Fantastic Fest 2010: Bedevilled Review

It takes a horrible village in this Korean morality tale.

By Jordan Hoffman at 4:45 PM
September 30, 2010

http://www.ugo.com/movies/fantastic-fest-2010-bedevilled-review

Bedevilled Credit: Fantastic Fest

The winner of the Audience Award at Fantastic Fest 2010, Bedevilled, nearly made me throw up. It was not the most violent film I saw, but it was definitely the saddest. It proves once again that cinematic brutality stems from an emotional connection, rather than sheer gore. Bedevilled really got to me.

It is a simple story, one that argues that one who witnesses cruelty, but does nothing to stop it, shares in the guilt. At first you think this movie will be told against the backdrop of a police drama in contemporary Soeul, but director Jang Cheol-so quickly changes things up by bringing the action to an isolated island as loaded with bold metaphor as Scorsese's last picture.

Bedevilled is instantly engaging, wonderfully shot and very, very manipulative. Some fellow critics dubbed me a chump for "falling for it," but I don't think I would have had the performances not been this sharp. Bedevilled can be brutal, but it casts a fascinating spell. It is one of the most memorable films of Fantastic Fest 2010. I give it a solid A-.

Below you can watch my dazed reaction moments after seeing the film.