itwillneverbefar

Ambitious, thought provoking, engrossing drama

This show has something that so few other dramas even seem to be aware of as a narrative device--thematic resonance. The show asks the question "What makes a story worth telling?" and explores the answer in a focused, thoughtful, and compelling way, with every single scene and line of dialogue serving to point back to this ultimate question in some way. And all while resisting the lazy urge of giving easy answers. The answers aren't for the show to decide, they are for the viewer to come to their own conclusion about as they watch this particular story unfold.

And what a story it is! Part psychological thriller, part slice of life, part coming of age, part mature romance, part family drama, even with a hint of absurdist comedy at times. The tonal shifts are handled flawlessly, helped along with a truly phenomenal score/soundtrack and a slew of stellar performances.

Choi Hyun Wook plays the ever-shifting Lee Kang with such understated intensity that the most mysterious character in the show somehow also feels the most grounded and real. The director lets you sit with him often, showing long close ups of his face, daring you to try and figure out what is truly behind his eyes. The moment you think you know, the next scene will make you question yourself, and the next scene question yourself again, but you never lose the feeling that there is SOMETHING yet to discover about him. He is a major source of tension and intrigue as you eagerly await what he will say or do next, and a truly captivating performance from what I think is the most promising actor of his generation.

Heo Mun Oh as the depressed, lost, and obsessed writer is the center of the story in a powerhouse performance by Choi Min Sik. Mun Oh is not likable or particularly charismatic, and yet he is so completely compelling. Despite so much that makes him unpalatable, Min Sik never lets us lose sight of what makes Mun Oh human, and I was fascinated and often extremely moved watching his character evolve over the course of the 6 episodes.

With an exception here or there, the side characters were also very well acted and help carry the extended side plot scenes without the leads so that they didn't feel draggy or bland.

This is a show that won't spell everything out for you, because while the show resolves in a satisfying and full way, it will leave you with many unanswered and unanswerable questions. This is actually one of the greatest strengths of the show, since in order to truly engage with it it demands you take time to digest it and mull it over even after the final credits roll, making it have a lasting and deep impression if you let it.

Were there some parts of the story I might have executed differently? Sure. I think the final twist could have been foreshadowed better, I might have spent less time in the second half on the side story with the family and more on the interactions between our main duo, and a couple other things here or there. But those few things cant and shouldn't overshadow a show that on the whole feels like such a breath of fresh air in a sea of muddled, cliche, rom coms and thrillers. At only 6 episodes, it is well worth the time and effort.

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