Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 2 days ago
What happens when a cold-blooded serial killer attacks the wrong person—a powerful crime boss? In The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019), the underworld's most feared leader must team up with a rebellious detective to hunt down a common enemy. It's a high-stakes race where justice and revenge collide in the most brutal way.
​Experience the full movie summary of this 2019 Korean action masterpiece starring the legendary Ma Dong-seok. If you love crime thrillers and intense face-offs, this is a must-watch!
​Watch the complete movie recap of The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019).
​Don't forget to Follow for more epic Asian movie summaries and full recaps!






Your daily dose of K-drama magic! 🇰🇷✨ Catch up on your favorite series with our quick and engaging recaps. Save time, skip the filler, and dive straight into the drama.

Category

😹
Fun
Transcript
00:00The movie begins with a man driving slowly down a quiet street, his eyes constantly scanning his
00:05surroundings as if he's searching for someone or something. After a while, he begins tailing a black
00:10car, following it closely until it turns into a dark, deserted alley. Suddenly, the white car
00:16behind it accelerates and slams into the black vehicle. The driver of the black car steps out,
00:21pulls out his phone, and starts recording the damage, carefully documenting the scene and the
00:26car that hit him to show the insurance company. The driver of the white car gets out as well,
00:31speaking calmly and acting cooperative. But while the victim is distracted, busy filming the damage,
00:37the man suddenly pulls out a knife and stabs him. He forces the wounded man into his own car
00:41and continues stabbing him mercilessly until he is completely dead. Then he calmly drives away in his
00:47white car. The next morning, two police officers head toward the crime scene. One of them, Detective
00:53Kim, looks exhausted and fed up with the monotony of routine police work. When traffic brings their
00:58car to a stop, Kim notices a group of gang members gathered on the side of the road. He gets
01:03out and
01:03walks toward them, attempting to enter their establishment. The gang members try to stop him,
01:08and when he refuses to listen, one of them even offers him a bribe. That's when Kim loses his temper.
01:14He beats them and forces his way inside. At that same moment, a powerful gang leader named Jang
01:20is finishing his morning workout, practicing boxing. His right-hand man rushes in to inform him that a
01:26police officer has stormed their casino. Jang immediately stops punching the heavy bag,
01:31removes his gloves, and orders his men to return to their positions. He then gathers his crew and heads
01:37out to meet another gang leader. On the way, Jang calls the police chief and informs him that one of
01:42his officers is causing trouble and snooping around. He demands that the situation be handled. It becomes
01:48clear that the police chief is secretly working for Jang. Meanwhile, Detective Kim arrives at the
01:54murder scene. The forensic team is collecting samples and examining the body. The lead investigator
01:59notes that the victim's wallet is missing, suggesting it may have been a robbery. But Kim isn't convinced.
02:06The killing was far too brutal. A simple thief would only want the money, not to slaughter someone in
02:11such a savage way. While inspecting the scene, Kim finds traces of white paint at the rear of the
02:17victim's car. He suspects a white vehicle rammed into it. He shows this to the investigator, but she
02:23dismisses it as possibly old damage. Elsewhere, Jang meets with another gang leader named Sang to discuss
02:29business. Jang struggles to remain calm despite Sang's irritating eating habits and disrespectful
02:35attitude. He tries to negotiate peacefully, but Sang grows greedy and demands a larger share of the
02:41profits. Jang's right-hand man objects to Sang's behavior, and Sang's assistant snaps back angrily for
02:47speaking disrespectfully to his boss. Tension rises. Jang suddenly takes control of the situation. He
02:53calls his right-hand man forward and strikes him. Then he calls Sang's assistant, who obediently steps
02:59forward and braces himself for punishment. Deciding to teach them both a lesson, Jang grabs the assistant
03:05by the front teeth and brutally pulls them out with his bare hands. He drops the bloody teeth into Sang's
03:10drink
03:11and coldly tells him to drink it. Terrified, Sang obeys. Later, during a police meeting, Detective Kim
03:17presents his findings. He explains that the last three murders were committed using a knife, and based on
03:23forensic images, the stab wounds appear to have been inflicted by the same weapon. He believes they are
03:28dealing with a serial killer randomly targeting victims. The police chief becomes furious. Kim was not
03:34assigned to this case, and he accuses him of always interfering in matters outside his jurisdiction.
03:39Just like when he stormed the casino earlier. He warns him that if he continues to meddle in gang
03:45affairs without permission, it won't end well for him. Meanwhile, Jang finishes his meeting and tells his
03:52right-hand man that he wants to be alone for a while. He orders his men to leave, deciding to
03:57drive
03:57himself home. On his way back, he's talking on the phone when suddenly his car is hit from behind.
04:03Because of the heavy rain and darkness, he can't see clearly. He steps out of the vehicle and comes face
04:08to
04:09face with the same serial killer. The killer apologizes, claiming he couldn't see properly
04:14because of the rain. Jang calmly tells him it's fine and that he can leave. The killer seems surprised.
04:20Most people would be distracted by inspecting the damage. But the moment Jang turns his back to return
04:25to his car, the killer attacks, stabbing him multiple times. This time, however, things don't go as planned.
04:32Unlike his previous victims, who tried to run or beg for mercy, Jang shocks him by fighting back.
04:38Because Jang is physically stronger, he overpowers the attacker at first, slamming him to the ground
04:43and beating him mercilessly. But the stab wounds and heavy bleeding begin to drain his strength.
04:49Seeing his chance, the killer lunges forward to stab him again. Jang grabs the blade with his bare hand,
04:55rests it away, and this time drives it straight into the killer's chest. The killer, stunned by a
05:01resistance he never expected, panics. He breaks free, runs to his car, and speeds off. Jang stands in the
05:07middle of the road, barely conscious and covered in blood. In a final act of cruelty, the killer
05:13swerves and hits him with the car, leaving him broken on the asphalt before fleeing into the night.
05:18Jang is rushed to the hospital. At the same time, his men immediately assume that Sang,
05:23the rival boss he had met earlier, must be behind the attack. Without waiting for confirmation,
05:29Jang's right-hand man storms Sang's warehouse and brutally assaults his men. Meanwhile, the killer hides in a
05:35remote area inside his car, trying to disinfect and stitch up his wounds. Frustrated that he didn't
05:41get the twisted satisfaction he usually feels from murder, he sets out on foot until he stumbles
05:46upon a dog farm. When the dogs start barking, the farm owner comes out to investigate, only to become
05:51the killer's next victim. Later, Jang regains consciousness in the hospital and learns that
05:56his right-hand man attacked Sang, but Jang is certain Sang had nothing to do with it. He insists it
06:03was the
06:03first time he had ever seen his attacker, and that the man's method with the knife was different from
06:08anything he'd encountered before. He carefully writes down the description and license plate of
06:13the white car so his men can track it down. Soon after, Detective Kim enters the hospital room,
06:18trying to take Jang's statement to identify the attacker, but Jang refuses to cooperate. He wants to
06:24find the man himself, to restore his pride and reclaim his reputation. Realizing Jang won't help,
06:30Kim begins investigating on his own. Knowing Jang was stabbed on the road while driving,
06:35Kim heads straight to the garage. There, he finds Jang's car, and just as he suspected,
06:40it's clearly been hit from behind by a white vehicle. This confirms his theory. It's the same person
06:46responsible for the previous murder. Not long after, Sang visits Jang in the hospital. He reveals that many
06:52of his men were injured in the attack carried out by Jang's crew. Jang takes responsibility and offers to
06:58compensate for the damages. But Sang isn't satisfied. He demands half the city Jang controls. Mocking
07:05him, Sang sneers, what kind of gang leader gets beaten and stabbed in the middle of the street? He even
07:11suggests Jang should kill himself after such humiliation. At the police station, Kim tries to convince his
07:18superior to assign him the case. He argues that the murders were committed by the same killer and that Jang,
07:24being the only survivor who saw him, is their only chance to identify the suspect. But the police chief
07:30dismisses the idea, insisting Jang would never cooperate, and throws Kim out of his office.
07:37Meanwhile, the killer continues his spree. He arrives at a gas station and sees a truck driver talking to
07:42his wife on the phone. Without hesitation, he murders him and steals the truck. But as he drives off,
07:48he discovers someone else was sleeping in the back. When he tries to kill the second man during a struggle,
07:53his knife falls out of the truck. Back at Jang's headquarters, he hires a professional sketch
07:58artist and provides a detailed description of the attacker. When the portrait is complete and
08:03strikingly accurate, Jang hands it to his right-hand man and orders him to find the killer before the
08:08police do. Shortly after, Detective Kim leads a raid on Jang's casino. Kim confronts Jang and reveals that
08:14they inspected his gambling machines and discovered they were rigged to cheat customers. He gives Jang an
08:20ultimatum, cooperate in catching the killer, or face arrest for fraud. Kim explains that this isn't
08:27an ordinary murderer. It's a serial killer. If they don't stop him now, more innocent people will die.
08:33But Jang is driven by something else. He wants to catch the killer himself, to restore his honor and
08:38make an example out of him. Later, Jang meets with his right-hand man, who reports that they've located the
08:44killer's white car. They also heard about a murder committed near where the car was found. When they
08:49searched the area, they discovered the killer's knife. As the situation unfolds, it becomes clear
08:54that Jang's empire is beginning to crumble. His reputation has been shattered among rival gangs,
08:59and Sang's organization is already moving in, taking control of Jang's territory while he struggles to
09:05recover. As rumors spread across the underworld that Jang has grown weak, he realizes his reputation is
09:11collapsing. Determined to restore his name as quickly as possible, he makes a bold decision. He will
09:17cooperate with Detective Kim. They meet in secret. Jang tells Kim that his men have located the killer's
09:23car, though he deliberately keeps the discovery of the knife to himself. He offers a deal. His men
09:28will work under Kim's command, and he will cover their salaries and expenses. In return, any information
09:35either side uncovers must be shared. And whoever captures the killer first will deal with him in their
09:41own way. Kim cautiously agrees to cooperate, but as he begins speaking freely, he realizes Jang has been
09:48secretly recording the conversation. Every time Kim hints at something sensitive, Jang already seems to
09:53have it documented elsewhere. Furious but cornered, Kim understands he has no real choice but to continue
10:00working with him. Later, Kim meets with two trusted colleagues and decides they will operate in complete
10:06secrecy, keeping the police chief in the dark. He refuses to do all the hard work only to hand over
10:11the evidence for someone else to solve the case and take the credit. At the same time, Jang sits with
10:16his right-hand man and admits that a sketch and a damaged car won't be enough to identify the killer.
10:22They need stronger evidence, fingerprints, DNA, things only the police can legally obtain. That is where Kim
10:29becomes useful. Soon after, a police forensic team examines the killer's abandoned car, which has been
10:35hidden inside one of Jang's illegal gambling warehouses. Kim makes it clear they will temporarily overlook the
10:42illegal location until the serial killer is caught. But Jang knows catching the killer will take time,
10:47and his criminal empire cannot afford more instability. Sang has already crossed the line,
10:53so Jang makes a ruthless move. One of Sang's closest men is murdered in his sleep. Jang uses the serial
11:00killer's own knife and leaves it at the crime scene, ensuring the police will assume the serial killer
11:05committed the murder. The next morning, the female investigator is out jogging when Kim approaches her.
11:11He discreetly hands her the forensic samples collected from the killer's car, along with money,
11:16asking her to process everything quietly and report only to him. Later, she arrives at Sang's murder scene
11:22and finds the knife still there. While Kim is attending a police meeting, she calls him with shocking news.
11:28The DNA found on the knife matches samples from all the recent serial murder victims.
11:32She also informs him that Sang has been killed, and the same knife carrying the serial killer's DNA was used.
11:39Kim immediately realizes what happened. Jang must have killed Sang. Without hesitation, he confronts Jang.
11:45A heated argument erupts, but Jang remains calm and physically dominant. When Kim directly asks if he killed Sang,
11:52Jang openly admits it. He insists that it changes nothing about their agreement. They will continue
11:57working together until the serial killer is captured. Soon, news breaks across the city. A serial killer is
12:04on the loose. The media frenzy erupts after forensic evidence links Sang's murder weapon to the previous
12:10killings. Meanwhile, the real killer watches the news quietly. Seeing himself blamed for Sang's murder,
12:16he decides to investigate. He attends Sang's funeral and spots Jang among the mourners. The killer approaches
12:23Sang's right-hand man, stares directly at Jang, and hands over a note stating that someone used his knife
12:29to kill Sang. But Sang's lieutenant doesn't need the note. He already suspects Jang. After leaving the funeral,
12:36the killer resumes his spree, murdering another man in the same brutal fashion and stealing his car.
12:42Later, Jang receives a call from Kim. They agree to meet at the location of the killer's car to search
12:48for more evidence. While examining the vehicle together, Kim mocks him slightly. Not every gang
12:54leader survives being stabbed in the street. Jang replies coldly that anyone else would have died like
13:00the other victims, but he managed to seize the knife and stab the attacker back before the killer fled.
13:05That gives Kim an idea. If Jang stabbed him, there must be the killer's blood inside the car.
13:11They search carefully and finally discover dried bloodstains on the steering wheel. Before they can
13:16leave, loud shouting erupts nearby. A rival gang storms in. It's Sang's men, led by his furious right-hand
13:23man, seeking revenge. Outnumbered, Jang fights fiercely despite his injuries. Kim, however, is overwhelmed and
13:31beaten to the ground. One attacker continues pounding him until Jang intervenes and saves him.
13:37Then, Sang's lieutenant attempts to kill Jang, ordering his men to hold him down. But Kim jumps
13:43back into the fight. During the violent struggle, he accidentally stabs the lieutenant. He freezes in
13:48shock. He never intended to kill him. Jang immediately takes control, telling Kim to leave before the police
13:54arrive. Jang later buries the body in front of his own men as a warning, a brutal reminder of loyalty
14:00and
14:00consequences. Elsewhere, the serial killer drives the car of his latest victim. The dead man's phone
14:07rings. It's his wife, angrily asking why he's so late. The next day at the police station, the chief
14:13assigns Kim to a kidnapping case, ordering him to arrest the suspect. Kim explodes in frustration.
14:20The serial killer should be the priority. He reminds them that from the beginning, he warned them it was a
14:25serial murderer. But no one believed him. The police chief tells Kim that another investigative team
14:30has now been assigned to the serial murder case. It is no longer their jurisdiction. Instead, he orders
14:36Kim to focus on a kidnapping case. Reluctantly, Kim meets with his colleagues and explains the situation.
14:42The victim is a wealthy, Ghanaian businessman. Whoever abducted him will almost certainly demand
14:48ransom money. As expected, they begin monitoring the wife's phone calls. Soon, the kidnapper contacts
14:54her and instructs her to bring the money to a restaurant. She goes to the restaurant, believing
14:59she will meet the kidnapper there. Kim and his partner hide nearby, waiting to arrest him the moment
15:04he appears. But to their surprise, it is the restaurant owner, a harmless woman, who collects the
15:10bag of money instead. Kim spots the kidnapper watching from another rooftop. The man realizes he's been
15:16seen and bolts. Kim and his partner chase him through the streets, but he is incredibly fast and
15:21disappears. They return to question the restaurant owner. She turns out to be innocent and unaware of
15:27the seriousness of what she was involved in. However, she remembers one detail. The kidnapper had been
15:33drinking a specific brand of soda with his meal. Unfortunately, that was hours ago. Kim and the forensic
15:40team rush to the storage area, searching through countless empty bottles to find the right one.
15:46After hours of digging through piles of glass, Kim begins losing hope. But the female investigator
15:52encourages him. She's used to this kind of tedious work. She also informs him that her team has found
15:58fingerprints on the steering wheel cover from the serial killer's car and is currently trying to
16:03identify the owner. After an exhausting day, Kim returns to the station, drained and discouraged.
16:09Fatigue and frustration begin to overwhelm him. Suddenly, the investigator arrives with exciting
16:16news. They were lucky. She managed to retrieve fingerprints from one of the soda bottles,
16:20and one of those prints matches the ones found on the steering wheel cover. That means the kidnapper
16:26and the serial killer are the same person. She hands Kim a file containing the suspect's identity
16:31and address. When Kim visits the residence, the landlady tells him the man hasn't been home for some
16:37time. Inside the apartment, the air smells foul and stale. Kim searches the place until he finds a
16:43photograph of the suspect. It closely matches the sketch Jang had commissioned. Immediately,
16:49Kim asks his colleague to send him the recording of the ransom call made to the kidnapped man's wife.
16:54Then he contacts Jang and plays the kidnapper's voice. The moment Jang hears it, he recognizes it instantly.
17:01A dark satisfaction crosses his face. At last, the man who destroyed his reputation is within reach.
17:08Kim and Jang arrange a secret meeting with Jang's men. One of the officers reports that they checked the
17:14call records of the killer's mother and discovered a suspicious number that frequently contacted her.
17:19They manage to trace its location. Jang gathers a large number of his men and gives clear instructions
17:24on what to do once they find the killer. He distributes copies of the suspect's photograph to everyone.
17:30They drive to the area where the suspicious calls were traced. The men spread out through the streets,
17:36questioning shop owners and passers-by. The search drags on for days without results.
17:41One rainy day, Jang waits for Kim so they can continue the search together. While standing in the downpour,
17:47Jang notices a young female student shivering in the rain, her clothes soaked. He offers her his umbrella.
17:53At first, she refuses, but he insists gently, telling her the most important thing is to focus
17:59on her studies and succeed. When Kim arrives, he finds Jang standing in the rain and realizes he gave
18:05away his umbrella. Kim scolds the girl, warning her not to accept things from strangers, especially from
18:11a man like Jang, a gang leader. But because Kim is shouting while Jang had shown kindness, the girl
18:17retorts playfully that Jang seems nicer and maybe Kim is the real gangster. The moment passes humorously.
18:25She boards her bus and leaves. Later, Jang and Kim meet with Jang's men for dinner before continuing
18:30their search. While talking, Jang suddenly notices something on the news playing in the background.
18:35Another murder. The serial killer has struck again, and the crime scene is very close to where they are.
18:41But the real shock comes when Jang sees something familiar in the footage. His umbrella. The same
18:46one he gave to the young girl. Rage consumes him. They race at full speed to the bus station where
18:52the
18:52girl had gotten off. They search frantically, questioning everyone nearby and showing the
18:57killer's photo. Eventually, they trace him to a hotel. The hotel owner provides the room number. When they
19:03enter the room, it's empty. They spread out, hiding inside and around the building, waiting for him to
19:09return. After some time, the killer arrives in a car. But he moves cautiously, constantly scanning his
19:15surroundings. From outside, he notices someone watching from a window. Instantly, he senses danger
19:21and flees. At that moment, the fragile alliance between Jang and Kim begins to fracture. Now it becomes
19:27a race. Whoever catches the killer first will claim him. Kim rams Jang's car in an attempt to get ahead.
19:33Furious, Jang accelerates recklessly, crashing into both vehicles as they speed through the streets.
19:39He jumps out and searches for the killer, but he's already vanished. Then Jang's right-hand man spots the
19:44killer running. They split up to corner him, but the killer uses their separation to his advantage. He
19:50ambushes the right-hand man and stabs him repeatedly. Jang hears his right-hand man screams and rushes toward
19:56the sound. The wounded man points in the direction the killer fled. Jang follows the trail until he
20:02notices blood leading into a karaoke club. He searches every room carefully. In one of them,
20:08he sees two young women singing through tears. Their fear tells him everything. Someone is threatening
20:13them. In a back room, the serial killer is murdering their friend. Suddenly, the door bursts open. Jang storms in
20:21and smashes a heavy object into the killer's face. They struggle violently before Jang overpowers him.
20:27Dragging the battered killer outside, Jang forces him into a car and takes him to one of his private
20:32warehouses. He calls Kim and tells him calmly, I caught him. He's mine now. When Kim arrives,
20:38he finds the killer tied to a chair. Jang prepares for what he calls the party. The killer smirks and
20:43asks, don't you want to know why I killed them? Jang replies coldly, I only want to know one thing.
20:49Do you like grilled meat? Because someone's about to be cut up and roasted over charcoal.
20:54He is moments away from killing him when he hears an engine roar nearby. Suddenly, Kim crashes a car
21:01into Jang, knocking him aside. Kim grabs the killer, places him in the vehicle and drives off,
21:06after saluting Jang with a brief defiant glance. Kim takes the killer to the police station and hands
21:12him over. The interrogation begins. News spreads quickly. The serial killer has been captured,
21:18but the situation is far from secure. So far, there is no solid evidence that can conclusively
21:24convict him. Meanwhile, Jang watches the news in disbelief as police raid all of his casinos.
21:30His men are arrested. Investigators confirm the gambling machines were rigged to cheat customers.
21:36A warrant is issued for Jang's arrest on fraud charges. During interrogation, Kim tries to break the
21:41killer, pushing him to confess. But the killer toys with him, provoking him deliberately. Eventually,
21:48Kim loses control and lunges at him. At that moment, the police chief realizes he made a serious mistake,
21:54trusting Kim. The trial begins, more accurately, what looks like it could become the killer's acquittal.
22:01The prosecution presents the knife, claiming it belongs to the killer. The defense attorney
22:06immediately counters that there is no proof linking the weapon to his client. They accuse the police
22:11of attempting to smear an innocent man's reputation. There is still no concrete evidence tying him to
22:16the murders. Desperate, the prosecution calls their final witness, the only surviving victim,
22:22Jang. It is revealed that after Jang nearly killed the killer in the warehouse, Kim risked his life to
22:28persuade him. Kim tells Jang that the only true way to take revenge is to testify in court and ensure
22:34the
22:34killer is legally executed. Jang takes the stand. He states clearly that he saw the killer with his
22:40own eyes and that he was stabbed by him. But the defense attorney attacks Jang's credibility,
22:45reminding the court that he is a gang leader. He argues that violence and stabbings are common in gang
22:50life and that being stabbed does not prove his client was responsible. Calmly, Jang removes his jacket
22:56and shirt. He describes in chilling detail what happened that night. He shows the judge the scars covering his
23:02body. Then he explains something crucial. From experience, people who frequently use knives to
23:08kill often have scars and damaged fingernails from repeated use. He also reveals that during their
23:14fight, he stabbed the killer in the left shoulder. The court orders the killer to remove his shirt.
23:20On his left shoulder, the exact scar Yang described. The courtroom falls silent. Jang is arrested
23:25immediately on his outstanding fraud charges, but the serial killer is found guilty and sentenced to death.
23:32The final part of the secret agreement between Kim and Jang is then revealed. Jang had agreed to
23:38testify on one condition, that he and his men be imprisoned in the same facility as the killer.
23:44Jang is taken to prison. His men welcome him with deep respect. Because the film is based on a true
23:50story,
23:50what follows is something rarely seen in history. The victim smiles with a calm, deadly certainty,
23:56while the serial killer's face is filled with fear and dread. Later, in the prison bathroom,
24:01the water suddenly shuts off. The killer looks up and finds Jang standing beside him, holding a rope.
24:07Jang asks quietly,
24:09Have you ever ridden a swing before? The film ends with no need for further explanation. We are left
24:14certain that the killer finally drank from the same cup and received his punishment.
24:18If you enjoyed the recap, don't forget to like the video. And if you want to see more summaries like
24:23this, subscribe to the channel. Thank you for watching.
Comments

Recommended