Korean Shows, Pastel Goth

My Thoughts

I am very late to the party but I finally sat down to watch Squid Game. This has easily been one of the most talked-about shows this year, so I prepared myself to strap in and see what all the hype was about and boy, I understand why this show is so popular. I was fully hooked after the first episode and had to resist binging it in one sitting, I was absolutely shaken.

Squid Game is another entry in a line of death game survival shows built around the horrors of capitalism. It has splashes of Battle Royale and Hunger Games with an anti-capitalist message about the crushing effects of stratified social structures and wealth inequality. The “rich people are scum” message is not subtle, and it’s perfect in current political discourse in which people chant “eat the rich.”

The characters in this show are well written with so much depth and a deep understanding of the struggle of being poor. Despite the various backstories of each character, they’re all ultimately there for the same reason: debt. I felt strongly for each and every one of the characters and honestly struggled to root for anyone. The show dares to ask who deserves to win and highlights the many ways that people deal with hardship. Episode Gganbu made me cry ugly UGLY tears. Even though I knew immediately what the game would be, I felt intense anxiety throughout the entire episode. The final episode made me gasp; not many shows can unsettle me the way that this one did.

Squid Game stands out as one of the best in the genre and is wholly deserving of the attention and admiration that it garners. It is easily one of my favorite shows of the year and I am interested to see where season two well head.

Rating:

Sweet Home
Studio: Studio Dragon
Original Run: December 18, 2020
Genres: Apocalyptic, Horror, Drama
Episodes: 10
Run Time: 44-59 minutes
Created By: Netflix, Production Plan
Starring: Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Si-young, Lee Do-hyun, Kim Nam-hee

Synopsis:
Cha Hyun-su moves into the run-down Green Home by himself. Not long after, he witnesses a disturbing sight in his neighbor’s apartment.

Warnings: Gore, Extreme Violence, Death

My Thoughts

I didn’t expect this series to be so good but it got me, it got me so good that I binged it and then I binged it again watching it with people that I shared it with. Sweet Home was exactly the kind of character-driven horror drama that I had been craving. I was enthralled, on edge, and wondering every episode how the characters could possibly survive with such terrifying monstrosities running rampant. It was such an interesting twist to the zombie monster horror genre.

The run-down and tight hallways of the apartment complex were both scary but also had a cozy feeling. I found myself caring for most of the main cast of characters. They were a wildly silly but wholly human cast with outstanding performances by the actors. The soundtrack and visuals were stunning, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel initially but once I got adjusted to the strange animations and overall style of the show I ended up really enjoying it.

“When someone promises something and it’s nearly impossible to keep, there’s a good chance it’ll end up being a lie.”

My one complaint was how much the song Warriors by Imagine Dragons was played during every major triumphant scene. Don’t get me wrong, Imagine Dragons makes some good music and having that consistency informs the audience that something big is happening, and in a tense horror story that can bring some comfort; but for fucks sake it became tiresome to keep hearing over and over. It harkened back to old shows that had theme songs that played every episode, but it quickly wore itself out.

It’s also hard for me to tell how close it is to the original webtoon, I’ve only read the first few chapters but I think they’d be different enough that both can be enjoyed separately. In all, a great show, and it really piqued my interest in Korean horror. Nobody is making horror like South Korea right now and I am loving this new wave of appreciation for Asian horror.