'In the Name of the Devil' is a movie about Lee Seok-jae, a former sergeant with the 707 Special Force, and the story begins with his wife getting murdered.
He decides to exact revenge and goes in search of the murderer. But, on his way, he gets into a mess with three different demons, and the story continues.
The three demons share similarities, such as their willingness to kill without hesitation, but they also have differences.
The first demon character, Ahn Kyu-nam, was the prime suspect in the GP shooting in 2005 but was acquitted when the Ministry of National Defense announced that North Korea was responsible.
He was guilty but had cleverly figured out how to quietly make the Ministry of National Defense close the case.
He now works with the Vermin Control and Relief Foundation to exterminate wild boars, while at night, he makes homemade firearms and sells them to criminal organizations.
The second demon character is Jung Won-geun, who is into killing people and thinks he is an artist. He reads published papers on forensic techniques and enjoys murder like people enjoy playing video games.
He prefers to look into his victim's face as it contorts in pain while he kills them, constantly attacking them from behind before making them turn around.
The third demon, Cha Ki-pyo, is Suwon's North Gate gang faction leader and does not hesitate to commit cruelty for pay or to advance his interests.
He especially enjoys bragging about his cruelty to his subordinates, grinding and mixing the corpses of his victims with chicken feed to get rid of the evidence or throwing it to feed his fierce and starving dogs.
The character Kyu-ha is auditioning for is Won-geun, the second demon.
***
It is audition day for 'In the Name of the Devil.'
Many candidates are on the third floor of the film production company 'Nice Maker,' where the audition takes place.
Three visibly fatigued judges are talking to one another in the meeting room prepared for the audition.
The bearded one on the right was the director of the film Go Yo-han, in the middle was the general manager of the production house Ahn Eun-jeong, and on the left was a representative from Jung Eui-pyo, an investment company.
Director Go Yo-han shook his head, his face full of concern.
"I've decided on most of the roles except for Won-geun's. There is no great fit."
"I agree. We need someone to make a great impression."
Many actors had auditioned for the role, but none had successfully satisfied them.
"We are already on the last candidate. Let's see... Oh? He's from Stellar Entertainment. His name is Song Kyu-ha, and he was recently in the 'Palace of Blood Sea.'"
"Palace of Blood Sea? I've seen it three times but can't recognize his face."
"The Soo-chil role... Oh, the assassin? That's him?! Wow, I can't tell that he's the same person.."
"Let's see what he's got."
Ahn Eun-jeong yelled instructions at the staff waiting just outside the room.
"Call in the next candidate!"
Kyu-ha, who wore a white t-shirt and jeans, came in shortly after.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Song Kyu-ha."
Ahn Eun-jeong thought he looked utterly bland.
She believes actors should have an aura differentiating them from others, so she was disappointed.
But his calmness was notably different from the demeanor of the other candidates.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Song Kyu-ha. I didn't realize you were on the call for Soo-chil. Amazing. Can you show us what you've prepared?"
"Yes. I'm ready."
Kyu-ha met the eyes of the judges one by one before closing his own.
Five seconds passed without Kyu-ha saying anything, only to reopen his eyes as the judges began feeling slightly uncomfortable.
Kyu-ha's eyes looked emotionless.
Shiver.
There was Kyu-ha, glaring and smiling crookedly at the judges, his eyes filled with madness and murderous intent.
***
"That would be all. Thank you."
Silence.
The heat which had built up due to the many candidates' coming and going vanished completely. Instead, the air felt like it was now filled with a cold vibe.
None of the three judges could look Kyu-ha in the eyes after he finished acting.
"Was that too much...?"
He wanted to do it right, so he had fully displayed the murderous intent he gleaned from his time as the Demon-Masked Killer Phantom. However, he felt he had gone too far.
Ahn Eun-jeong could barely contain herself, talking to Kyu-ha in a shaky voice.
"Tha...thank you. We...we'll notify you of the results later."
"Thank you. I hope to hear from you soon."
Kyu-ha left the room immediately after.
"Hey, what was that?"
"How can his eyes be so..."
"There's nothing more for us to see. He will be Won-geun. He has to be!"
Ahn Eun-jeong replayed Kyu-ha's acting in her head.
Her hair had stood when she met his eyes while cold sweat trickled down her back, and she couldn't think.
She knew in her gut.
'That person can actually kill someone.'
'He wanted to kill us.'
She had met countless actors, having worked as general manager at a film production house, but this was the first time she had felt this way.
She has been awed by realistic acting before, even applauding it, but she had never been overwhelmed by one.
"Was that just acting...?"
The judges concluded to cast Kyu-ha as Jung Won-geun and communicated their decision with Stellar Entertainment.
***
They were meeting in a small meeting room at Stellar Entertainment.
"Kyu-ha, what did you do at the audition? I've never seen Ms. Ahn like that."
Han Jeong-hee was the general manager of the Nice Maker and was close to Ahn Eun-jeong. She had always seen Ahn as the ideal career woman who typically had a detached demeanor. So it was astonishing to hear that such a person like Ahn Eun-jeong was highly excited about casting Kyu-ha.
Kyu-ha smiled calmly and said.
"I only tried my best."
"Anyways, I didn't expect you to pass your first audition and win the role right away, but I guess my gut was wrong! Shooting starts in three months, so you can read the script and prepare until then."
"Alright."
Someone knocked on the door, and a big guy entered the meeting room.
"Oh, hi, Mr. Bong-gu. You guys should meet each other. This is Lee Bong-gu. He will be your manager, Kyu-ha."
Lee Bong-gu had an innocent face, although he was almost the same height as the door and was as big as a bear.
"Nice to meet you! I'm your manager, Lee Bong-gu. I'm looking forward to working with you."
"Hi, nice to meet you, too."
"I'll leave you guys talking then. I have to go take care of other stuff."
Han Jeong-hee left the room, leaving Bong-gu and Kyu-ha.
At first, Bong-gu asked Kyu-ha some awkward questions but was soon excitedly talking about all sorts of things.
Kyu-ha also felt that he had to get to know his manager better as they would now be stuck.
"Why don't we eat something and grab some drinks?"
"Oh, I'm so in! Let's go!"
***
Sizzle, sizzle.
Kyu-ha and Bong-gu poured each other drinks while thick pork belly cooked until it turned golden brown on a well-heated grill.
"I was recently discharged from the military and am 23 years old, so you can treat me casually."
Bong-gu told his stories with his eyes shining.
He had always wanted to be a manager. Before joining the military, he did part-time jobs in several entertainment companies and joined Stellar Entertainment as soon as he finished.
"I'm sorry I've been saying too much about myself. I want to hear your story too."
The alcohol was kicking in, and Kyu-ha calmly began telling his story.
He spoke about how he became an orphan at a young age, his life in the temple, and how he started the job of cutting cow carcasses.
Bong-gu became so distracted that he forgot to turn the meat, looking at Kyu-ha with eyes full of respect and admiration.
"Wow, you're so amazing, Hyung. If I were you, I would have taken the wrong path. I respect you and will do my best to assist you from now on."
"Assist what… Anyways, I look forward to working with you."
They continued bonding and downing drinks until the restaurant closed.
***
Cleve Hotel is the 4-star hotel closest to the filming set of 'In the Name of the Devil.'
Today was the day of a table read, and the hotel staff members were busy preparing for it.
Each table had names of characters. Then, director Go Yo-han, leading actor Cha Kyung-seok and the rest of the actors entered the room.
Kyu-ha also arrived on time and sat at the table with his name card written [Jung Won-geun (Song Kyu-ha)] on it.
Most of the actors had long careers, so there was no awkwardness. However, there was some tension in the atmosphere.
Director Go Yo-han was notorious for his hot-tempered and sensitive personality and had displayed it while filming his previous film, 'The Trigger.' He was famously called the "Tiger Director of Chungmu Street."
This made even these actors with such professional experience nervous.
"Hmm-hmm. How are you? I'm Director Go Yo-han, and I will be directing the film 'In the Name of the Devil.'"
Following his example, the actors introduced themselves and their characters one by one before beginning the table read.
It was time for Kyu-ha to read his part.
***
[In the Name of the Devil]
Lee Seok-jae had finally gotten in touch with Jung Won-geun, whom he had followed for months. He swallows his excitement and asks.
"Did you kill her...?"
"Who is this? You have the wrong number."
"I'll ask again. Last winter, did you kill a woman in her 40s who lived in Youngin city, Cheoin district?"
"Um... I'm not sure... Maybe I did, maybe I didn't... Ah! Do you mean her?! Hehe..."
"Why did you... why! Why!!?"
"I mean... I was just walking by, and she looked so happy. So I had to... I'm sorry for that."
"I swear I'll find you and tear you apart..."
At that moment, Jung Won-geun, who had been mocking Seok-jae, changed his tone.
"What the fuck! Are you going to kill me? Hehe, you crazy bastard. Do you think you can find me? Come and get me. The prey wants to catch the predator.... that would be fun! Hehe, I'll skin your face first when I see you."
***
Cha Kyung-seok was a professional actor credited with having filmed numerous movies throughout his 30-year career.
He had a broad scope of acting experience, from heartbreaking melodramas to brutal villains and comics. Still, the energy the rookie actor exuded was too much even for him, and it overwhelmed him.
He made it through reciting his lines, but the sweat droplets scattered across his forehead evidenced how surprised he was.
Cha Kyung-seok felt a chill in his bones when Kyu-ha, in Won-geun's role, began reading the first line.
His voice had been soft when he introduced himself earlier. But now that he was acting, it had changed abruptly into a discomforting tone.
When his playful tone changed again into a deadly one, it scared him for real, as he felt like he would kill him.
It seemed he wasn't the only one feeling this way.
All the actors in the room were astonished, glancing carefully at Kyu-ha.
Cha Kyung-seok had been through many table reads but had never experienced a similar situation.
"Good job, everyone!"
Clap, clap, clap.
Everyone said goodbye and left after the table read was over.
Cha Kyung-seok went over to Kyu-ha and reached out for a handshake.
“Song Kyu-ha, was it? Where did you learn to act?"
"Thank you, sir. I never properly learned it, but I've tried my best to understand the script."
"Really? I look forward to the filming! See you at the scene."
Cha Kyung-seok began to develop a keen interest in Kyu-ha.
He could sense that something interesting would happen during this work.
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