Danger Zone (2021)

Hard core gore.

This review covers both Season 1 and Season 2 as it does not make sense to review them separately.

This is a gripping and fast paced psychological crime thriller that explores the dark side of justice and how the road to perdition is paved with just intentions. In a desperate race against time with few promising leads, Captain Tan's investigative team are under intense pressure to put a stop to a bunch of brutal serial killings. Prison inmate and gifted former profiler and attorney Liang Yandong, is on trial for murder and is convinced that his case is linked to the serial killings. He persuades hungry young rookie cop Ren Fei to share information in the case with him in exchange for his assistance with profiling the serial murderer. The first season solves the first case only to reveal a larger conspiracy that intertwines with a devastating unsolved cold case.

I really enjoyed Vic Zhou's performance as the inscrutable Liang Yandong, especially in the beginning when he teases us with the question of whether his motives are benign. Among the big name cast, his performance pulls the production together as his rapport with each of the main characters seems the most natural. Sandrine Pinna also pleasantly surprised me in her ability to pull off a complex role although some of her scenes in the latter half could have been more nuanced and less forced. Although I like Christopher Lee, his Captain Tan did not really connect with me or with the other members of his investigative team. Part of the problem is that Zhu Tingdian's performance as Ren Fei is hit or miss and his character interacts the most with Captain Tan. His Ren Fei "clicks" with Liang Yandong and Teresa Daley's Ji Siqi but not so much with Captain Tan and the rest of his team. The broader investigative team's dynamics is also not convincing enough to inspire me to root hard for the "good guys" and feel pulled into their mission. To some extent, the cops in this show are dumbed down a little bit too much so that Liang Yandong can look really smart.

The plot overall is fairly tight and it fast paced, full of good twists including a hidden antagonist that reveals themselves a tad on the early side. There are some holes and some suspension of disbelief is needed but it moves so fast and is so action packed you won't have time to dwell too much on on them, which is fantastic. The ultimate villain is known fairly early on and their motives are not that convincing or well explained but there are enough other interesting characters. By pretty much the same team as the highly acclaimed and more memorable Victim's Game, I like this better as a pure suspense thriller for its better focus on a well explored big case that ties everything together and its lack of digression into social issues.

My main problem and reservation with this drama however is that it goes far beyond hard core gore. In general I am fine with dark themes and I don't get triggered that easily but what I found deeply disturbing about this drama is its heavily in your face misogyny. You will be repeatedly treated with gratuitous, extended gore images of women being tortured and mutilated. It is completely unnecessary to the plot or the exploration of the killers' psyches. To give the production the benefit of the doubt, I can tell from The Victim's Game that this team overly delights in showing off their technical prowess at detailed, realistic and almost pornographic gruesome scenes. However I cannot help but be offended and put off by the almost exclusive focus on abusing women and in such loving and repeated detail. So I am really struggling with this review and avoided writing it for quite some time. If they had toned things down (a lot), I would be tempted to give this an 8.0/8.5 but my anger at the extreme misogyny makes me think 6.0/6.5. I am just going to make life easy for myself and call this a 7.0 while acknowledging that is maybe a bit unfair. If you can get past the hard core gore, this is a very enjoyable thriller for fans of the genre.

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A Masterpiece in Suspense and Fear

MDL should have one more criteria-- cinematography. Because the cinematography (or directing) at this drama is 10/10, and this is where Danger Zone stood out from the typical murder mystery thrillers. It has quite an ordinary and easy to guess plot, nothing that we have not seen in other murder mysteries. What made it so suspenseful, intense and scary is the cinematography, the directors' and art designers' brilliant work.

My rating does not seem to correspond with the headline ^^" It is indeed a masterpiece in building suspense and fear in the viewers, but the script is weak and has quite a lot of plot holes and logic issues. This drama focused the storytelling on the art direction and some shocking images to build-up the tensions and suspenseful atmosphere. It use a no-holds-bar approach to tell the story, which gave a rarely seen realism in such murder mysteries (I mean, in most other dramas, it would not have shown some of these scenes, instead it would make references to those scenes in the dialogues or show us a character's reaction to what was supposedly seen)

Some might ask is it necessary to have so much gore in the storytelling? Well, it seems effective since this drama got me hugging cushions and pillows, something that I've not done watching other horror shows. And it is kinda "refreshing", most dramas don't do this, but it did here!

The cast performances are quite good in this, not the best though. Special mention on Vic Zhou, his eyes are haunted with the pain and feelings of hopelessness as he is stuck behind bars and unable to defend himself. Christopher Lee and the supporting characters are very natural in their scenes, and for the more emotional outbursts scenes, there are some phenomenal performances. Berent Zhu's Ren Fei isn't as good but director has cleverly cast him as a young hot-headed new police detective, and as his character gradually develops throughout the story, I grow to like him a lot. For me, the weakest is probably Teresa Daley's journalist, she didn't quite managed to make the character her own.... they could have put any other actress into this role and it wouldn't have made a difference.

The other thing that I dislike about the drama is the "superhuman" rate of recovery!! Lol.... the way Ren Fei jumped and crushed through that window, didn't even need a day of MC and back at work ? the most unbelievable was how fast that female detective (sorry, forgot character name) recovered from her head injury ? and finally the way police looked so stupid at their work.... but I guess this has to happen else there would be no drama (which is why I feel the script is actually quite weak, couldn't it have made police look smart and the murderers are just smarter?). Also, where the heck is Liang Yan Dong getting all the batteries and cigarettes from? I dunno how the prison store works in Taiwan but they would restrict the amount of batteries that a prisoner can purchase.... and there is no way it would be selling cigarettes! Liang Yan Dong don't seem to have family visiting him, so from who and where? Just a few annoying plot holes....

I'm rating this a 7.5 for now, let's see how S2 develop, might come back and re-edit this review.

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Enthralling hard crime drama

First, be aware of the tags and description, this drama is +18, it shows many hard "gore" scenes.

This drama has intrigue storyline with well though cases and is switching between the outside crime investigation team and the struggles of our main lead in the prison. What I really liked is how all the cases and also the characters somehow all were connected and you can see it slowly unfold with every episode you watch.

The good camera quality, also the color nuance and the great accompanying music are very well chosen for this kind of drama and enforce the suspense fully. The main actors are doing awesome job, but what surprised me was the acting of the supporting characters. The actor’s expression let me be part of the whole world and I could feel the desperation and feeling all characters went through. The OST is also very well made.

Liang Yan Dong is one real mastermind in solving crimes. We could see through his eyes how some crime could have happen and this helped us to follow his genial thinking much more. With his thinking and profiling I was really surprised about what he could think of. I also found him really great teacher to the young and hot blooded Ren Fei. Ren Fei was my favorite character who really grew as character with the drama. I really enjoyed his character. From female actresses I was amazed by the performance of Eleven Yao in her role as Wu Yu Xin.

Now to the only flaw I have with this drama: The police was shown in bad light, couldn't really contribute much to solving the cases, were often clueless and also made some stupid decisions, which lead me to roll my eyes sometimes and to look at Liang Yan Dong's super deduction ability much more.

Altogether it is one really good suspense crime drama with great visuals and quality. You can see good production here.
S1 ends with big cliffhanger and shows also some secrets at the post credits. Don't forget to watch S2.

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Great entertainment series of the year!

The overall story and the scenes were great. The background music was aligned with the theme and plot of the drama. A good drama can't run away from strong storyline, wonderful scenes and appealing background music. Danger Zone has a good combination of all these elements.

A little disappointing to mention is the acting of the main leads. I think the acting standard among the main leads are not coherent.

The actor who plays the male lead, Liang Yan Dong is great. His eyes and expression are flawless. I like the way he speaks and carries himself; his tone is calm and deep. His chemistry with other actors and actresses from different age groups is perfect. I have seen many comments about his handsome face and charm but I find his biggest charm is his acting. I would say his acting is on the top-most level among all the actors from the same drama. Hope he can get several nominations or even win some awards for his acting in Danger Zone. His acting shouldn't be overlooked or underrated.

The other actor who plays Tan Chong Hui is not too bad but it could have been better if there is less shouting from him. Perhaps it's because of the personality of the character. I can see Tan Chong Hui is a rather hot-tempered character. Though, there are still many ways to express anger and frustration. Shouting too much seems to be unnecessary sometimes. Overall, this actor has done a great job too.

I don't find the actor who plays Ren Fei perform as well as the actors who play the male lead and Tan Chong Hui. All I heard is just shouting from him and I don't get his expression sometimes. Ren Fei is a young, energetic and vibrant young police. Unfortunately the way he performs this character is too weak. Since he is stil young, there is still room for improvement.

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Storytelling in a binge-worthy package.

crime isn't just about solving puzzles but delving deep into the intricacies of human stories. This Taiwanese drama isn't your typical crime thriller; it's a celebration of characters, emotions, and the unpredictable twists life throws our way.

**Visual Impact:**
As the drama unfolds, get ready for a visual feast that's like catnip for your eyeballs. Moody shadows, intense close-ups, and a city that's practically a character with its own Instagram account. It's not just a drama; it's a visual fiesta that'll have you hitting the rewind button just to savor the aesthetics.

**Compelling Characters:**
Liang Yan Dong, our detective with eyes that could outact anyone in Hollywood, and Ren Fei, the hot-blooded rookie with a heart of gold. Together, they're a dynamic duo that'll make you wish you had a crime to solve, just for the thrill of it.

**Humanizing the Story:**
What sets this drama apart is its humanizing approach. Every character, even those on the wrong side of the law, gets a story. It transforms the narrative into a profound exploration of human struggles, blurring the lines between good and bad.

**Brutal Realism:**
The drama doesn't shy away from brutality, demanding a strong stomach from viewers. Yet, it's through this realism that it tackles moral ambiguity, forcing audiences to grapple with tough questions about justice and retribution.

**Police Naivety and Plot Device:**
While the police's naivety may feel like a plot device, it serves as a commentary on the flaws within the system. It highlights the vulnerabilities of those trying to uphold justice in a world where shadows can obscure the truth.

**Conclusion:**
"Danger Zone: The Dark Night" is more than a crime thriller; it's a captivating journey into the human condition. With its stunning visuals, compelling characters, and a willingness to explore the darker aspects of life, this Taiwanese drama leaves a lasting impression. Despite some imperfections, it's a must-watch for those who enjoy a gripping story that lingers in your thoughts long after the screen goes dark.

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An intense experience

At first glance this seems like your typical police thriller, but watching this gave me a much more intense experience.

First off, this drama isn't afraid to show violence and gore, which really made it all feel so immersive. Huge props to the prop department (pun intended) and to the makeup department. Every slice, every body part felt super REAL.

I'm also impressed with how this drama managed to humanize and provide depth to all its characters — main and side characters included. I have always loved Taiwanese dramas for their ability to extend stories beyond their characters, and this is no different; it's more subtle in this show, but there's social commentary and it makes every single character and case feel really heavy and important. It also shows that it's so much more than a simple detective drama; this show knows how intelligent its audience is.

I'm definitely looking forward to S2.

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Plastic gore....

This drama is neither the hard core gore that other reviewers claim neither a masterpiece. I've made the mistake to take seriously the reviews and I've ended up watching one of the most boring crime dramas out there. The reasons are below ( spoilers).


The culprit is revealed early on and its motives are not persuasive.
The cops that are supposed to solve the case are in a some sort of nirvana state. They don't seem to try that hard to solve the case and they look rather dumb. The supposedly super intelligent profiler on the other hand doesn't seem intelligent enough to protect his self from being victimized.
And finally the supposedly gore props look fake. If the intention of the director was to persuade us that there is a maniac killer that cuts off corpses, he failed because these "corpses" look so plastic, that didn't make me care that much on how many pieces the killer cut them. I hope only that after filming they recycled them! lol

I could of course keep watching this drama for the sake of Vic Zhou who is very handsome guy but ......handsome guys can't persuade me to keep on watching boring crime dramas that can't trigger me intellectually to figure out who is the culprit or they don't have some interesting "good" guys.
The best crime or detective dramas are those that can engage their viewers with a good plot, character development and suspense but this doesn't belong to this category.

4 out of 10 from me for this one.

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very brutal drama

The only reason I watched this is because of Vic Zhou.

The story was interesting but it is way too brutal. It is very savage, barbarous, cold blooded and monstrous. This has to be the most violent drama I have ever viewed on TV.

It is sooooo bloody, I stopped watching after 5 episodes. I was not able to handle this extensive cruel, animal like behaviors and I have a pretty strong stomach. It should be rated RRR, it is not a show to be shown on regular TV.

I do not consider this a thriller. It is a drama for the mentally sick minded. May be that is the whole purpose of this show, is to target these type of audiences.

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