New film 'The Devil’s Deal' deals with the nature of power

Movies

Published: 21 Feb. 2023, 10:38

New film 'The Devil’s Deal' deals with the nature of power

From left, actors Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Sung-min and Cho Jin-woong pose for a photo during the press screening for "The Devil's Deal" at MegaBox COEX branch in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. [YONHAP]

The new film “The Devil’s Deal,” about three political conspirators making a deal for money and power, is not just another political movie but about the nature of power itself.

“Our film can be seen as a political thriller only because the protagonists aspire to be politicians,” said director Lee Won-tae during a press screening for the film at MegaBox COEX branch in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday. “In ‘The Devil’s Deal,’ one of the characters says that you have to sell your soul to gain power. And I wanted to talk about the nature of power — how we attain it, how we lose it, and what power itself means.”

Main poster for ″The Devil's Deal″ [MEGABOX]

“The Devil’s Deal” stars Lee Sung-min, Cho Jin-woong and Kim Mu-yeol. Although many audiences may think of Lee’s character Jin Yang-chul in “Reborn Rich,” the JTBC television series that was also streamed on Netflix and made headlines late last year, his character in this new movie, Jeon Hae-woong, is quite different from Jin.

“I filmed ‘The Devil’s Deal’ before ‘Reborn Rich,’” said Lee during the press screening. “So you can say that I experienced the character of Hae-woong before Jin Yang-chul, and the two characters should be viewed separately.”

“The Devil’s Deal” opens on March 1.

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]