The Guest (2018)

A little predictable and little not.

The Guest is a drama centered around three characters whose life goes through horrible change when they directly and indirectly encounter an infamous spirit Park Il Do. Years later, the trio end up meeting each other accidentally. This is a decadent horror drama for fans looking for some scary thriller. However, the first two episodes of this drama are the scariest. After the intro episodes, we do become familiar with which direction the story is going in. Though it seems predictable at various points, it does manage to keep you on your toes. My favourite part about the drama was the dynamics between the leads. From distrusting each other to working together, the bromance progresses well. The pace of the story varies as well — there are parts which are slow but the intense almost cliffhanger reveals keep you going. It’s a fun drama to watch in a group, to speculate and discuss the characters.

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Extremely straightforward and simple storyline

I usually have a lot to say about most stories I watch. I tend to get deeply and passionately engrossed in fiction and want to talk about the story in depth with whomever I watched it with after completion, or I struggle to write concise reviews because I have such strong feelings about the story. That is not the case for The Guest, and it’s because I have no particularly strong emotion about this show. I would recommend The Guest depending on your approach to how you engage with fiction. If you watch for simple entertainment value plot-wise then move on quickly to the next show rather than for extreme immersion and connection with characters, this might be the show for you.

I found the plotline of The Guest to be incredibly straightforward, simplistic, and somewhat predictable. Simple stories aren’t always bad, and predictability doesn’t always have a massive bearing on writing quality. But I do think this story was simplistic bordering on feeling like the script was like what you might expect from a children’s show but with dark visual/subject content. Basically, this story deals with dark topics like exorcism and demons, and it has grim lighting at times, but it mostly lacks the depth necessary for emotional connection to the characters or for the theme of the story to feel dark or insightful. Dark things happen but the story doesn’t treat them with huge depth, and dialogue is often quite repetitive and shallow. I went into this watch having heard a lot of people call this kdrama “very different” and “unique” but I really do feel that it’s just dark in visuals but without being very rich in commentary or meaning. It’s a show you watch to see things happen, not to be touched or psychologically mind blown. I feel like this warning is warranted, given that people who tend to like this show’s genre tend to lean toward favoring depth and heavy psychological themes and may be disappointed.

One of my biggest complaints with the story is I was anticipating a very interesting and strong friendship to bloom between the three protagonists. While I appreciate the nontraditional gender lineup for the main characters and that the female character was not a love interest for the men, I was expecting much more development, growth, and camaraderie between the characters. It felt like not much more was fleshed out for the characters beyond their initial backstory, feeling guilty toward one another because of their shared involvement, and feeling an obligation to protect one another to lessen that guilt, which felt more like internal conflict than evidence of true closeness. I was looking forward to seeing more dimension to the characters and bonding over their character traits and liking each other as people for who they were, but they are not developed much beyond their premise. (The scene where Yoon buys Hwa Pyung food and left it for him while he was sleeping was probably one of the most genuine signs of care we saw in the story outside of appearing to want to protect one another out of moral obligation; I would have loved to see more scenes like this.) Relatively more development is poured into each of the main characters’ relationships with their pre-existing social circle outside of one another, such as Gilyoung’s relationship with Bongsang, Hwa Pyung’s relationship with Yook Gwang, and Yoon’s relationship with Father Yang.

Overall, if you tend to like more simplistic watches and are interested in the relatively more unique visuals and concepts of this storyline in terms of the exorcism, it may still be worth checking out. Another reviewer described The Guest as an “easy watch” and I would say that is pretty accurate; you will be able to have some fun at guessing how the plot will unfold without having to think too hard and the content is not as emotionally heavy as a different writer could easily have made it. Many people seem to have a soft spot for this series because of the originality of its premise for a Kdrama, so definitely check it out if you think it is up your alley.

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The Freaking Chemistry!

I took one look at the cover and thought, heck I am not sure about this title but the IMDB rating is very good and MDL rating is good and its ranked in the 100 top best here, but i still wasn't sure. But the truth is the whole series is freaking epic, the storyline, the chemistry, characterization and the music. Perfect flawless execution from the actors/actresses. Well timed and directed choreography with the plotline going on about korean rituals, Christianity, spirits, exorcisms, a perfect combination of unusual elements to paint out a perfect fantastic story which is of horror and mystery genre.

Horror wise, i think more than the story line the delivery and the choreography made it's mark, it was nevertheless pretty scary. Each episode had a scary exorcism. But as a fan of horror and of many years watching it, i always adored the emotional causes present in horror stories rather than jumpscares. The plot line involves 3 different characters of totally contrasting personalities and roles (detective, psychic and priest) which you could tell, already a good cue for a story, but its how these characters get perfectly interconnected with their pasts to the present which is the most wonderful, how their guilt and sorrows and forgiveness connects them. Perfect chemistry between Hwa Pyong, Choi Yoong and Gil Young, where they are not gushy or sweet, rather sarcasm and talk backs keeps them close. How without even you realizing, they become close. The unbreakable brotherhood of those three was more powerful than the horror itself.

I'll be honest, the emotional influence was so great in the story, that even it becomes more scary you get immune to it, the amazing OST's make the whole franchise more worthy with rewatch value, I appreciated the sad music during the exorcisms, instead of making it all about mysticism, evil. It was painted as pain and sorrow. With mild insane plot twists and incredible acting of the characters (especially Kim Jae Wook) and with breathtaking shots of rural Korean villages, Sohn: The Guest is an incredible work of story telling, choreography and art into the world of Asian horror.

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Darkness That Truly Shows You The Light Inside

This drama was well done. Every movement was on point by each actor who was possessed. The music suited every scene perfectly. The supporting cast was so well assigned. I was even a huge fan of how the plot unfolded and moved forward. Every time we think we found something out a new twist would arrive.

Also it’s hella creepy and dark a lot of the time. Its supernatural aspects were so well thought out and depicted. It’s not easy to give life to this much level of detail of possession and the aftermath it leaves behind.

I love how each characters relationship was well fleshed out. You grew to love every character and understand why they would go to the lengths they go. Some actions at times feel too much, but with a new perspective you understand exactly why it’s that way. There was such good friendship depicted throughout the show. Not just our mains but their familial, coworkers, and old friends.

Tears happened in this drama so often. Emotions would well up and I love when dramas evoke emotion that way. Makes it the best kind of immersion one could ask for.

I’d watch it again most definitely. Give it a shot.

Sara Rojas SEPTEMBER 28 2021

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It was... pretty unexpected in many ways.

First of all, it was a really nice drama. There are very few dramas out there which includes spirits, demons and everything in between, but this one did stood out. It had a pretty consistent storyline, strong and relatable characters... One thing that i really liked about this drama was that it showed possession (of people by spirits) in a way that felt believable. Not way too much drama, no unwanted plot, the drama really progressed just in the right way.
There were many like literally many twists and turns. One moment you start to think that okay this guy is Park Il do next moment someone else turns up to be him.
From the beginning, i thought that priest Yang was possessed by Park Il do and the series made us believe that too at one point.
There's another thing that i didn't quite liked is the fact that nothing happened with Park Hong ju. I really wanted her to suffer for her deeds but she just laughed like crazy in the last ep...
Also theres one thing that i dont understand, according to grandpa if priest Yang was never possessed (according to Hwa pyung's grandpa Yang submitted himself to the devil) , so how in the hell was he able to possess the bus driver guy and the gas station guy in the last ep...?

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love horors/thrillers but could not get through this one.

From the beginning, it was hard for me to stay focused, as the drama did not impress me. This was surprising to me, as I usually enjoy thrillers and horrors. I'm not sure if it was the way it was filmed. I tried several times to watch another episode, but by episode 7, I gave up and dropped the drama. I had been really looking forward to it, as it had a high rating and great reviews.

The story was good, but the execution fell flat for me. The production could have been better, and I didn't connect with the main characters. The female lead was particularly annoying, and the way the three of them interacted was just strange. The only positive was Dong Woo; I really liked his character.

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catholic guilt

this queer coded fantasy religious tragedy mystery thriller changed my life. i will never be the same.


the acting… i BELIEVED IT
the way it was shot, each cinematic shot, the crafting was so well done.
the symbolism and lighting play….
the soundtrack vocals at each emotional scene….
the plot was so incredibly exciting i was on the edge of my seat not a boring moment and so well paced
this was something so special to me.
i’ve never watched something half way through and wished i could start watching it from the beginning already because i don’t want it to end.

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The Guest is NOT welcomed in my home!!!!

I was in the mood for horror and it was creeptacular. ?

It stated off so intense and it kept peaking my interest each episode. It totally delivered with the creepiness. A lot of it was because of the lighting to set the mood, the music they would use, the camera angles, and how amazing the actors were at being freaky with their facial expressions. It was quite impressive. I loved that and I could feel creeped out watching it in the dark alone at home. That was until around the last couple of episodes when it was about to hit the climax. I became bored a bit and kind of disappointed because it was getting to a point where they were running in circles trying to rack their brains of what to do and who was the villain.

With all the gruesome things that happened, I was expecting it to go out with more of a bloody bang, ya know!
Like don't get me wrong, the story in itself was intriguing the way they were talking about this "Guest" thats been around for more than half a century who came from the East Seas. Like I was hoping for more of a backstory behind that. Like what is it exactly and how it came into being. Like I'm curious about things like that. It was wild how the exorcisms were performed by the priests but some of the times it took them longer to finish the exorcisms. I'm not well educated in that holy department, but it just shows how human the priests are. A lot of them aren't saints and claim to be holy and a soldier of God who go around helping people and dispel the wicked, when they themselves sin like your average joe. It seems that this type of work, one has to be physically and spiritually strong or they may end up hurting themselves or others.

The main characters or the 3-stooges as I call them, were too incoherent when it came to dealing with the issues caused by the Guest. I understand that it wasn't a coincidence that they all met again years after, and that they had a lot in common due to unfortunate events that occurred during their young lives, but I thought they would be more circumspect as adults rather than being reckless, impulsive, and foolhardy. Some of their decisions were ridiculous and I didn't see how it aided in the situation they were in. But there wasn't much teamwork to begin with since they all didn't really like or trusted each other to begin with. At least they were wary in that area. They never really stopped to really think about things but was ready to jump the gun as soon as they head the name of the Guest. ? Like why? However, as they've been though a lot in their lives together, those three developed a bond. It was of mutual interests and first but it became more than that after some time. :)
The main casts and supporting casts did a really good job. I was even amazed at the kids. Those little shits were so creepy I swear. LOL

I wanted to watch something scary. This wasn't as scary but it was very creepy, especially with the sounds effects and music. Mind you, I had the volume high on the speakers too and I was always watching it late at night in the dark alone. That's the type creepy mood I'm talking about. It was eerily intense, because while watching it felt like the characters would sometimes jump out of the screen and stand in front of you. Like no thanks. Hahaha~ The last episode was a bit lackluster for me. The mini revelation was surprising but I was wanted more... like an all out war/battle. Ok, maybe that was too much but something along those lines. Then again, it made sense that things happen the way that it did. One can never stop evil from truly disappearing. It always spurs from darkness in human hearts, and the living is a lot more scarier than the dead or unseen spirit as they say.

Would I rewatch this again? Probably not because it won't be as creepy because I will be expecting things to happen and won't be surprised or creeped out. If it's with a friend who's never seen it, then definitely.
Would I recommend this to anyone? Definitely! I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to watch this and experience the uncanny feeling that it might affect you in the real world while watching. Hehe~ Don't watch if you can't handle this type of stuff, and if you can't watch it alone, try watching with someone so you don't get nightmares while sleeping in the dark. I can't promise you won't hear incomprehensible whispers near your ears. LOL ?

My sincere advice: Humans should really consider being careful when they try to mess with things in which they do not understand and cannot handle.

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I watched this drama only knowing bits about it. i was really curious of the premise. a detective, a psychic and a priest, what a strange and great combination. i am not a fan of horror, but i still expect some scary shits here as it was the genre. and it definitely gave what i needed.

the exorcisms are so intense, they are like the real horror of this film. i was holding my breath the whole time they're exorcising. i knew that light will still overcome the darkness, but the fear is still there. they did a great job building up those scenes, from the lightning, the mood and the atmosphere, even the soundtrack. it was all perfect. really, OCN's soundtracks never disappoint. just hearing the song reminds me of it like the other OCN dramas that i've watched.

tho those exorcism scenes were great, i do agree with others that this would have fit better with just 12 eps. i feel like the other exorcism scenes were mere fillers as they doesnt really connect well to move the plot.

the twist and turns definitely got me. they did a great job for those whodunnit scene, giving us mindblowing revelations and all that.

although hwa pyung is the center of this drama, he's the least that i like from the three. i just feel like he's too self-centered at some point, and too reckless. i love choi yoon and gil young very much. their characters were much interesting for me. maybe because there are a lot of stakes on Gil Young and Mateo's part. specially on Mateo. but then, their friendship was very special. i really thought it would be fine for me if one of them will have to die and sacrifice his life at the end, but when that point came, i realized that i cannot see only two of the three left. i was praying along with Mateo for all of them to be saved. like seriously hahaha.

also, special mention to Yukgwang. his friendship with Hwa Pyung is so underrated. i actually like their friendship more than Hwa Pyung and Mateo. Yukgwang never once doubted him, and even sacrificed his life for him. i hate that i know the existence of his character is only to save HP, leaving him to die just like that. he deserves more.

this film tackled religious beliefs and the Catholic religion, however, it feels lacking at times. Mateo is a priest, but i can only feel that connection that he has with God during exorcism scenes. maybe it's because as a Catholic myself, i expected more of it. i was hoping and waiting for him to pray and ask for God's help and guidance esp after he had received that prophecy in the beginning.

moving on to the finale, i certainly didnt expect father yang to die immediately, and yes it's because i thought he was park il-do. but then, if it's not him, how come that the supposed to be zombie apocalypse suddenly stop? i know it didnt fully stop, but how did they suddenly came to their senses when park il-do is alive? just to mislead the audience? one thing i noticed is that there are scenes that they put just to purposedly mislead the audience, but it doesnt make scene when that revelation came up. e.g, the above mentioned scene, park hong joo vomitting after holding the rosary, Priest Yang suddenly making people possessed after holding their hand when he's not even possessed himself, Priest Yang damaging the bible (a sign of possession accrdg to Mateo himself).

the revelation scene with HP grandfather is just so-so for me. yes, i was mind blown by them but i felt like it was spilled too much that it kinda left nothing for me to think and analyze of. maybe it's just me, too, since i prefer to connect the dots hahaha. but i wasnt swayed with the grandfather's acting. i was actually more scared of Bong Sang's possession scene than that one. and it doesnt help that it was daytime when that happened. tho that dreamy and hazy background effect that they put helped to build it up, it wasnt enough. it's not the kind of revelation scene with park il do that i expected. dont get me wrong, i really really love his grandfather and was hoping that he wont die. but his acting being park il do was just really a meh for me. also, what the hell's with that sudden cut? they had completely build up this atmosphere and then suddenly cut it, shifting it back to the real world.

there are still so many things that left me confuse. e.g. whose body is buried in their house? whose body is his grandfather digging up? why did Priest Choi said "stay away from your son" to HP's father when HP is not even possessed? how exactly did Park Il Do managed to brainwash Priest Yang?

having said that, the only redeeming part of the finale for me is the sea scene. i cried damn lot during those scene. i was gripping on my seat while waiting for the story to unfold. and that drowning scene of Hwa Pyung and Mateo? brilliant. i love love every bits of it. especially after seeing how Hwa Pyung wore that rosary towards the end.

despite the flaws, i actually kinda like how things wrapped up. it was not completely solved and all good, which i think, is just perfect for its genre and theme. it was a realistic as i'm sure as heck that that kind of evil sprit cant be defeated so easily. park hong joo not being caught is frustrating yes, but it was realistic as it would be hard to beat her, too. for me, the end was hinting for a second season, and at the same time just leaving something for our imagination and own interpretation.

light may have prevailed towards the end, but there will always be looming darkness, just waiting for the perfect moment to eat us alive.

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Best Story about Possession Since "The Exorcist!"

Not since “The Exorcist,” one of the best horror films ever made, has a series captured the sheer horror and terror of possession like “The Guest.” Park Il-Do, a particularly sadistic serial killer, finds his evil spirit lingering and waiting to possess and wreak havoc upon the innocent. However, Park Il Do doesn’t work alone. He has minions who possess and work under him as he attempts to break down and destroy Hwa Pyung Yoon with the hopes of possessing “the perfect vessel.”

With unlikely allies in Detective Gil Young Kang, and Father Choi Yoon (Matthew), Hwa Pyung Yoon struggles to protect the innocent and free the possessed while hoping to track down and destroy Park Il Do once and for all.

We find out early on that virtually Hwa Pyung Yoon’s entire family was killed by Park Il Do as well as the families of Detective Kang and Father Matthew. It is these tragedies that bring and bind them together with a common cause: to destroy Park Il Do. Detective Kang’s mother, a policewoman, was killed while saving a young Choi Yoon. And Choi Yoon’s brother was possessed and went on a killing rampage. When they find out about Hwa Pyung’s past and his connection with Park Il Do, they blame him for the deaths of their family members.

Detective Kang is a hard-nosed, hot-tempered detective who carries the death of her mother within her heart and soul, as she was there that fateful night, and filled with guilt about how she treated her mother.

Father Matthew is similar to Detective Kang, as he attempts to find some solace in becoming a Catholic priest. Despite his livelihood, it’s clear that he is also a loner and harboring great pain stemming from that terrible night.

Hwa Pyung comes across as a simple man with a kind, but courageous heart as he fights to free people from possession. A gifted medium, he can often see what is transpiring or is about to transpire, making him a valuable asset. However, it’s his ability to connect with people, which both Kang and Matthew sorely lack.



The series if filled with horrific scenes of possessed people slaughtering the innocent, and often with great delight, as well as scenes of self-dismemberment as the possessed also routinely stab themselves in the right eye, which is a signature of Park Il Do’s influence and presence. I found the episodes involving the little girl particularly disturbing, as it is always challenging to see a child’s innocence and purity being used in such a twisted and vile way.

The series does not require that you believe in Christianity or spirits or possessions. The writers clearly bank on the fact that the audience will find the story compelling, and perhaps frightening enough so that the religious aspects aren’t a problem.

This is a gripping thriller that has the viewer guessing all the way up to the last episode, which person is being possessed by Park Il Do, and of course, how our three heroes will endeavor to stop him. And yet, at the same time, we also find that love always triumphs over evil as Hwa Pyung, not only fights to save the life of his grandfather, but also his two dearest friends in Detective Kang and Father Matthew, while renewing their own faith that love and friendship are not weaknesses but strengths.

I was also happy that the series stuck to the heart of the story without any needless romantic incursions or distractions that would hinder the plot.

The series was done five years ago, and the way things ended, one can’t help but wonder if a second season was possible. Even if it doesn’t happen, this is a fantastic, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will not disappoint!

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Just give it a try!

At first, I'm not a big fan of the horror genre, bute I like supernatural themes and themes with shamnism and excoricm. And beacause of that I gave that one a try, after reading some recommendations of this one. After watching it, I can say: I really liked it.

The story was good - okay, with some flaws - but it make to want to watch the next episode as soon as possible.
This drama deals with exorcism (both the Christian and the shamanic exorcism), with very unique Korean traits. Even though the atmosphere is mostly dark and gruesome, the mystery and the characters' relationships pull you in. It has no romance at all, but the very strong family and friendship ties make this story a lot more valuable and compelling.

The cast was great. The characters were displayed greatly. Especially the character development during the series made my day, since they continously change their attitude and behavior. Every character has it's own special personality and his own well telled background story. The drama tells the story of three individuals who each experienced great tragedy in their past. While trying to deal with and overcome their miseries, they eventually clash years later, not knowing the connection they bear to each other.

The Music was really great and I listened to the soundtrack several times. Especially the title "Somewhere" fits this drama perfectly.

I will not watch it in the near future, since I know now the ending. But I'm pretty sure that I'll watch it again. All in all, a good drama and well worth the watch. I would recommend it if you're looking for something with dark, serious, and rewarding content. Have fun watching :)

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