Compelling series
This was not my usual type of series to watch. However it caught my attention with the title and the short intro as i looked on the list of new & popular on Netflix, so i decided to give it a try and watch the first episode . That was my fatal mistake, once i started watching i felt compelled to watch the complete series.It was only as i read reviews afterwards that i realized it was from a non-fiction book. So a true story. I would love to read the book but unfortunately i have not yet found it in English. But i have not given up yet and still hope to find it.
The lead actor Kim Nam Gil's performance was of another class, it was brilliant, i could not fault his performance, you could feel the struggles he went through to achieve some understanding of the criminal mind. Kim So Jin and Jin Seon Kyu also lead actors were equally as good. The emotion came through the screen and you could feel the changes as you went through the series. The supporting cast member, though how you call the actors who portrayed the criminals as supporting cast, they were faultless. It was all in all a superb performance from all, even the smaller roles where well acted.
As you go through the series non of the episodes are slow and boring there is always something to keep you watching, and looking forward to the next episode.
I was quite sad when i realized i was watching the final episode.
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a 11/10 crime show with really consistent and brilliant writing
literally one of the most interesting crime/thriller dramas I've seen. i always enjoy shows where they delve deep into the criminal psyche, being a huge fan of mindhunter, i already knew i was gonna love the drama for that aspect at least. and man, i was definitely not disappointed. this drama totally served more than my expectations. in fact, i actually wasn't expecting much bc it's usually hard to hold my attention for a slow paced k-drama but this one really took my brain by choke hold and had a steady hold on the interest button in my brain. a very pleasant surprise.
i think what really makes this drama is the fact that it is very consistent in terms of its theme. It's focused on the development of criminal profiling, delving deep into the criminal psyche but never losing the focus. grief and the bereaved takes the center stage in the play, not the monster. the writing is just straight up brilliant in terms of how it focuses on the criminal psyche without humanizing them or glorying or justifying their action bc of their past. the past exists, it impacts them but it does not justify their actions. the explicitness of this message is so very evident in the writing but it does so by shifting the focus on the victim not by putting down the monster's past. that's what i find most interesting. like i really like the writing god, it's written so well i dont have words to describe it.
kim nam gil has done such a phenomenal job with song ha young's character, the grief and empathy he carries for the victim is heart wrenching. the acting was simply amazing in this k-drama, i especially love the people who played the serial killers, their acting was top-tier and contributed such solidness to the characters. i've a lot of respect for the cast and the production team definitely. :)
like yeah solid this was definitely 11/10 writing + good characters + good acting. all of that really served it well and polished it into an underrated gem. i'm so very glad i gave it a chance before 2022 ended, this drama seriously gnaws its way into your heart with that writing. do give it a try, it really does not disappoint in serving!
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posible for s2 if they want
In these 12 episodes I think the first two cases are quite good and the details are also quite good And easy to understand but the essence of this drama is about Profiler and most of the Profiler is to identify serial murders but serial murder cases in this drama actually look very absurd serial killers don't caught by the police after being identified, but caught due to negligence during the act of murder, this serial murder case is what makes this drama destroyed even though the core of this drama is about serial murder I think in these twelve episodes I can see alot of unique cases but delayed due to serial murder cases, especially the very few episodes, making the rating not going to be high.And what makes me feel very absurd is that serial killers who only have photos of their backs,they make a list of wanted people, but serial killers who they have the drawing picture of the culprit's face they don't put them on the people's wanted list so that it makes alot of other victims fall ,, in my opinion very not makes sense
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Kim nam Gil does not dissapoint!
This drama actually keeps his promise, there were no subplots or whatever writers always use to drag the drama. And knowing that the drama was based on a true story it was really well executed, all the cast did a great job at portraying their characters.It's true that it was slow and somehow predictable, but since this is based on a true story, i kind of expected it. Because in real life it is not so easy to solve a crime case and to be a profiler at the time was not something common.
So i will give this drama an 8.5/10, and i totally recommend it, though it is not the kind of drama i would rewatch lol.
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Good thiller
It is really interesting to see the development of the characters and the journey they had to go through to get the respect they deserve. The beginning was too slow for me and I almost dropped the drama but I am glad I did not.The acting was great. The story line is good and the killers were portrayed well but it is not as dark as I thought it will be. The middle part of the drama got me hooked but close to end I was starting loosing interest. Maybe because I watched Mouse & Signal which is very hard to beat and I have heigh expectations now.
Overall it was not bad and it was not great…
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This review may contain spoilers
Good, but not great
An interesting premise, and explores a side of crime dramas beyond the usual clues and characters having an einstein moment. Where the drama falls short is in the character development and the amount of them which are redundant. A lot of characters are introduced but don't really drive the plot or serve any significant purpose. Case and point is the journalist and her boss. They don't affect the plot whatsoever, and are pretty redundant outside of giving the Behaviour Analysis team an interview. Yet we see them every single episode bickering. Same goes with the data analyst on their team, he doesn't contribute anything apart from helping them bounce ideas and just stays in the office. The two leads also lack chemistry, we don't see them learn alot about each other. There are also some pretty underwhelming resolutions to some of the serial killers.Compared to Signal or Beyond Evil, it falls short.
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everyone has their own worst memories but that reason cannot justify us to commit a crime.
bagus si drama nya, yang nonton jadi lebih tau gimana perasaan si pelaku. ga cuma interogasi ttg kasus aja, tapi juga interogasi ttg masa lalu dia, knp dia bisa membunuh. nonton ini bikin naik darah banget lah. apalagi waktu pemvunuhnya itu bilang kl dia ngelakuin itu cuma karena ingin. bajingan kali. Tapi pelaku” nya ditangkap ga sesuai bayangan ku gitu. yang kasus topi merah, kayak ga nyangka tiba tiba ketangkap gitu, kayak kelihatan mudah. aku mikir kayak udah gitu aja dan di kasus kasus lain jg yg kayak cpt banget ditangkapnya. mungkin karena emang mau lebih fokus nyeritain perilaku si psiko nya kali ya. jadi ga terlalu fokus sama cara nangkapnya. okelah drama ini, awalnya agak lambat karena baru mungkin tetapi makin lama makin cepat dapet profil tersangkanya. aku searching pelaku yg sbnrnya dan pelakunya mirip vibesnya sama pelaku yang ada di drama. gilasi hebat bgt milihnya. accent si pelaku pun bnr bnr diikutin.Was this review helpful to you?
The Korean Mindhunter But Not Quite
Right off the bat, dunno why some on here are giving this bad ratings on here while a show as awful as signal has such high ratings lol. Anyway.....as a huge mindhunter fan I was so excited for this and it met my expectations. When I started it I was slightly disappointed as I went around calling it the Korean Mindhunter and was let down by the lack of the 'fincher-esque' fast paced but almost academic storytelling. But its just entirely different i mean its set some 35 years later in South Korea.. very different but good nevertheless. At first Detective Yoon was frustrating but every character on the show is fully realized and based in reality, so you'll learn to bare with it. Also would be good to actually research some of the real cases the show was based on and read a bit about Prof Kown IlYong whom Song Hayoung is based off of.This was an excellent show and for someone interested in the psychology of criminals, i was thoroughly entertained. They handled the cases with respect and it was honestly clever unfolding of plot.
Initially was uncomfortable with the editing and look of the show, (the high-contrast postprod sharpness effect really threw me off) but I came arnd to enjoying it - it really captures that dark late 90's early 00's era of south korean criminal bureaus.
Best kshow of 2022 alongside juvenile justice for me.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great thriller drama/ Similar to Mouse
Damn the murders are surprisingly well detailed and i cant believe this is based on real story its good so far and the people who gave this a 4.5 or 2.5 or even 1 i dont understand u lmao. this is focused on profiling not rlly a thriller focused and also the psycopaths getting interviewed are so convincing and scary they did amazing. But this isnt something i'd rewatch the murders details are so scarring, it gave me chills. I didnt consider watching this when i saw the age rating was 15+, was a bit confused. But this isnt a bad thriller drama and derserves the high global rating.Was this review helpful to you?
The Darkest Minds.
A 9/10 because this was extremely an eye opener for me. I've never investigated murderers, looked up police procedures or psychopaths and had never even known that they had certain behavioral patterns until this. Though, a caveat for thrill seekers -- this drama is no regular "thriller". It is more procedural and gives an indepth look into the lives of Criminal Profilers. (This might be the reason why I did not feel to rate it a 10/10.)I am quite curious about how the original book was written because Through the Darkness is carried by the efforts of two budding criminal profilers, Song Ha Young and Captain Young Soo. Despite their intense passion for that specific line of work, they often face ridicule from their colleagues, thanks to the apprehension that follows anything new.
The entire story as a whole is told in an almost episodic format, loosely based on some of the major crimes that were headlines in South Korea. (As a matter of fact, Gu Young Chun, who was sentenced to death, is still alive and imprisoned.)
In particular, I was impressed and terrified by Song Ha Young, an introverted detective who was extremely sensitive to the emotions of everyone surrounding him. I have to say, he is hands down one of the most genuinely nice and fluffy male leads out there. We see his intense passion for his work. What was surprising to me was how I grew attached to even his own mother, who definitely has less screen time than any other characters who are working on the field. His rapport with his more extroverted colleague was one of the lighter parts of the show. I slowly began to care for both of the profilers and their family.
Captain Yoon, one of the major female characters, was introduced in a rather annoying fashion —- I grew to like her refurbished attitude as the story progressed, but I failed to understand her rude approach to the Criminal Profilers in the first place. I found the female reporter disconcerting as she had only a countable number of scenes. I wished to see more of her passion for her work.
The crimes were gruesome and the interviews were bleak —- but, as someone mentioned, we are the creators of our destiny. We choose to become who we are.
Funnily, both my mom and a friend of mine advised me in the exact same manner that Song Ha Young was admonished on episode 8 and 9.
I hope that the real authors as well as the entire cast and crew behind the scenes received extensive counselling and therapy after wrapping up. This show is not for the light hearted.
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DARK SIDE STORY FOR EACH OF CRIMINALS!
Just finished watched this Masterpiece drama last month. Watching this just because of Kim Nam Gil. Love all the stories for each of the killers. They had their own motive for all the cruel murders. Most of them had terrible & dark past. And I really love the Criminal Behavioral Analysis team. Kim Nam Gil & Jin Seon Kyu chemistry is so perfect. The way they interview all the psycho killers and make a research about their past (background) is so amazing. Each of the killers are so damn psycho and crazy. Thumbs up to all of the actors that played as a psycho killers. Although all of them are new face (actor) but damn their acting is really another level. I can feel all the emotions. So sad its only 12 EP, I wish there's more EP for this drama. Hope to see season 2.Was this review helpful to you?
Definitely Worthy of the American Series Crime-thriller, Criminal Minds
After the massive disappointment with the Kdrama version of Criminal Minds aired in 2017; I was a bit skeptical about Through the Darkness.However, i am so glad to say… I was so very wrong.
Through the Darkness is a well executed psychological crime/thriller production; well-worthy of the successfully and critically acclaimed American series, Criminal Minds.
Kim Nam Gil gave us a mind-blowing performance of a lifetime.
Adapted from the autobiography of Korea's first criminal profiler, Kwon Il Yong’s field experiences…
Kim Nam Gil’s genuine empathic character, Song Ha Young, certainly did him justice.
Great production, great directing and a well-versed cast, all around… Starting with the main leading cast to all of the supporting cast.
Through the Darkness is a well executed psychological crime/thriller drama.
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