Strangers from Hell (2019)

definitely my favorite kdrama.

ok, first of all i want to talk about how i loved this cast.
i really think that nobody else could fix that well with the characters, I was so satisfied
and one thing that contributed for this was that everyone are SO SIMILAR with the webtoon characters, i was really suprised.
im not going to talk about how hot seo monjoo are, but holy shit this guy really scared me. lee dong wook fix so well with that kind of characters i want to see more of this :c

but an kdrama isnt just the cast, right? lets talk abou the story
man, i loved that story SO MUCH
fear, anger and obsession are the main focus of the story, the way that seo moonjo are a crazy killer stalker made me love even more the characters, i really love things like that.

What I liked most about the story was how they made the Jungwoo's mental decline, that made me go crazy
that kdrama wasnt just a thriller, that was also a psychological horror.
but in compensation what made get so mad was that jungwoo's girlfriend
maaan, that girl made me SO ANGRY
all the problems could have been solved if she wasn't so ignorant that girl made CRAZY
she was so boring... but shes really pretty tho

anyways, i really loved this kdrama and i really recommend if you wanna something more heavy to watch

Lire davantage

Def not for the weak hearted

so i kinda needed smth intense and from the look of this drama i know that u could tell it is indeed intense.. it also is not for the weak hearted. I am used to watching horror and extreme shows but after finishing up this one nicely i feel like i need a drink to be able to get all what happened through my head.

what got to me is that the ML (ofc not our handsome villain) is indeed a very normal person at the start of the drama and i was doubting if Evil will win in this one as im used to angsty esp in this kind of dramas but Alas was i surprised by how STRONG the Evil side was and how it ended up winning.

Another thing i want to add is that this drama is somehow wholesome as it talks abt different subjects: Animal abuse, Mental illness, Sexual offence, etc. and then there's cannibalism like whew i was super shocked and disturbed at how not only did they consume but only gave out to others.. u know without getting into details......

Def not for rewatch to me but it was one heck of a ride and im proud of myself i finished it!

Lire davantage

This Kdrama Shows Why Ghost Stories are lot less Terrifying!!

First of all I want to say that I thought this would be a Ghost Story and I had no idea what the synopsis is or what the manhwa is about and was so dang surprised that the situation the MC is in much much worse than I pictured.
This is a Kdrama which makes really feel creeped out and disgusted with the atmosphere itself. I literally had goosebumps and felt something was wrong so many times in the beginning itself. Though the violence in this is not hidden in any way we know exactly what is happening yet not shown too much. Even then I skipped through most of it.

The Acting is PHENOMENAL! Honestly every single person are so so perfect! Hat's off!!! Truly!!
We continuously root for the MC to survive and hope he doesn't get too affected by the people around him and the situation he is trapped in and helplessly watch as each episode becomes more and more twisted.
I must say one of the best Survival Horror stories I ever saw and just in 10 Eps of 1 Hr each! The pacing is well done, the editing, the Eden Studio itself, the atmosphere and just everything.

A Must Watch! Though this Kdrama may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Lire davantage

To like or not to like..

I am torn if I like this series or I don’t.It’s creepy and intriguing at the same time.
During the first episodes I can’t wait to watch the next to find out if finally the male lead had escaped from the hell he’s been. But as the series progresses I find it hard to watch because it creeps me and I’m starting to pity the ML.
Trying to survive on his own amidst his social status, but it seemed that Lady Luck was not on his side. Finding it hard to fit in the society were everyone was different probably took a toll on him and it made him disoriented from reality.
Life in itself is difficult and we need a good support system such our family and friends we can trust and those who believe in us to keep us sane and to survive.

Lire davantage

Watched it with my sister and it was one of the best Psychological Thrillers I have seen, in fact maybe the best. It was another piece of evidence of what a versatile actor Lee Dong-Wook is, having seen his performance in many other dramas. Im Si-Wan's performance was top of the line, although this was the first drama of his that I have watched. I do plan to find more of his dramas soon. Of course, kudos to the amazing acting of the rest of the cast. I can definitely watch this many times and not get bored.

We watched the episodes with so much dedication. However, I must admit that I am disappointed with the ending (not going to say what it was). I expected a totally different outcome.

Lire davantage

incredible

Though I was a bit skeptical about watching this drama as I am really not the biggest fan of Horror, this drama is definitely one of the best shows I have ever watched. It's dark, very dark, and it definitely kept me on my toes the entire time as I wasn't really sure what to do. The plot was incredible with a very very very smart plot twist which had me shocked and in utter disbelief. The acting was brilliant and all actors suited their roles very well. I loved the music and most importantly, the camera work. Very good action scenes as well, it was impossible for me to take my eyes off the screen. If you are looking for a creepy drama with a lot of suspense, this is for you. Even when the plot isn't very "busy" you are always alert, waiting to see what happens next. I definitely wasn't disappointed and I can easily recommend it. Definitely worth watching.

Lire davantage

Get Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer

This was quite a gem in psychological thrillers. An aspiring novelist moves to Seoul to begin his writing career but can't afford rent, so he winds up in a run down hostel where most of the residents are especially weird. This sets the stage for the ensuing creepiness that occurs and we slowly see the mind of our ML unravel as he fails to grasp the gruesome happenings around him.

What I loved most about this show is the fine performances by the ensemble cast, especially Lee Dong Wook. He has appeared in many dramas I have watched over the years, but this one best showcases his talent. He was so creepy in an understated way. He made your skin crawl with his wide tooth grins. Kudos to the young man who plays the unfortunate novelist. His metamorphosis from starry-eyed youth to unstable and angry is the most fascinating journey to watch. Also, it was totally unpredictable. Everyone had their roles down pat. The only person I didn't much care for was the girlfriend. She was too dumb and wrapped up in herself to notice what her boyfriend was going through.

There were some plot holes that left me questioning some parts of the story but, for the most part, the writing was virtually air tight. The length was perfect at 10, one hour episodes. You can binge watch it in one day. Loved the soundtrack and will add it to my Spotify. Great choice for those in the mood for gritty.

Lire davantage

The most unsettling drama i've ever watched

Wow. I just finished this drama and needed a few minutes to process everything. I actually dropped this drama for months when I was at the 4th episode cause I felt like things were too slow for me. I picked it up today and decided to binge the rest of the episodes cause I had nothing better to do. I believe it was starting to really pick itself towards the end of the drama and by the 8-10 episode I was completely absorbed into this. This was one of the most unsettling dramas I've ever seen. The acting was phenomenal and the eery atmosphere of this drama had made me sit at the edge of my seat. This drama really did get better the more you watch it. The only reason I gave it an 8.5 was the fact it was a bit too slow for me, in the beginning, I was struggling to get through the episode and I was growing impatient waiting for it to pick up. BUT IT DID PICK ITSELF UP.

If you're questioning whether you want to give this drama a chance or not. I would just advise you to be mindful, this show is heavy in gore and can be a lot to watch, please make sure to be aware of the warnings before proceeding. To those who find this drama slow or boring at the start, I assure you this drama does indeed pick itself up and get so much better. If you ever get uncomfortable or feel like a scene is too much, stop the drama, The scenes are unsettling and heavy to watch and they don't get better or less grotesque, BUT STILL to those who LOVE psychological thriller and horror, I RECOMMEND THIS DRAMA. It is BRILLIANT.

Lire davantage

Key performances by the main three actors, combined with the great production team of sound and editing makes 'Strangers from Hell' an instant masterpiece for any horror and psychological television fans alike. Plot was so diverse and had layers of thickness to it that I've never seen such a show so well thought out before.
The pacing is also brilliant in each episode - it never drags, and has the right amount of violence scenes and more 'casual' scenes. This show is the first to give me proper goose bumps in a very long time, and some scenes made me so enticed that I truly believed I was in the show at some points!
Horror fans will love this show, also give it a try if you're into thrillers and basic crime dramas! This show is definitely not getting enough attention from what it deserves, watch this now!!

Lire davantage

Predictable but still thrilling twist

This drama had a twist that I was kind of expecting, but overall I had mixed emotions about it. It started out okay; a little creepy but kind of slow and disjointed, and there were characters I cared about and some I didn't. I definitely got a little frustrated, and there's this feeling of impending doom.

There's a twist towards the end which I kind of saw coming, but it was one that I had wanted to see so even though it was predictable, it raised my rating of this drama by quite a lot.

There are some very subtle moral questions that I liked too, and some of my questions are left unanswered but that's okay! Great October watch, finished just in time for Halloween.

Lire davantage

This is what finally made me get the appeal of Lee Dong Wook and I don't know what that says about me as a person. Either way, he made this drama for me. So, I am one of the people who think this drama went a little too slow with the narrative in the beginning. Sometimes, it felt like it was just walking circles while I wished to see more of the main character's interactions with Dong Wook's character.
I feel like this drama could have gone for *more*. Not on gore or violence, but they could have had even more fun with the concept (which is already very fun).
The acting was overall great from everyone, the production design was also very well done.
One thing I couldn't get behind was the main character's girlfriend, but those may have been cultural differences from my part. I just don't understand how any loving person would let their partner live in a place like that lol.
The drama was fun, especially by the end. In a perfect world it would have been as overtly homoerotic as Hannibal, but we can't have it all.

Lire davantage

Hell is empty and all the devils are here

This disturbing series is loaded with mental and physical violence partnered with philosophical symbolism and deep psychology.

If you have worked in or experienced the dark underbelly of human existence, the scenarios presented in this drama are not dissimilar to reality at all ... how a series of events and/or encounters with certain people over time can tip a person to lose their humanity ... childhood abuse, workplace abuse, societal abuse where you have to toe the line or face the consequences ... all leading to the buildup of intense suppressed rage ... and then implosion or explosion. Passive aggressive people seem to better manage this suppressed rage within the societal confines of propriety, but this method doesn't work for everyone one ... like Jong Woo ... he couldn't vent that rage into passive aggression, instead he could only imagine what he really wanted to do. The times he went 'physical' he got 'punished' which lead to more suppression.

It was fascinating how Moon Jo kept encouraging Jong Woo to be "truthful" ... to be authentic. It is very commonplace in the workplace and in social media to hear people telling you to "be your authentic self" ... people spew this phrase out like they were gaining merits or treasures in heaven. What does it mean to be your authentic self when you have all this suppressed rage that cannot be expressed in the family or the society or the workplace or the country you are in??? It is impossible ... especially when you have been psychologically 'invaded' and 'conquered' by abusers in your life.

The seeds of Jong Woo's metamorphosis were always there, even before he came to "Eden". Jong Woo just needed a little 'nurturing' to tip the scale... and that is exactly what Moon Jo did ... in the same way that Eom Bock Soon did to him and the twins ... Moon Jo hijacked Jong Woo's mind like a virus and psychologically became wedded to him ... calling him 자기야 . How symbolic was the name "Eden" for the place where this metamorphosis occurred ... like Adam and Eve, Jong Woo became 'corrupted' in 'Eden' and was then cast out into the world.

When Moon Jo said they could never kill him because there were too many of 'him' ... he was 100% right ... with a plethora of "Eom Bock Soon" and "Moon Jo" type parental figures / institutions / work colleagues etc ... the next generation is guaranteed.

Jean-Paul Sartre (existentialist philosopher and playwright) said in his play "No Exit":
"Hell is other people"

They mentioned this quote in this series. Sartre was of the view that humans were very much aware of how other people perceive them and that because of this awareness and the subsequent changes they make in response, they lose their freedom to be their original authentic selves. Not being able to be your authentic self and even be punished for it ... well that leads to all kinds of dramas ... just like this one ... an age old drama. Even William Shakespeare was across such a theme ... in his play "The Tempest" he wrote:
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here.”

Acting: The performances of Yim Si Wan, Lee Dong Wook, and Park Jong Hwan (played the twins) were outstanding.

Script: The scripting was generally of a high standard, but I felt that it went too slow in some places particularly some of Jung Hwa story scenes with her family/father and investigation processes ... I didn't think that really added much value to the story. I am glad that it was only 10 episodes (in my view it could have been less) as to flash it out to the usual 16 episodes would have totally destroyed the point of watching this blood bath and psychological descent into hell.
I found the scripting for the police scenes annoying and tropey - arrogant, presumptive know it all seniors and juniors going off half cocked doing their own thing (even though it was with good intentions and reasonable suspicion and because she got no support from her colleagues/line supervisors).

Rewatch - if you are into heavy brutal psychology and existential philosophy ... yeah it is worthy of a rewatch.

Overall: A disturbing series, but brilliant in its profound look at the human psyche in a repressed social context.

Lire davantage