I Promise I am Not a Troll...
At this rate my drama ratings are going to make me look like a troll.
I promise I'm not. I just have a terrible track record with dramas that everyone says are masterpieces. Ooops.
I was excited for this one. These are exactly my kinds of dramas. I love crime thrillers like Signal and its contemporaries, so I thought this would be right up my alley.
And to be fair, on a technical level, I completely get the hype.
The story is layered, nuanced, and intelligently written. The acting is flawless. The chemistry across the cast is excellent. The cinematography is gorgeous too.I loved the moody colour palette and restrained visual style. It feels meticulously directed and beautifully produced. You can tell everyone involved knew exactly what drama they wanted to make.
My issue wasn't the quality.It was the pacing.
I've searched Reddit because I genuinely thought I was going crazy, and I was relieved to find plenty of people articulating the same issue. They articulate better than I do so if you find yourself in the existential crisis that I was in of not gelling with Beyond Evil, please checkout Reddit. The pacing in Beyond Evil isn't an accident ,it's a deliberate stylistic choice. You can tell it was carefully considered, and I respect that.
It just didn't work for me.
The opening is incredibly restrained and insular, and then once the story begins revealing itself, it almost swings too far in the opposite direction. It felt like a sneeze in reverse—you spend ages waiting for it, and then suddenly everything comes rushing out.
I just couldn't gel with it.
I watched the first five episodes, skipped ahead to key reveals, and then watched the ending. So yes... I technically dropped it and consumed it in bits and bobs. I know, I know. 😭
But this now joins a very specific list of dramas that simply aren't my cup of tea despite me fully acknowledging they're objectively excellent. My Mister, Dong Yi, The Crowned Clown... and now Beyond Evil.
So if you're someone who enjoys slow-burn, highly restrained storytelling, you'll probably have an amazing time with this.
But if, like me, you keep feeling like something just isn't quite clicking... you're definitely not alone.
I promise I'm not. I just have a terrible track record with dramas that everyone says are masterpieces. Ooops.
I was excited for this one. These are exactly my kinds of dramas. I love crime thrillers like Signal and its contemporaries, so I thought this would be right up my alley.
And to be fair, on a technical level, I completely get the hype.
The story is layered, nuanced, and intelligently written. The acting is flawless. The chemistry across the cast is excellent. The cinematography is gorgeous too.I loved the moody colour palette and restrained visual style. It feels meticulously directed and beautifully produced. You can tell everyone involved knew exactly what drama they wanted to make.
My issue wasn't the quality.It was the pacing.
I've searched Reddit because I genuinely thought I was going crazy, and I was relieved to find plenty of people articulating the same issue. They articulate better than I do so if you find yourself in the existential crisis that I was in of not gelling with Beyond Evil, please checkout Reddit. The pacing in Beyond Evil isn't an accident ,it's a deliberate stylistic choice. You can tell it was carefully considered, and I respect that.
It just didn't work for me.
The opening is incredibly restrained and insular, and then once the story begins revealing itself, it almost swings too far in the opposite direction. It felt like a sneeze in reverse—you spend ages waiting for it, and then suddenly everything comes rushing out.
I just couldn't gel with it.
I watched the first five episodes, skipped ahead to key reveals, and then watched the ending. So yes... I technically dropped it and consumed it in bits and bobs. I know, I know. 😭
But this now joins a very specific list of dramas that simply aren't my cup of tea despite me fully acknowledging they're objectively excellent. My Mister, Dong Yi, The Crowned Clown... and now Beyond Evil.
So if you're someone who enjoys slow-burn, highly restrained storytelling, you'll probably have an amazing time with this.
But if, like me, you keep feeling like something just isn't quite clicking... you're definitely not alone.
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