae’s directing manages to maintain its energetic pace without ever falling victim to the melodrama that could have quite easily slowed down its ferocious rhythm. Jo Yeong-wook’s score is able to perfectly capture the overall tone by ebbing and flowing through the mishmash of genres with relative ease. By no means his best work, the score still plays an important part in giving the film a distinct feel and is able to orchestrate the audience’s emotions at all the right moments.
An entertaining ride from start to finish, The Gangster, The Cop and The Devil is an exciting way to spend a dull evening. With an American remake already announced by Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions and Dong-seok set to reprise his role, this may be the film to finally solidify his place in Hollywood, If not, well he’s always got The Eternals to fall back on which will surely cement him into the Marvel universe for many years to come. So sit back, relax and bask in the chaos of Won-tae’s latest directorial feature.
