The story’s "truth-adjacent" grit was so compelling that it caught the attention of American producers. Sylvester Stallone’s production company, Balboa Productions, actually signed on for a Hollywood remake before the original was even out of theaters—with Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok) set to reprise his role as the gangster. Final Verdict
The 2019 South Korean action-thriller The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is one of those movies where the plot feels so wild it has to be fiction. The idea of a powerful crime boss teaming up with a gritty detective to hunt down a serial killer sounds like a classic Hollywood high-concept pitch. is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story
Yoo Young-chul, known as the "Raincoat Killer," terrorized Seoul between 2003 and 2004. Much like the killer in the movie, Yoo targeted victims randomly and used blunt instruments or knives, often attacking people in their homes or in secluded areas. The sheer randomness and brutality of his crimes created a similar atmosphere of "unpredictable evil" that the film captures so effectively. The "Gangster" and "Cop" Dynamic The story’s "truth-adjacent" grit was so compelling that
In the film, the partnership represents a moral grey area: the cop (Jung Tae-seok) is willing to break the rules to catch a monster, and the gangster wants revenge to maintain his reputation. In reality, while Korean police have historically used informants within the criminal underworld, a full-blown tactical alliance between a kingpin and a detective is a stylized narrative device used to heighten the stakes. Why the Movie Feels So Real The idea of a powerful crime boss teaming
Even though it isn't a "biopic," The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil feels authentic because it nails the setting. The early 2000s in South Korea were a time of rapid transition, and the film accurately portrays the tension between the police force and the organized crime syndicates of that era.