This review may contain spoilers
Don't drink the Kool-aid!
When Korean businessman Kang In Gu traveled to Suriname he never dreamed that he would end up between a rock and a hard place and the deep blue sea. Not only a fish out of water, but one desperately trying to stay out of the frying pan, Kang had to use all of his wiles to survive in a treacherous place dangled between a deadly Korean drug lord and a maniacal Chinese one.Kang In Gu learned early to hustle between multiple jobs to earn a living. Now with his own family he's barely making ends meet when an old school friend shows up with a business opportunity. Skate fish are popular in Korea, but the sources for the fish were dwindling. Across the globe in Suriname they were throwing the smelly fish away. All the men needed to do was to buy the strange fish cheaply in Suriname and sell them for a huge profit back home. After a problem with a local police chief and city hall employee at his karaoke bar, Kang throws in with his friend Park Eun Soo and travels halfway across the world to seek his fortune.
Kang's business experience dealing with bribes helps him in Suriname until Chinese drug lord Chen Zhen (Taiwanese star Chang Chen) lets him know that he owns the water. After a chastising phone call from his religious wife, Kang dutifully goes to church where Pastor Jeon takes him under his wing. With a little help from the "saint", Kang's skates head to Korea. All is well until the ship has to stop in Aruba where a custom's search discovers cocaine in the fish. After a brief prison stint in St. Martin's, Kang ends up working for the Korean NIS to bring Jeon down. Turns out the good pastor was also the head of a cocaine cult and one of the largest drug distributors in Europe.
Narco Saints was not particularly original in the drug and crime genre but it was well done. Reducing the drama to 6 episodes helped keep the story tight as Kang and his NIS contact navigated the dangerous waters between Jeon and Chen. The story showed how Kang was able to read Jeon and play on his and Chen's suspicions and paranoia. Quick on his feet and always willing to negotiate, NIS agent Choi came to rely on Kang's instincts in dealing with the dangerous gangs.
Ha Jung Woo brought a subtle intelligence to his role as Kang. Hwang Jung Min delivered a pleasant menace to his evil pastor without going over the top. Chang Chen as the sadistic Chinese gangster particularly had to straddle the line between menace and madness and did so well.
Narco Saints was tense right up to the end, though it did devolve into some unrealistic fight scenes. It wouldn't be the first to do so. What Narco Saints did well was show the temptation for Kang to cross over to the bad side in order to make more money than he could have ever wished for and relatively easily. He wouldn't have to work himself to death like his parents but he was also pragmatic enough to realize that Jeon's days were numbered. His journey from only wanting to make money to only wanting to survive was an interesting one.
This drama covered much of the world and involved people representing several countries. It might not have broken new ground but it did itself proud in the drug crime genre. Worth trying out if you enjoy this sort of suspenseful and violent at times story.
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Stupendously well done in an unimaginable scale
This drama has high production value as expected but it is stupendously well done in an unimaginable scale, it is able to outperform any drama or movie released this year in such a mind blowing way. The structure of the plot is so deeply implemented with a large amount of pressure points, details on Latin America drug trade is very precise and every character is intertwined perfectly. The suspense is limitless when it puts you into the view of the main lead, making it a nerve wrecking narco ride. It works like a double extended cut movie that is cinema worthy, especially in the final action scenes it is absolutely superb. At the very edge of humanity, deep rooted evilness tearing down every human being with money as the root of sufferings, and this drama is totally prepared for an earth-shattering drug war in this barely survivable world.Was this review helpful to you?
Save 6 hours to watch this!
I will keep this short.Netflix or not i don't care!That one was a great mini-series.6 hours well spent.I watched it in one sit.Just finished.
Decided to start it because it is based on a true story.That was the bait!
Ofc nothing new here.Story about drug Lords,bloody money,corruption power and undercover operations.A good classic recipe.
To be honest my curiosity drove me here and in the back of my head i had the idea to drop it after watching the 1st episode.
But i didnt drop it.I was glued to my seat.
Cast was excellent.Just get a glimpse.I dont need to say more.As for the acting.I don't have words!
Superb!Realistic.For seminars.New actors must watch take notes and learn.
The story covered everything in just 6 hours.It has a start a course and a clear end.
If i had to complain about something that would be the music-but i didnt pay too much attention tho i just felt i missed it-
Also few times the editing was weird,kinda rough.
And my final complain is about the story.I wanted to know what happened to all those believers.As the Pastor was running actually a cult within his drug business.
Although is not a typical series for a female audience i strongly recommend it!(and obviously iam not the typical female audience Lol!)
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Was it worth the wait?
When Narco-Saints was announced it was immediately added to my plan to watch list, even though I am not a huge fun of series or movies with drugs as the main theme. Was it really worth it though? Let’s see every aspect individually.Production Quality
From the first scene of the series, it was obvious that they invested tons of money to make it. Long story short, it looked realistic and expensive. However, for me at least, the production quality was the best thing this drama had to offer along with the acting of the two main leads.
Cinematography & Directing
As many other Korean series, this was another well done drama in the directing and cinematography department. The colour grading gave the same vibe as other series or movies that deal with drugs. It was well done and thankfully they didn’t overdo it with the darker tones.
Was it anything that I haven’t seen before? Definitely not. There was not even a single scene where I was like ‘’Wow, that looks so good’’. Even the action and fight scenes were not that well directed or choreographed. There were a few times that I shouted on my screen ‘’You could have killed him by now’’. To be honest, after My Name my expectations for fight scenes skyrocketed. This is just the typical directing that we have seen way too many times in the past.
Plot
Narco-Saints has nothing new to offer to the genre. I personally expected something better, after a very well-executed pilot episode. However the plot was a bit boring and draggy. Some things were happening over and over again. I think it would be wiser to make this a two hour movie or a series with three episodes. There were also some matters that stayed unresolved. Even the last few episodes that were more action-packed didn’t feel that suspenseful.
Acting
Well, well, I will probably get killed for this, but I definitely expected something better. The thing is that the actors themselves are fantastic. Taking a look at the cast is enough to understand what I mean. Ha Jung Woo and especially Hwang Jung Min were fantastic and it is worth a try just for these two. However I have two main complains.
The first one is the believability. We have Yoo Yeon Seok portraying David Park. He is supposed to be fluent in English and he is script-wise. It is his comfort language. He prefers speaking in English and he uses the language, when he is angry or emotional. Nevertheless, the way Yoo Yeon Seok speaks English makes me believe that someone is forcing him to do it.
My second problem is the fact that the main language of communication is, obviously, English. It is given that the pronunciation of the majority of the actors won’t be great. After all, it is not their mother tongue. The problem is that in some scenes specifically, it feels like the actors don’t know what their lines mean. They are awkward to hear and sometimes it is pretty cringe to watch. It feels like they just memorized them and forgot to act. On the other hand, when they are speaking in their native language they are fantastic.
The foreign actors were not bad and that’s a first. Okay, honestly, they were not fantastic either, but they were decent enough.
All in all, Suriname was a decent watch that had nothing new to offer to the genre and in my opinion, it would work better as a movie. On the other hand, if you are a huge fan of the main theme, you may enjoy the series much more than I did, even though it has its downsides.
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It's more of a drama until ep 4-6 but WORTH IT!
So a misconception is that this will be full of action all the way through and fast-paced due to 6 eps, but I think that's where the brilliance lies the first 3-4 eps focus on the build-up making sure we all know who is who, their motivations and it's to build up the stakes and tension the final 2 eps I was literally sweating cause it was so intense and great. The action and acting are incredible. I mean look at that cast.It was so well written! I love how morally grey and f*cked up the whole situation is seeing the male lead try to go for the lesser evil just trying to survive being tossed around and told to the beast that he became by the end, such a good character arc that he went through. The way he averts sticky situations will have you holding your breath, The pastor is no dumb typical villain stereotype either, he is literally suspicious of everyone and everything making it all the more exhilarating. The desperation and final scenes were so well acted, I loved that it was a long final fight without too many cuts or distractions between Kang and the villain. I don't understand why people aren't enjoying it, I would say just go in knowing that the character development and acting are top-notch. The china town leader is well-known in China for films, same with the ML in Korea so coming in for a short series they usually only pick high-quality projects and it shows
Furthermore, the cinematography. is beautiful, especially china town shots. It's also crazy to think it's based on a true story
Another plus is no characters feel out of place the back and forth with English which I believe is not dubbed over is great, they owned it and never made me feel cringe which I do with many actors forcefully using English. Even the foreign actors work cause they restrict their dialogue and it's much more subtle than those ugly rich jerks in the squid game.
Overall worth the watch and I believe is one of the best short Kseries Netflix put out in a while but for sure you will be disappointed if you go in thinking it would be mindless action.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama " Narco - Saints " is a thriller that feels like a western production.It is well made and the production is impressive, with nice shots and intense action scenes. The settings, prompts, and costumes were all spot on as well.
And even though the story is interesting, is predictable and generic. It almost feels like it shies off some more shocking scenes, while trying to produce that feeling in other parts, especially at the start of the drama.
The ending, though, wrapped up everything nicely.
The performances, finally, were great and powerful by everyone in the cast.
So, overall, five out of ten.
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This review may contain spoilers
Watch it not for the story, but for its perfectly-amplified tension
Kang In-gu (Ha Jeong-woo) is a simple father who just want to provide the best for his family by doing business abroad. Jeon Yo-han (Hwang Ju-min) is a pastor, who at a first glance, seems to be passionate in delivering the word of God, is actually masquerading not only as a drug lord, but is THE drug lord of Suriname. Choi Chang-ho (Park Hae-soo) is a law enforcement agent who wants to catch the pastor and end specific drug cartel before it enters the Korean market. The three main characters reflect the different facets that were emphasized in this series: money, drugs, and justice, respectively.After becoming familiar with the backstory of the main characters particularly with In-gu, I was intrigued with how this will pan out in terms of who he would side with at the end. Also, with Chang-ho's stoic character, I was anxious whether he was an ally or another Pastor Jeon. The intensity of having to wait the definite morality of these characters is what made me hooked on the first 2 episodes. Narco-Saints tries to convey that money is really hard to resist as well as the drug (cocaine) business itself, which Pastor Jeon even described as "natural blessing from God."
The plot itself was not really deep and at times, predictable even with the twists. Emphasis on the drug, guns, action, and betrayals though was spontaneous and executed well for the most part. Since this was encapsulated into just 6 episodes (which I think is Netflix standard) suspense and thrill on every character's actions and their next steps towards closing the "deal" were most commonly felt. The action scenes were intense and gripping. Most importantly and I think is this show's highlight, the tension was high all throughout which was amplified more during the last three episodes. It was perfect in that sense and is the main reason I just can't stop watching on the screen.
The production quality was great in that I only found later on that this was actually filmed in Dominican Republic instead of Suriname itself. Imagine the attention to detail given in making the location believable, especially when both countries speak different languages. I was amazed by that fact. Even with the obvious CGI (helicopters, fighting jets), it wasn't really distracting. The color grading though, is very typical in genres like this. One gripe would be the transition between the fight scenes which was passable at best, shaky at worst.
I thought that it would also have an open ending (which unfortunately is now becoming a Netflix Korea trend), but I appreciated that the main story was aptly closed. However, the side plot on the cult part with the other members "trapped" inside it was just forgotten after a build up on episode 3? What happened to the little girl who went to In-gu for help? How about the other members of the church/cult who remained? What happened next to the lady deacon?
Also perhaps an unpopular opinion but I wasn't really able to follow the English conversations with Ha Jung-woo and Hwang Jung-min. At first, I had to increase volume to maximum to hear them, but still wasn't able to fully understand. Had to rely to context clues on specific conversations where they spoke in English. To be fair, English is quite difficult for a native Korean speaker to even learn, and them speaking it despite the "difficulty" speaks their passion and love for their craft. Personally, I ought not judge because English is also not my first language. My suggestion would be for Netflix (or any other streaming platform) to still put English subtitles for English dialogues in the future.
Overall, a seemingly passable action series that was really carried by the characters and their individual goals. I really liked that the main story ended without cliffhangers, yet questions about some aspects of the plot weren't answered (for me, not a reason for a season 2.) Watch it not for the story, but for its perfectly-amplified tension.
P.S. I did a background check on the story which inspired this series, and it was actually more dangerous and even dramatic with what was shown, at least for the real person where In-gu was based on. I suggest you do the same, and do some comparisons between the drama and the real-life event.
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A loving husband and a doting father
"Narco Saints" is not my cup of tea kind of drama series, but I was attracted to watch the series since "Narco Saints" is loosely based on a true story and the cast are all top actors and I really like their performance in the movies.Kang In Gu (portrayed by actor Ha Jung Woo) is a good son from a poor hard-working family. When he is in school, he takes up Judo so that he is provided with meals to eat. Eventually, he is very good in Judo. However, he is left alone to take care of his two younger siblings when his parents die. He works hard to provide for his younger siblings, and he decides to marry any girls so that the wife could help him clean the house. A girl, Hye Jin (portrayed by Choo Ja Hyun) answers his letter, and they get married, the have blissful wedded life with two children.
In Gu's childhood friend, Park Eung Soo (portrayed by Hyun Bong Shik) tells him about Suriname and they could do business in importing skate fish. Much to his wife's chagrin, In Gu goes to Suriname,and starts a trading skate trading company and meets Pastor Jeon Yo Hwan (portrayed by Hwang Jung Min). His first shipment to Korea is ruined since the fish are stuffed with cocaine. In Gu is incarcerated for two years for "smuggling" cocaine that he does not commit. While in prison, he is approached by NIS agent, Choi Chang Ho (portrayed by Park Hae Soo). Agent Choi wants him to be his field informant and approach Pastor Jeon who is the cocaine distributor that stuffed In Gu's fish shipment with cocaine.
I continue watching the series even though it is a gory series that I usually avoid, only because Actor Ha Jung Woo delivers a superb performance. Also, I want to see the ending when he is reunited with his loving wife and doting children. Character In Gu speaks "Engrish" with ease. However, other leading characters' performance go downhill when they speak English.
Enjoy the show.
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This review may contain spoilers
What an intense drama
Holy shit yessss another epic action drama So. Many. Plot. Twists.I love a good action/adventure drama/movie
It's hard to believe that it's based off a true story well not all bits but still a true story what in the James Bond, who's the fella that had an adventure/almost dying story.
I screamed when I saw Anupam Tripathi and Park Hae-soo from Squid Game.
I love the character development of Kang Ingu from a poor man to taking down a drug dealer.
The pastor pissed me off "god told me to do this, god told me to do that, god told me to put a bullet in that guys fucking head"
This is why I'm not a very religious person, I respect people and their beliefs but when someone quotes the bible constantly to the point that they do something bad or they're known has a awful person I'm sorry but you are such a hypocrite.
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Likes
1. Feels like an extended movie. Story is nothing new but it was an intense 6 episodes of anticipation and thrill. Lots of double crossing, guns, gore, and drugs.
2. Love the stellar cast and Ha Jung Woo, Hwang Jung Min and Jo Woo Jin were the stand outs.
3. Love that Ingu as the ML is very smart and capable, quick thinker, calm even when lying, and plays well with the big guys, even outsmarting both drug lords and NIS. There's this doubt if he is really working with NIS or if he has his own agenda. That final fight scene with the pastor was a long time coming and felt satisfied seeing him punch and strangle the pastor after ruining his life. (And HJW looked so hot holding the gun lol)
2. Pastor was magnetic but he didnt seem as smart as I expected him to be. He was easily played or maybe he trusted Ingu too much and thought they could really be partners.
3. Byun was bad ass and that fight with the bodyguard was fantastic. Poor David and Chen Zhen.
4. There's a lot of conversations so some found the episodes boring but i loved them (or maybe I was so mesmerized with HJW everytime he's onscreen)
Dislikes
1. I wonder what happened to the girl and the rest of the cult.
2. I thought the ending would be Ingu taking over the coca farm - that would be fun for a season 2, but still okay since they neatly closed the drama with a happy ending. Ingu learned to treasure what he has and not get too greedy. And after everything he did, NIS didnt pay him cash like they promised.
Rating: 8.5/10
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Saint Chapo
The plot unfolded with a good mix of suspense and intrigue, throwing in enough attractive elements to grip you in, however, it's not exactly breaking new ground thematically, it did a decent job for laying down a serviceable short story despite its rough start. I appreciate having the entire plot based outside of Korea, it was nice breaking out of some tired cliches in the Korean drug world. Although the drama didn't mess up the ending but they went for the generic and safe route. The drama had a decent selection of cast but Hwang Jung Min stole the spotlight as usual. Always makes me wish to see him taking more drama roles.Was this review helpful to you?
Fails to Entertain
I was looking forward to this series. The trailer looked incredible and evoked iconic mafia movies such as Goodfellas. It seemed to be just my cup of tea – organized crime, corruption, drug lords, exotic destinations. This is why I was really surprised that I could not even get through episode one.Organized-crime movies and series are usually flawed in terms of plot and characters. They prioritize being fast-paced, action-packed, and suspenseful over being deep, and the audience accepts this because they succeed in entertaining it. However, when such a story fails to entertain, it goes from being shallow but really fun to being shallow and tiresome. Such is the case of Narco-Saints – it has the flaws of similar stories, and it is also boring.
Episode one introduces us to the main character and embarks on a long, tedious summary of his life until now. It is not clear if the production team actually aimed to film a series about organized-crime. In such stories, suspense is key, but halfway through episode one out of only six, there is still no suspense. The story of the main character's past is unnecessarily long and repetitive, and, despite that, has plot holes. It should have been short and told wittily, as is common in the genre, or, if long, it should have at least been well-written. It is neither.
Furthermore, the initial scene, in which the main character is shown riding a truck through the jungle and whose purpose is to capture the viewer's interest, did not offer any information that could have intrigued me and made me wonder how the main character ended up in this situation.
Overall, the premise of this series has potential, and the actors – at least those whom I saw – are great. However, the story is frustratingly slow-paced and fails to entertain. It might become more interesting in the subsequent episodes, of course. I see that the other reviewers have enjoyed it. I decided to drop it, though, because I cannot help comparing it to the classics of the genre, which are superior in all aspects.
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