unnerving, unsettling and uncomfortable
TW: this show has animal death, attempted sexual assault, and lots of blood/goreI honestly didn’t know what to expect with this show as I hadn’t heard much about it, but it really did exceed my expectations.
Initially I was drawn to this because *Lee Dong Wook* but if I’m honest, Yim Si Wan really did steal the show. His performance was fantastic and he really nailed that slow descent into madness; he managed to convey the real and terrifying aspects of depression, anxiety, paranoia and doubt. That combined with the PTSD of the character’s time in the army was absolutely perfect in the most devastating way.
The supporting cast were extremely unnerving; I’ll be honest, Lee Joong Ok’s performance as Nam Bok (ie. The Pervert in 313) made it very difficult for me to watch. He just oozed creepiness, and I have to give credit to the actor for managing to pull that off. Lee Jung Eun as Mrs. Eom was also a very unsettling performance; sickly sweet but pushy with a very dark side. I admit that the twins (played by Park Jong Hwan) was maybe my least favourite; there’s something uncomfortable about having a mentally disabled character as a villain, especially when the character is abusing animals – it just feels a little stereotyped and unfair. I will say that the characters of the twins were interesting in their differences to one another.
Lee Dong Wook as Moon Jo was mesmerising and terrifying. This was such a different role for me to see him in and he nailed it. He was absolutely fantastic opposite Yim Si Wan; I’ve seen some people argue about Moon Jo’s feelings towards Jong Woo, and I can see most points. However, my interpretation of Lee’s performance was an all consuming obsession with Jong Woo. It was uncomfortable but absolutely fantastic.
Ahn Eun Jin as the young police officer was a great choice; she managed to imbue the feeling of being a rookie but with a good head on her shoulders.
Stangers From Hell is an uncomfortable, unnerving and unsettling watch, and I absolutely loved it.
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Horror that gets under your skin...
STRANGERS FROM HELL (Hell is Other People/ Tainuen Jiokida) based on a webtoon by the same name, was an excellent psychological horror drama, full of dark, gritty weirdness. It many ways it takes you down the rabbit hole, so to speak, delving into dark topics on the basis of human nature. Are we good? Are we evil? Perhaps there's only a fine line in between. Strangers from Hell showcases all that darkness of human nature and exhibits the increasingly troubled mind of our struggling young protagonist as he deals with other people, and their various forms of evil and darknesses.Everything escalates from there. And what we get is such a masterpiece, though one that might be difficult to stomach, as its themes get increasingly darker and darker. Suffice it to say there are many references of murder, torture, cannibalism, and other forms of cruelty that can make most of us a bit squeamish. The slow build up, jarred with occasional but shocking scenes of violence or the macabre, makes the whole experience rather tense.
As a whole, the show completed what it set out to do. Give us viewers a dismal and disturbing glimpse into human nature, as through a mirror darkly. It does so brilliantly. Combine the excellent cast and acting, great original soundtrack, with great story buildup, and elements that mix the mystery, crime, suspense, and horror genres, you get an utterly twisted journey such as this series. It definitely might not be for everyone, especially for the faint of heart. It gets under your skin.
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Truly from HELL!
This k-drama drama has been the shortest I have watched with only 10 episodes. However, it PACKS what longer dramas do not have in 16!It is truly a master piece of horror, very DARK and twisted until the very end: Hollywood would only dream to create such an intricate story that will make you look the other way at times!
The acting is SUPERB, the location creepy as it should be, and the plot masterfully written.
I had never watched a dark k-drama but I am glad I did because it really adds flavor and variety to family dramas and others that are on a more positive note.
I would love to watch another one like this one in the future but it is not something you want to watch every week.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fever Dream
This kdrama is veeerrryyy fight club inspired i'd say. I definitely was NOT expecting that plotwist in the end, but thats what makes it all the more interesting i guess. This is also one of those kdramas that leave you with an open ending where you can only guess what happens in the end. I really like how they made us experience sort of a surreal experience along with the main character- And although the fandom loves to joke around how he and his killer alter ego are in love, it honestly does make a lot of sense. Was them being okay with each other in the end, them confessing their love for each other? LOL Im just blabbering around but the characters had more chemistry than the main character and his girlfriend!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
In just a few hours I did finished the whole drama and It was worth. I have seen all the hype and famous this drama was and today I did give a chance and watched.
And was like... WHAT????? It's so good. (Sometimes I did root for the villain, sorry)
All the cast did a amazing job, even me while watching did a get a little bit scared ☠☠☠
I love they way they did put the OST, in the right moments. Like, when did have a "moment" and they did put the classical music. I loved.
Lee Dong Wook, he acting surprised me so much in a very good way. Never seen him in this type of role and I want to see more.
Jong Woo, I'm a little confused about what did happen in the final in your head my bud, but I starting to get the hole thing.
It's surprising, intriguing and GOOD. Very good. Truly recommend!
BR-RJ (16:55)
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good shit
i‘ve been making this show my personality since i started watching it, it‘s been three months now and i cant seem to get over it. loved every second of it, despite the fact that it was confusing at some points, so i’ll definitely rewatch it again to get all of the connections implied.i‘ve always been afraid of the dentist (which was why my dad told me not to watch it) but now i just think of moonjo doing it and i‘m good to go lmao
also i really love the ost‘s.. even listening to them rn
strangers from hell is definitely (after kinnporsche) my fav kdrama
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hell really is other people
I finished this show 2+weeks ago and i'm still thinking about it and lowkey considering rewatching it. It hit all the notes and even though I know a season two wouldn't make sense, I want more!This was my first foray into Korean thrillers/horrors and boy did I ever pick a doozy. I have had this show on my watchlist on netflix since early 2020, but never took the plunge to watch it and now I am regretting that. It is SO GOOD. Like....really good. I didn't know what to expect going into the show, but it was so so much better than I ever thought it would be.
I could go on and on about the story, the music, and most importantly THE ACTING. The entire cast was so creepy and enthralling. Lee Dongwook and Im Siwan had some crazy chemistry and their scenes were always just on another level of creepy and intrigue.
All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who likes things that are a little messed up and crazy, but with a kickass soundtrack and a very talented group of actors. I will be rewatching this in the near future and losing my mind at it's brilliance, again.
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Eerily Entertaining
This is not for the faint hearted and those who have a weak stomach for gore. I found myself dieting for some reason while watching thru the 10 episodes. I can't seem to swallow food thinking about the carmine scenes you'd always see on most episodes. The insanity and how each actor meticulously portray their characters are superb, you'll hate and get scared of them to the core. I love the soundtrack, it gets stuck in your head making you consciously become aware about possible scary things around you, just like what any successful horror flick does to you when it's really a hit.Was this review helpful to you?
10/10 with no doubt
Strangers from hell is such a good series for people who are looking for a thriller type of kdrama. If that's your case, then you're 100% be interested in this series.The dark cinematography is not something that I usually enjoy, but it fits the story so much that I wasn't even bothered with it.
Even though some scenes might be very disturbing, I think they are what makes this kdrama different from other thrillers.
The soundtrack is on point for every scene and the characters are very well structured. There are little to no plot holes and everything fits like a big puzzle.
The only reason why I gave this drama a 9.5 of rewatch value instead of a 10 is because NOTHING equals to watching this for the first time, even if the series is still awesome on the second time you watch it, there won't be that feeling of surprise at every scene anymore.
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probably my favorite show i have watched.
me, personally, i love this show so much. i saw it on netflix when i starting using my friends and i immediately got interested. my favorite character is mun-jo of course because he is played by the beautiful and amazing lee dong wook. i was watching the first or second episode of this show and i got my mom into it so i couldn't watch it without her. we both loved the show. it took me a little longer than expected to watch this 10 episode show of an hour each because i had to watch it with my mom, but we still loved it.the acting was magnificent. the facial expressions, actions, everything was amazingly done. i have the OST playlist saved on my spotify, i listen to it all the time. the actor of the twin(s) did very well. the character was pulled off so nice by the actor. im glad that they took his role in the show. im siwan, my dude, you did a m a z i n g in this. lee hyun-wook also acted very well in this. im not going to list off everyone's name but long story short, i DEEPLY recommend this. of course if you are sensitive to violence, insanity, language, blood, etc, i would not recommend. even though it is a good show, it can be triggering to some people. over all else, i loved it and will most defiantly be watching again.
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This review may contain spoilers
Twists and turns around every corner and an ending that leaves you with your jaw on the floor. A creepy hostel where everyone in it is harboring some dark secret or evil side of themselves, but inside there are no rules. Yoon Jung-Woo moves in and slowly begins his decent into madness.--Spoilers Below --
Yoon Jung Woo when he's first introduced is a handsome, smart guy who is pursuing a job in tech. His girlfriend lives in a different city and is working for a large company. Jung Woo finds everyone in the hostel creepy and somewhat strange, but cannot find another place cheap enough, so he stays there. He slowly begins making friends with some of his neighbors, particularly a handsome dentist: Seo Moon Jo. As the months go by, Jung Woo finds his life dreary and finds everyone around him annoying and beneath him. His coworker speaks down on him, but is secretly a pervert. His boss who is supposed to be his friend... is trying to steal his girlfriend behind his back. He cuts every one off and begins spending more time with Moon Jo. Their relationship, although odd, was one of my favorites in the show. As more and more time progresses and the longer Jung Woo stays in the hostel, the more his mind goes crazy. It's hard to tell what's real and not real and in the end, he's the one who pays the price fully.
Seo Moon Jo is a serial killer who has been hiding in hostels with other killers moving around for years. He works as a dentist for his ordinary life and comes home to the hostel and is cannibal by night. He found solace in Eom Bok Soon and they begin running the hostel together as a cover for killing and eating people. They kill tourists and random people who come through, never being enough evidence for the hostel to be considered or they leave before the cops can come for them. He is more controlled with his killing and methodical and also wants to find a prodigy to pass on his talents and live on in them. Moon Jo slowly brainwashes Jung Woo and falls in love with him, making him do whatever he wants, and Jung Woo not even knowing. He knows what Jung Woo is capable of and brings it out of him. Towards the end as the cops zero in, he gets Jung Woo to kill him and completing his wish of living on inside of Jung Woo's mind.
I loved his character and the way Lee Dong Wook played him. Such a dark and evil character, but has such a charisma that even pulls you in as a viewer.
-- End of Spoilers --
I didn't care for the cop side of the story at all because the more interesting side of the story was in the hostel, in my opinion. I skipped through most of it and stuck with watching the main plotline. Other than that, I would say it's not one that you would be able to re-watch since the main mystery and thrill is gone, but it's still a great, easy, short watch.
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Creepy and intense
Strangers from hell started as a basic suspense story in the first 2 episodes, however things started taking a different turn when Lee Don Wook was introduced.Charming dentist and the strangers with their murderous intent in a residence, teams up to form a bunch of psychopath who kills for fun. The climax was a bit of twister, although it was a little predictable.
Nevertheless, Strangers from hell was an intensely suspense thriller, with lots of violence and craziness that sometimes maybe a bit difficult to consume.
My Rating : 8/10
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