Monster (2021)

An amazing slow burn psychological investigation drama, this drama is craaaaazyy especially the first 10 episodes. The first 10 episodes, were amazingg I love every bit of it, it was slow and I hate slow dramas, but idk how to explain, the slowness of the drama kinda build up the curiosity and gives you this some kind of frustrating emotion yet you wanna know what happen next. The curiosity definitely definitely kills me, everyone has a secret and is so suspicious, I swear not a single character that I did not suspect to be the murderer or related to the case somehow. Oh, and worth pointing, the camera work omaigodd looveee the way they zoom to the face and just makes the character suspicious, yo it's killing meee. and of course, the amazing acting especially shin ha kyun just makes the drama even better. swear my brain hurts. but sadly, the last 6 episodes weren't as good anymore? since it was more about fighting with the ones with high power, it became mainstream, and I wasn't as curious or excited to watch the next episode anymore. Probably because the revealed the truth too early and making everything after that predictable. but anyways, since i enjoyed more than half of the series, i gotta give a high rating. love it

Citeste mai mult

Just as good as it was a year ago.

I had to write this review, because I watched this series a year ago and then again just recently - and it was still as good as the first time.

This story and the characters are just amazing. I don't watch much in this genre but this show has such genuine feelings and emotions as well as the suspense - and it moves along at a good pace. The two main actors really play well off each other, with mistrust that slowly changes, and then things happen to bring the mistrust back - and they keep working through every situation.

There are characters you will like, and some you won't like - but the acting is flawless.

Give it a try - and if you like this, then also watch a more recent series - Miraculous Brothers.

P.S. Some watchers may try to label these 2 shows as bromances - they are not. Just saying.

Citeste mai mult

A very clever, simmering, at times disturbing, crime drama where one never knows quite what's coming next.
It doesn't have masses of blood, blockbuster style action scenes or romance, but it does have more than its share of shocking moments, an intelligent script, some laughs and what I found to be a gripping story.
I loved the characters; proper villains and a blurring of what makes a good detective. Tested friendships and what seems, at times, blind loyalty from some.
Dong Shik and Joo Won are polar opposites and neither trusts the other at all, for varying reasons that are slowly brought to light as the story grows. They have to work together though and so a relationship of trust/mistrust yo-yos with each episode.
The tragedies in several cast members' pasts are also uncovered and these link characters together in unexpected ways.
Almost everyone looks guilty at some point and the way in which key crime scenes are shown in multiple scenarios, to fit a given character's statement, is brilliant. It also makes it way harder to decide who's done exactly what.
Shin Ha Kyun is excellent in his portrayal of Dong-shik, veering from warm and funny, to maniacal in an instant. His whole face changes when he smiles, but the next minute he can look very scary!
Yeo Jin-goo gives a very understated performance of a character repressing a lot of his thoughts and feelings; no over acting here, thankfully!
The entire cast were great. I particularly felt for Jung Je, such a tormented character, so well played by Choi Dae-hoon. There are some really sycophantic, nasty and loathsome, as well as sweet, caring and strong, characters in this.
A great story with a solid ending.
Oh and I loved the trailing violin music, Bibi's 'Timeless' and gritty song, 'The Night' from Choi Baek-ho; perfect soundtrack.

Citeste mai mult

Alright, where do I begin?

So… I actually not quite liking the first 5 episodes, though I was still continue watching it, I thought that the story was circling around and it was really annoying to watch. Plus, i don’t like how Yeo Jin Goo in act in those first episodes. He acted kinda awkward with his ‘oh-so-cold-and-mysterious’ character, I think he just wasn’t suited with that kind of character ?. And the ending too… I think it’s too abrupt, the resolution was only being told by some news in the tv? Like… c’mon it could have been better.

But, you know what? I eventually end up loving this drama, lol. There were some really great moments from mid to end. Well, especially in the middle. At some points, I thought I was still stuck watching around episode 9-10, but turns out I was already at episode 14 lmao ? because the middle was so more-ish(?) and I can’t take my eyes off my screen.

As I’ve said above, I don’t like the first 5 episodes. I thought this drama would took the usual dragging route, just like some of kdramas in this kind of genre. Well, until I realized that Beyond Evil is actually a slow-burn character-driven drama. That’s why the plot rely heavily on the characters. And I think the actors really does a good job on potraying their roles, especially Shin Ha Kyun. That man is a beast. His acting is just as magnificent as ever, dang. His chemistry with other actors (especially Yeo Jin Goo) is really damn great, I don’t even have a word to describe it.

And… speaking about Yeo Jin Goo, as I’ve said before, he was kinda awkward in the first few episodes. The good thing is, from mid to end, his character has some kind of switch and becomes more ‘humane’, and Yeo Jin Goo’s acting suddenly become really good, and I guess maybe it was because he suits the more ‘humane’ character ??‍♀️.

If I have to mention a western series similar to this…. maybe Mare of Easttown? Both kinda has the same formula, but Beyond Evil is the longer version of it. Well, all in all, Betond Evil is still a very solid kdrama. If you don’t like of how ‘heavy’ this drama is, just watch for the acting, I promise it won’t disappoint you.

Citeste mai mult

Au delà du mal, il y a le cœur humain...

Je l’ai beaucoup beaucoup aimé !
Des dramas sur la traque d’un tueur en série, j’en ai vu plus d’un, de qualité très variées et inégales, et là on en a un très bon.
Ce qui en fait la qualité première, ce sont les personnages, plus ou moins cabossés, et le super flic élite n’est pas celui qui l’est le moins, malgré les apparences ! Ce qui m’a vraiment touchée, ce sont les liens particuliers qui existent entre les policiers et les habitants de cette petite ville, définis par Lee Dong Sik : «  Quand ils sont entre eux, ils ne se supportent pas, mais si un étranger arrive pour leur nuire, ils s’unissent aussitôt. » C’est un comportement que j’ai moi-même souvent rencontré dans ma campagne, et c’est ce côté humain universel qui m’a plu.
Le thriller :
On part d’une disparition et un meurtre vieux de 20 ans, jamais résolus, comme un écho de la disparition qui vient de se produire au présent, qui bouleverse à nouveau le petit village de Manyang. Mais l’histoire ne s’arrête pas à la découverte du tueur qui, en général, clôture le drama. La résolution de ce mystère ne fait qu’ouvrir d’autres interrogations, faire tomber d’autres masques.
les personnages :
Ici on peut penser que l’intrigue policière est avant tout le support d’une histoire d’humains, les avancées ou culs-de-sac de l’enquête donnant l’occasion aux personnages de se révéler en se confrontant, ou en se soutenant. La fin du drama est plus une renaissance, un nouveau départ dans un monde éclairci comme le retour du soleil après une tempête… Ce n’est pas une rédemption, mais plutôt une renaissance, après avoir regardé en face leurs actes, en avoir accepté les conséquences et avoir compris quel était le vrai sens qu’ils voulaient donner à leur vie.
La réalisation :
Elle est bonne, sauf peut-être un peu trop insistante au début, pour orienter les soupçons du spectateur d’une façon trop évidente (éclairages qui soulignent un peu trop un sourire qui devient menaçant, …) puis elle devient plus classique, plus intelligente, nous laissant le soin de nous faire notre opinion. A la fin, le réalisateur a encore clairement appuyé le sentiment de renouveau par la lumière enfin revenue, dans le ciel et sur le visage des acteurs (Shin Ha Kyun semble avoir rajeuni de 10 ans )
Les acteurs :
Ils sont tous excellents mais un applaudissement particulier pour Shin Ha Kyun, qui interprète parfaitement cet homme torturé par un passé douloureux, une culpabilité d’autant plus écrasante qu’elle ne se réfère pas à un acte concret mais à une absence… Ses regards, particulièrement expressifs et la modulation de sa voix sont impressionnants de justesse, de profondeur, d’humanité. En face de lui Yeo Jin Goo incarne avec vérité et finesse le jeune flic dont la rigidité est l’armure qu’il a choisie pour résister à une enfance douloureuse et un père tyrannique. Il arrive bardé de ses certitudes, et il lui faudra apprendre à les abandonner et à se confronter à la réalité… Yeo Jin Goo progresse sans arrêt, à chaque drama où je le croise. Il a l’habitude de la caméra depuis son enfance, tant il a incarné de héros jeunes. Mais quand il est passé au héros adulte, personnage principal, dans « the crowned clown », il ne m’avait pas vraiment convaincue, je le trouvais manquant de sincérité. C’était déjà beaucoup beaucoup mieux dans « hôtel del luna », mais là il réussit à incarner son personnage, en non plus à le jouer, si vous voyez ce que je veux dire.
Un applaudissement aussi pour Choi Dae Hoon, qui met beaucoup de sensibilité et d’émotion dans son personnage au bord de la schizophrénie, sous l’emprise d’un traumatisme qui hante son inconscient.
Un dernier mot pour l’OST, magnifique, c’est le personnage supplémentaire, qui soutient l’histoire et les acteurs de bout en bout. La belle chanson de Choi Baek Ho et sa voix particulière donnent le ton et créent l’atmosphère, ainsi que toute l’OST due à Ha GeunYoung, dont tout ce que j’ai réussi à savoir c’est que c’était une femme. Je souligne en passant l’injustice dont sont victimes tous ces musiciens dont on ne sait pas grand chose, alors que la vie d’un moindre boys band à la valeur musicale discutable est passée au crible (bien trop parfois) de sa naissance à la couleur de son dernier caleçon !
Bon, pour en revenir au drama, il est excellent, à voir absolument, mais attention, celui que vous commencerez après a intérêt à être au top, sous peine de paraître bien fade insipide !

Citeste mai mult

Psychological slice of life

I went in expecting a dark crime thriller.

I did kinda get it, but not really.

Simply speaking, the "whodunit" isn't the main focus here. The culprit is revealed very early, and then the story is stuck in a situation where the audience knows, the main characters know, the side characters don't know and misunderstandings, paranoia, and tragedies follow.

The main appeal of this series is watching these people destroy themselves, and observe their personal tragedies over the span of 20 years. Here I have to commend the actor playing Lee Dong-sik, he did a spectacular job playing a conflicted and disillusioned cop who was done dirty by life and society. He was an extremely likable and sympathetic character, which unfortunately can't be said about some other characters, including the other male lead. Han Joo-won, for the most of the story, is busy being self-righteous jerk who can only see what's in front of him and jumps to conclusions way too quickly.
However, unlike in some other works of fiction, this is not meant to be because he is a surrogate for a clueless viewer. His attitude is certainly meant to be a fault of his-as by the time the audience already knows the killer, he still kept grasping at straws and making a mess. I felt like maybe the authors were making fun of typical crime drama protag here, but the parody was neither particularly funny nor compelling.

The villains(other than the killer, that character was pretty cool all things considered) were also a miss. These people were very one-dimensional, and felt a bit like they came from Saturday cartoon(is that still a thing?) than a serious psychological drama. Including their various character gimmicks that were a bit silly, especially that horrible broken russian, really I can speak Russian so it was just really really bad. The drama admits that the character in question can't really speak Russian well, so his russian is supposed to be bad, but that doesn't make it any less jarring.

The pacing is slow af, so that's a thing too. Not what I'd normally expect from this kinda series. I had to kinda force myself to watch some episodes, even tho the payoffs were usually worth it.

Citeste mai mult

Flawed but tender

Beyond Evil is a stunning slow boil thriller that ekes out tension of every possibility until what remains is endless ache. I still don't like the awful ableism of the show, which the show insists upon even in the last episode. And I definitely do not like cops, but the show doesn't like them either. Proceed with caution. Shin Hakyun and Yeo Jingoo have excellent chemistry and gave great performances that made me dive into their filmographies. Score is unusually warm and jazzy for a mystery show (and god I hate that BIBI song, it's extremely grating) but works well since the show is actually a melodrama more in line with something like Magnolia (1999) (a film Shin Hakyun loves, or at the very least likes as far as public knowledge goes). Formally excellent but falters in its imagination occasionally. I have brainrot for Juwon and Dongsik for days. More please?

Citeste mai mult

After recent attempts to find a good crime series (that hasn't already been seen), finally came across this one that was enjoyable from beginning to the end.

This is one where in addition to your fantastic mains, all of the other actors also did a great job with their roles so it didn't feel like anyone was pulling any heavy weight for the rest. The plot maintained enough suspense to keep the momentum going and the pacing worked well. Unlike many others in its genre, there wasn't any glaring or obvious issues with how the crimes scenes were managed and it doesn't rely on excess dramatization to keep it interesting. Although some actions/reactions didn't always seem to fit the characters, it's easy to overlook because we in the real world aren't always rational.

The minor disconnect I had was they tried to interweave too many players into the underlying plot without providing enough background/focus on some of them. They gave just enough for you to see the connections but not enough for you to really feel them, if that makes sense. Because of this, it can slightly feel as if the plot drags on for just a bit at times. Nevertheless, the character developments were done well and the dynamic between Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo in itself makes it worthwhile to check out.

Citeste mai mult

~One of the best slow burn psychological crime thriller to have come out in Korean dramas
~Shin Ha Hyun’s acting chops is mind-blowing! He gives you the creeps, makes you hate him, cry for him, pity him and love him.
~The plot is nothing new to serial murders and crime thrillers but the execution and plot reveal bits by bits adding psychological point of view and a touch of dark humor is what has made all the difference
~Yoo Jin Goo and the remaining cast are able to deliver emotionally raw performances as well with the best of the dialogues at hand
~The push and pull between the two male leads and the character growth by the end of the drama is really wholesome and surprising
~The portrayal of mentally unstable characters and untrustworthy POVs is another high point as well
~Props to the jazz music OST that fits perfectly with the eerie vibes of the drama

Citeste mai mult

impeccable and *muah* chef's kiss

OK, let's go.

This drama is really going to be one of the best of the year.

First of all, I just love police dramas, police investigation and even more, police dramas set outside of seoul. I think my favorite dramas aren't set in seoul.
I admit I started this series just for the sake of it, I didn't think it was going to be really that great.

The setting and characterization of the characters was something that really got to me, throughout the drama I kept asking myself "why is he protecting them like that?" "why do they do that?" and that made it all that much more meaningful. At first you are a foreigner watching from the outside, but then you become one of them.

Speaking of the characters, Lee Dong Sik has all my love. I never distrusted him, not even when he was really suspicious LOL, I really trusted what he was doing and feeling, he's just my protégé. Now… Han Ju Won, he really pissed me off. In the first few episodes I really questioned why they chose such an annoying protagonist, he was unbearable, but after a while... he was still annoying as hell. I admit that I only stopped hating him in the last three episodes, but I started to understand why he was so annoying.
Dong Sik's friends, each of them was significant in their own way, Nam Sang Bae, Ji Hwa, Ji Hoon and Jae-I were my favorites, although I liked Park Jeong Je.
I managed to get attached to the characters but was still able to let go a little bit when something bad happened. And the complicity of all of them was very interesting.

I should also say that: even though Ju Won bothered me with his inconvenient ways, I thought it was very good how he, even upset, stood up against his father when necessary and did not get in the way when Dong Sik pointed out that there was something strange.

Cop dramas make me itch with anxiety, but I really enjoy it.

Now, about the plot, I thought it was really cool how they showed what happened several times, but every time with new details. Besides, even if the objective is "who killed Dong Sik's sister?" they still put it in a way that it didn't get tiring from it. All the deaths, all the connections were really surprising, all the ends were tied up nicely. I found the "villains" really motivated, they had a goal and that's what they wanted.

In the end, I liked how they all received punishment for their actions, even Dong Sik who didn't "do it out of malice" and Jeong Je who wasn't entirely guilty. I thought it was really cool how they didn't solve all the problems with suicide and how all the characters had a direction.

I really loved the experience of watching Beyond evil, each episode was emotional and the feeling of existential emptiness will take time to leave me ( ಥ⁠_⁠ಥ)

Oh, I need to add that Shin Ha Kyun's acting really was one of the most impeccable things I've ever seen. He really shows several performances with mastery, really a perfect actor.

Citeste mai mult

Mixed feelings

I just finished the series and I truly don't know how to feel about it.
I'm going to start with the positive stuff - the cast, acting and soundtrack are all perfect. I especially applaud the actors, who played Juwon and Dongsik - outstanding performances from the both of them. The soundtrack flows beautifully and is just perfect for this series.
However, the story is quite messy and I questioned a lot of the characters' actions. The show falls flat after episode 8, but gets better again after episode 13. Episodes 9-12 were painfully boring to watch. The plot in general is quite hard to follow and confusing, that's why I'm rating the rewatch value at a 10, because then you can rewatch it and try to piece this confusing story together with the context of the characters' motivations and goals. The plot got predictable at times to the point the plot twists could be seen coming from a mile away. The show also left me with some questions, but the most common word in those questions was why. Why did dongsik say nothing when he realised who killed minjeong? Why do none of the characters trust each other? Why did kihwan not stop when he saw yuyeon on the road?
And most importantly, how did they get yuyeon's body in the wall without dongsik knowing? (not a why question but still).
Although this series was frustrating to watch at times, I will happily return to it to give it another chance.

Citeste mai mult