emiranda
I finished this drama two days ago and I'm still thinking about it.
Everything from the sound design to the acting conveys a truly fascinating story that tells what the human mind is capable of when there is the perfect storm of environment, life situations, and the question of what makes a person human.
I'm someone who really values excellent story telling and execution as well as acting ability, and this drama has fulfilled both wonderfully.
The plot was exactly what you would expect in any Psychological Thriller. The building tension, the unexpected twists, and relationships that are more than what they seem. It was very carefully crafted and laid out, and the pacing was perfect amount of rising action and falling action. Besides these things, I always find it fascinating when shows explore the depths of human's sanity and what that means when we let the darkness win (or what happens when we fight it). This show, in particular, had a special way of making it feel like a thriller but also a commentary on what extent our minds try to cope with our environments.
It felt like everything in this drama was intentional and genuine, and added more layers to this very rich story. Starting with quick cuts of our main character trying to find the perfect housing, we see his growing desperation until he lands at the Eden residence where he is quickly greeted by a smiling building owner who is quick to provide a quick drink and cheap rent. From there we have longer shots where the camera pans over the structure of this building and the audience gets a clearer view of what exactly our main character will truly be living in. This attention to detail in camera work extends to its sound design utilizing clear monotone sounds to convey the weight of a single moment, the background noise that clutters the main characters' mind, and the use of well timed OST created an atmosphere that remained unmatched from most dramas I've watched.
An actor I have to highlight here is Lee Dong-wook. I have seen him previously in dramas like Goblin and Touch Your Heart and currently in Tale of the Nine-Tails. My view of him is the perfect male lead who has a heart of gold and a smile you could die for. His visuals are perfect for the classic, dreamy male lead in romantic comedy dramas. So seeing him in the role of the villain made me truly believe in his acting ability. Lee Dong-wook's acting style of conveying the most subtle emotions with his eyes truly shone in this drama as he played this mysterious, yet insidious character. One moment he seems like a polite neighbor who wants to make our protagonist feel at home, and in the switch of a moment there is a darkness lurking that can be barely restrained. The subtle choices with his facial expressions were key in different moments of this drama and he truly delivered. This enhanced performance further highlighted Yoon Jong-woo's equally brilliant portrayal of our main character. While the tension of this drama is centered on two of the leads, each side character of this drama is vitally important and the actors who played them knew that.
It can be easy, sometimes, to rely on actors to deliver the exact message you want to tell the audience, but with this drama it has an easy balance between directing, sound mixing, and excellent acting.
Everything from the sound design to the acting conveys a truly fascinating story that tells what the human mind is capable of when there is the perfect storm of environment, life situations, and the question of what makes a person human.
I'm someone who really values excellent story telling and execution as well as acting ability, and this drama has fulfilled both wonderfully.
The plot was exactly what you would expect in any Psychological Thriller. The building tension, the unexpected twists, and relationships that are more than what they seem. It was very carefully crafted and laid out, and the pacing was perfect amount of rising action and falling action. Besides these things, I always find it fascinating when shows explore the depths of human's sanity and what that means when we let the darkness win (or what happens when we fight it). This show, in particular, had a special way of making it feel like a thriller but also a commentary on what extent our minds try to cope with our environments.
It felt like everything in this drama was intentional and genuine, and added more layers to this very rich story. Starting with quick cuts of our main character trying to find the perfect housing, we see his growing desperation until he lands at the Eden residence where he is quickly greeted by a smiling building owner who is quick to provide a quick drink and cheap rent. From there we have longer shots where the camera pans over the structure of this building and the audience gets a clearer view of what exactly our main character will truly be living in. This attention to detail in camera work extends to its sound design utilizing clear monotone sounds to convey the weight of a single moment, the background noise that clutters the main characters' mind, and the use of well timed OST created an atmosphere that remained unmatched from most dramas I've watched.
An actor I have to highlight here is Lee Dong-wook. I have seen him previously in dramas like Goblin and Touch Your Heart and currently in Tale of the Nine-Tails. My view of him is the perfect male lead who has a heart of gold and a smile you could die for. His visuals are perfect for the classic, dreamy male lead in romantic comedy dramas. So seeing him in the role of the villain made me truly believe in his acting ability. Lee Dong-wook's acting style of conveying the most subtle emotions with his eyes truly shone in this drama as he played this mysterious, yet insidious character. One moment he seems like a polite neighbor who wants to make our protagonist feel at home, and in the switch of a moment there is a darkness lurking that can be barely restrained. The subtle choices with his facial expressions were key in different moments of this drama and he truly delivered. This enhanced performance further highlighted Yoon Jong-woo's equally brilliant portrayal of our main character. While the tension of this drama is centered on two of the leads, each side character of this drama is vitally important and the actors who played them knew that.
It can be easy, sometimes, to rely on actors to deliver the exact message you want to tell the audience, but with this drama it has an easy balance between directing, sound mixing, and excellent acting.
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