Most characters lack charm and emotional depth, making it hard for the audience to connect with them. 3/10
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Underdeveloped Story... should you watch now, skip or watch later?
I watched the drama in one sitting and often skipped due to unnecessary scenes.Plot: I feel that the story is underdeveloped. It is complex but lacks depth. The story lacks a central conflict driving the narrative. There were plot holes, and the investigation of the death story was not seamlessly done. I always think it was added to complicate the story, but it's unnecessary. Indeed, the characters must be built out of circumstances that happened to each character, but the female lead character was full of twists, trying to make her life appear miserable and broken, and to me, ended up with a question - what happened?
What's good about the story: They were able to stitch a good story about the cause of divorce between HJ and LS.
Romance: I think it was sufficient; it was nicely done, and it did not feel like the story was trying so hard to build the romance. It was ok.
The title: It seems they made the title as if the trunk is the driver of the mystery, but it was disappointing... Is it just me? The trunk could even be omitted.
The acting: I liked Seo Hyun-jin even from the other dramas she did. I knew she was a good actress. I know that Gong Yoo was one of the most popular actors in Korea, but I've not seen his works, apart from the old Coffee Prince. Maybe he is a good actor, but I did not feel him in this drama.
Recommendation: Watch later when you have no other drama to watch.
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Watching without expectation
I watched this without expectation whatsoever, just wanting to see Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin.The premise was interesting, and they executed it quite well. This drama is not everyone's cup of tea, but I truly enjoyed it. It might be not that extraordinary, plot wise, but acting wise, it was superb.
Gong Yoo and Seo Hyunjin really showed up and acted!!!! I also loved the one who played Seo Yeon, she potrated her role as a crazy broken woman really well.
Overall it is a good watch if you're looking for melancholy dark slow drama with adult romance.
Note: Gong Yoo be looking really so damn good here.
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SLOW-PACED SLOW-BURN, double slow
This drama was not made for binge-watching. It’s neither light nor fast-paced, and it requires patience. The story unfolds at a deliberate pace, with a slow-burn romance that takes its time to develop. Each episode runs for about an hour.What worked for me:
— Choice of music: The drama does a great job of creating a mysterious vibe through the BGM. I also liked the opening theme.
— Character development: I appreciated the character development throughout the series, which added depth and made the relationships and conflicts more engaging.
— The ex-wife: I absolutely hated her. She was incredibly manipulative, selfish, and controlling, and it was infuriating to watch her. However, this strong frustration I felt toward her shows just how well her character was written and portrayed. Despite being highly unlikeable, her presence heightened the tension and made the dynamics between the leads more interesting.
Drawbacks:
— Pacing: The pacing was too slow at times, which made some parts of the story drag unnecessarily.
— Anticlimactic: For all the suspense and buildup, the reveal of the killer felt anticlimactic and didn’t deliver the punch I was expecting.
— Nudity: I have nothing against it, but I couldn’t help wondering if it was truly necessary and whether it added any depth to the characters.
Do I want to watch it again? No.
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Acting Master Class
Masterful Acting from every actor involved Awesome to see Gong Yoo back on the big screen He emotes better than actor All the actors were amazing in this series Unfortunately the story line, pacing & overall enjoyment lost it's luster with the messy plot. There were just too many anti-climax's The one year marriage contract that apparently only the wife got to enjoy , while the husband grieved the loss of his marriage and as the story evolves their unborn child There was no redemption for the wife character at all , she was portrayed as selfish calculating vindictive, the husband was a rather pathetic character from start to finish really. The 2nd contract wives story line, her marriage to a bisexual which apparently was the worst thing ever. The murderer who was murdered just so much going on way too much Of course the nude sex scenes which just stimulated but done nothing for the movement of the story All in all if the acting wasn't top notch it would have been a definite passWas this review helpful to you?
Wow! It should win the 'WORST DRAMA IN "2024" award!!!
I think that only " The School Nurse Files" and "The Witch's Diner" were the ugliest drama that I saw togheter with this one.The drama is super overdramatic, exaggerated reactions. OST composed of only two tracks played an infinite number of times over the course of 8 episodes. Characters without personalities. Rising scenes that have no logical thread and it is never explained when they happen (2, 5 years ago, present, future). Nothing is understood. At the end of the drama things become clearer, but the narrative is aberrant. Too bad for the cast. Excellent actors but also confused about their characters. Don't waste your time looking at it.
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1.5x....and still the story doesn't pick up!
This would've been better off a movie than an 8 episode drama!1. Started quite strong but even the first episode took forever...even with 1.5x.
2. Too draggy and somethings were pointless. For ex, When the FL gets to know they're being monitored and that there's a camera she decides to not tell the ML. I mean for what? oh because the ML won't be able to take it. But how about eventually he will get to know it one day and then that'll be even more heartbreaking than now!?
3. The overall Trunk story had actually nothing to do with the trunk to begin with. The entire story was all about one's evil obsession and this trunk suspense was...i don't know why it was even needed in the first place!
Unfortunately it was just an ok drama that failed to bring in proper suspense due to its "melodrama" style.
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Boring, Weird, Deceptively Basic Plot
My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.I wasn't sure about watching this. I'm not really into contract romances. However, psychological is my favorite K-drama genre... so I do like darker stuff.
Acting/Cast: A good cast with good acting. Although, two of the characters, I think, looked too similar. It may be confusing for people who are new to K-dramas. It was Jo Yi Geon (조이건), who for some reason isn't listed in the cast (the second female lead's new husband) and Kim Dong Won (김동원), who plays the stalker. When I was half paying attention to this drama I would get them mixed up. There's also some characters in this drama that I'm not sure why they're there. But, to be fair, I'm not sure why this drama is doing anything it's doing. 7/10
Writing: This drama is so overdramatic. They tease the hell out of us like it's such a crazy murder mystery and it's not. Literally, it's nothing. It's all a gimmick. This drama is more like a life drama that's trying to trick us into thinking it's a scary mystery drama. The villains are non-threatening and the motives are weak. Actually, the real villains are the cops because they refuse to lock up a psycho murderer until after he kills someone, but they have to catch him doing it on camera with his face showing clearly. So if the cops aren't going to do anything about this dude, then someone else will...naturally. The story is just very predictable and way overdramatic for what the plot actually is. By the end...well I wasn't really surprised by how dull the "revelations" were because I could see it coming, but it was pretty strange that there wasn't really anything to the story and that the contract marriage aspect to it was really just a gimmick. They could have told the same story without that and I think it would have been much better, too - there would be more at stake. The female lead doesn't make much sense. Even the whole thing with her and her ex was overdramatic and weird. The male lead was a decent character, though. I think he was the only decently written aspect of this drama (except if I had his trauma, I'd have a device on me at all times that detects hidden cameras). The ending...I haven't seen such a sudden dramatic change in a character before. It only made this whole drama feel even more pointless. 1/10
Direction/SFX/Music: The SFX is fine. The music is good, but it doesn't fit the drama. It just feels so dramatic for no reason. I wanted to say that this drama feels "over-produced", but when I looked up exactly what that word means, people said either it means you can't explain why you don't like a film or that there's too much meaning behind every little thing. But, I mean it in the sense that it feels really flashy (the music, camera work, direction, etc.) as if the story is going to be something really badass or scary or intricate, but it's really not. The production is gaslighting me. The direction is also confusing for no reason - making scenes appear as if they're dreams when they're not? Right? 3.5/10
Entertainment Value: I binged this drama, but not because I was liking it. It was because it's only 8 episodes and I just wanted to get it over with. I wish I didn't though. I feel like I wasted my time. Nothing cool happens; it just gets more dumb and confusing as it goes. 1/10
Overall, I gave this drama a 3/10. The production of it felt a lot like The Glory, but the writing was more like...Please Don't Date Him...yeah that's a good reference. That's another overdramatic drama that was really just a life drama that used sci-fi and mystery elements to make it seem like it was going to be something more interesting.
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When Your favorite actors can't save an underwhelming story...
I was instantly excited when I saw "The Trunk" pop up on Netflix. Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin are favorites from two of my most rewatched KDramas ever ("Coffee Prince" & "Another Miss Oh"), so I just knew this short drama would be a new favorite of mine. Their performances lived up to my expectations but unfortunately, this drama did not."The Trunk" is a romantic but melancholy thriller whose plot deals with heartbreak, manipulation, trauma, and longing, and yet the slow pace and convoluted story made this difficult for me to finish. I kept hoping as more of the plot was revealed that I would connect more with the story but I never did. Even the concept of the actual trunk, which seemed like a literal representation of the emotional baggage the characters carried with them, didn't live up to the importance the title suggested. Even as a melodrama it falls flat, despite the great chemistry between the leads. I hoped that the suspense would eventually make me care, but it didn't. The strongest message ended up being that marriages are transactions that don't always benefit both parties, creating resentment and regret.
Gong Yoo, plays a much darker character than the more comedic KDrama romcom characters he is usually known for in earlier dramas, which is nice to see. He plays Jeong Won, an addict who's obsessed with his ex-wife and consumed with childhood trauma. Seo Hyun Jin on the other hand plays a depressed and heartbroken character who is similar in some ways to her role in "Another Miss Oh" without the comedic moments. No In Ji is abandoned by her Fiance which leaves her detached emotionally and leads her to become a contract wife for hire. Both of these actors play well off of each other with chemistry that is undeniable but because these characters spend so much of this drama being either emotionally unavailable or melancholy, instead of being excited to watch their relationship develop I felt drained.
Then there is Jung Yun Ha as Lee Seo Yeon, Jeong Won's manipulative ex who is also a great character with a character arc that I just didn't get. It also doesn't help that this drama is told out of sequence which made her motivations even harder to follow and understand or empathize with. She and her Boy Toy contract husband had their own interesting chemistry but as the drama dragged on I became less and less interested in them.
Even the main villain, Kim Dong Won from another favorite of mine "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" was played well but was written to be so one-dimensional that his character was more boring than menacing.
If I'm honest I didn't care about any of the supporting characters or cameos, even though some talented well-known actors were nice to see.
Would I watch this again? No, or at least not without a full explanation that makes the story suddenly more interesting. This is meant to be part suspenseful crime drama but I could barely even understand what they were investigating and why. We experience that part of the story mainly through flashbacks, and we are meant to see situations from different perspectives. The Trunk is the catalyst but It also felt like a red herring. Maybe a second viewing knowing how the plot unfolds would make me like this more, but I still think the slow drawn-out pace would make it hard to actually enjoy. The two leads are the only reason I would even consider giving the drama a 2nd try.
Overall, this drama is beautifully shot and the actors are great, but it's a buzz kill. Maybe my expectations were too high, but where the acting and direction excelled the writing was a failure for me. This drama is heavy on symbolism and light on plot. If you're looking for character development or a thrilling mystery I think this drama missed the mark on both. The romance is decent if you like the premise of two dysfunctional people exploring love and healing past hurts but don't expect a satisfying payoff. Even the soundtrack tried too hard to be "interesting" and at times felt too over the top to take seriously. Even dealing with my own grief recently, I couldn't relate to these characters or their pain, especially through fragmented flashbacks that were hard to piece together. I also finished it in a day and a half but it felt like it took a week, which isn't great for an 8 episode drama. Binging shouldn't feel like work.
This drama isn't the worst but I can't recommend it, even for the performances. Maybe if you're just in the mood for something slower-paced, and grown up you will enjoy this more than I did. Seo Hyun Jin stoic poker face, and Gong Yoo's emo puppy dog eyes have their limits for me, so I think this would have been MUCH better as a movie with a faster pace. "The Trunk" as a drama left me frustrated and drowning in boredom and watching the time way too often. I like a good noir vibe but not a turn-out-the-lights-and-snore vibe. I struggled my way to the end which took a lot of patience and I wouldn't try to convince anyone else to do the same.
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It's decent
The trunk is a mix of psychological, mystery, and melodrama. It deals with various complex themes such as mental health, loneliness, complex human relationship, and the meaning of love and marriage.Pros
- Acting and cinematography are amazing
- Premise and initial character settings are interesting
- Chemistry is good
- I like the closure on FL & ML, they're both healing and they might find each other again if fate allows. It's a fitting resolution
Cons
- Mystery plot is not giving, it feels unnecessary and ruin the overall plot imo. The way it concluded was also unsatisfying
- Story feels underdeveloped
- Supporting casts feels underutilised and even the ex-wife got bland towards the end. I would prefer if she became the main "villain" until the end
- Pacing can be off at times
Honestly, it's a pretty decent show and I enjoyed watching it... but it does feel underwhelming. It doesn't leave much of an impression and I think I'll forget about it easily.
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Intriguing yet ineffective at its core
Being stylish and beautifully shot is one thing, but is the story well told with adequate suspense to be attached to, this drama simply fails to impress after some time. Most of the plot just stays there looking stagnant, with non stop teasing over and over again for the course of 8 hours of runtime in a very slow burn fashion, and as if the plot devices could make enough connections in the sense that was supposed to be potent on social commentaries, sadly the key to unlock the trunk is not present.Was this review helpful to you?
been craving for a romance with a little bit of darkness and this gave me that
for the name and synopsis the show didn't have much to do with the trunk. the poster conveys the essence of the show more than the title.
the first half was very good, the narration changes from the two past situations to the present mystery kept me on the edge of the seat. from the second half onwards the mystery lost its appeal cause we knew what it was.
i liked the character, our cold fl and traumatized co-dependent ml and a insane and evil side characters. their romance might be a pure one, maybe not even love, just affection coming out of a deep place of trauma and loneliness but it was still a good watch.
the cinematography made the show and the way the house was used was great.
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