Review: 'The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil' is a new spin on an old tale

SINGAPORE — The old adage, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, is often used to justify co-operation between rivals on screen. After all, the very premise itself holds the inherent promise of uneasy alliances and simmering tension, and we can’t wait to see how each party reins in their innate disdain for each other. That’s exactly what happens in The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, with a cop and a gangster ganging up to take down a devil.

Of course, it’s not a literal devil that they’re after – but an insane serial killer. In The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, a detective is forced to work together with a mob boss to track down a psychotic murderer who kills indiscriminately. Gangster and policeman are forced into a temporary ceasefire as they pool their resources to find the elusive killer, but find themselves straining to maintain peace with each other.

In case you’re wondering – yes, that’s a lot of people who are looking for one serial killer. Of course, The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil provides some exposition as to why the police force doesn’t just increase the number of police officers that they have on the job, but it’s just a perfunctory explanation. The whole situation does feel a little ludicrous at times, since people on both sides of the law are looking for the same person (who doesn’t seem to exhibit particularly notable skills at evading detection). Nevertheless, the action and tension between cops and gangsters does serve to distract you from this odd point.

Ma Dong-seok, who shot to fame after Train To Busan, pulls in a masterful performance as mob boss Jang Dong-su in the film. His intense dedication to his criminal empire, garnished by a dash of cruelty (which quashes any hope of him channeling his determination into a possible career with the police) is what makes him the protagonist to root for. It’s not that he means well or that he has any morality to speak of. But his sheer commitment to the path that he has chosen in life makes him quite a treat to watch while giving us reason to empathise with him.

His foil is rough-around-the-edges cop Jung Tae-seok, played by Kim Moo-yeol. While Kim does deliver a fairly intriguing cop who is smarmy but competent, his performance pales beside that of Ma Dong-seok. On screen, it’s clear who commands greater presence – and so you’re never really all that interested in what Detective Jung is up to. He’s not bad, just overshadowed.

As for serial killer Kang Kyung-ho (Kim Seong-gyu)… he starts off as a fascinating character, a mysterious Joker-esque villain who slowly but surely devolves into some sort of caricature. The character who seemed to have the most potential in the film becomes a one-dimensional plot device by the end, especially since there’s no impactful reveal of his identity. His name, his visage, and even his background seems to be written for the sake of it, which means that all this extraneous information could have been left on the cutting room floor in favour of more Jang-Jung scenes.

However, The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil does give satisfying resolutions to both the legal and illegal protagonists, rather than going the traditional route and only giving the cop what he wants. In that sense, it’s a rather unique tale that gives equal weight to both sides of the law. It’s a clever bit of manoeuvring that manages to achieve proper closure for all parties, subverting the usual expectations.

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil runs a little long, but otherwise offers a unique premise with an unexpected conclusion. It’s not the traditional crime drama for sure, but more of a twisted buddy movie vibe. What will win you over is the gangster within – Ma Dong-seok's Jang Dong-su.

Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.

Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you like crime dramas.

Score: 3.9/5

Secret ending? No.

Running time: 109 minutes (~1.75 hours)

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil is a Korean crime thriller.

The film revolves around a manhunt for a serial killer that unites both law enforcement officers and the criminal underworld. However, both sides want to see very different outcomes for the rampaging murderer and struggle to remain allies. If one wins, the other loses – and neither party is willing to give in.

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil is directed and written by Lee Won-tae. It stars Ma Dong-seok (Jang Dong-soo),Kim Moo-yeol (Jung Tae-suk), Kim Seong-gyu (Kang Kyung-ho), and Heo Dong-won (Choi Moon-sik).

The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil opens in cinemas
- 23 May, 2019 (Singapore)

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Marcus Goh is a television scriptwriter, having written for popular shows like “Lion Mums”, “Crimewatch”, “Code of Law”, “Incredible Tales”, and “Police & Thief”. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on socialmedia as Optimarcus and on his site. The views expressed are his own.

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