Bedevilled – Review

Bedevilled tells of two young Korean women raised on an island in a brutally uncaring community. It deals with an abused woman who retaliates against her tormentors, seeking revenge for everything they’ve put her through. But this is no revenge tale, it is definetely horror. And although it is not the most violent horror film I’ve seen, it was definitely one of the saddest. I actually saw the remake for I Spit on Your Grave last week prior to seeing this and there were a lot of similarities. In the same way as I Spit on Your Grave, after watching the cruel humiliation laid on one character for so long you are just begging for blood. This formula works very well for this film.

Watching the trailer I attached to this review you’d think you are watching a non-horror film. However, switching from drama to horror with no strict transition makes for an even more chilling experience. Although a bit extreme, it does reflect the heavy burden women carry in the Korean society. While Bok-nam’s character was rich and really developed over the course of the movie, I felt Hae-won’s character was a bit stagnant. Both actresses did a wonderful job; as did the rest of the cast. Spliced in between the blood and gore, Bedevilled boasts a continuously surprising script that I enjoyed from beginning to end.

Director Jang Cheol-soo has, in the past, worked as assistant director and this was his first outing in the horror genre as a leading man.  He did a great job and sprinkled his signature on the film, adding to the visual effectiveness. Seriously! Bedevilled is one of the most beautifully-shot slashers I’ve ever seen. It ultimately builds to unleash violent, bloody retribution within a tale which is ultimately powerful, poignant and deeply moving.

On the whole though Bedevilled was well shot, acted and provided some great ‘HOLY SH*T’ moments. What more could you ask for? We get stabbings, a cut off head, gun shot wounds, a cut arm and more! Once the blood faucet was turned on, the red stuff sprayed out like a fountain. The reason why this film gets such a high grade and what sets it ahead of most films of the genre, is it isn’t just about blood and guts. The film does an extraordinary job of exploring Bok-nom’s psychology. We get to feel her emotions and understand her motives in this very heavy handed theme. If a film gives you no-one to truly root for, then it’s usually lost its hold on the audience. Bedevilled executes everything just the way it should be.