10 Unexpectedly Intense Performances In Horror Movies

In I Saw the Devil, government worker Kim (Lee Byung-hun) takes matters into his own hands with locating a serial killer called Jang( Choi Min-sik) after he butchers the agent's fiancee. 

As Oldboy proves, Min-sik has a knack for portraying deplorable characters in a sympathetic light. But rather than humanising Jang, the Korean actor indulges in every evil whim, playing this maniac with childlike glee and sadistic savagery. What's worse, Min-sik is so effortlessly charming that it's easy to momentarily forget what a monster Jang is.

One scene that demonstrates this notion is when Jang is picked up by a taxi. Upon realising the men in the car mean him harm, a casual conversation turns into a visceral bloodbath in the blink of an eye, with Jang slashing the others with brutal force and surgical precision.

Min-sik is excellent, not just at depicting Jang's malevolence but his unwavering determination. Even after Kim beats the sicko within an inch of his life, suffocates him, has him tortured, and slices off his Achilles tendon, Jang's bloodlust remains undiminished. 

Although Oldboy defined Choi Min-sook's career, I Saw the Devil allowed him to cut loose in a way never seen before or since.