Strangers from Hell (2019)

SO FUCKING GOOD

this is probably one of the best korean series i have ever watched.

the plot, acting, ost, and story was so good like it was just perfect. i definitely think that siwan did an excellent job with this series. all the actors fit perfectly and made the story much more interesting.

dongwook was also very good and portrayed his character very well. siwan made me laugh a lot. there’s a reason why there’s so many memes about this show now lolllll.

anyways this show is definitely rewatchable. it has everything from horror, comedy, mystery and.. romance (jkjk ?)

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Bloody but brilliant

Bloody, dark and very grose but really well written and executed psycolagickal drama.

The editing between bloody murder and takboki are beautifully done. As I'm more in to the story then the blood I had to forward the bloodsplatter.

The caracters are really well written, you will probably end upp hating everyone around him (with a few exceptions), and feel the erge to protect the protagonist from all the people around him or want to see them strangeld.

The psychological stuff kept me guessing and I foundmy self efforletlessly trying to make sence of what was going on thruout the series. The casting and acting where spot on. Lee Dong Wook is the ultimate psykopath, Siwan is soo sweet that you just want to hug him and the side caracters each have their role and do it well. "I only killed one cat".

I'm still not shure what actually happened, so I may have to digest this a bit longer. Yes this is completely insane so get ready for a ride.

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It was a great experience watching it I think it'll be weird to watch other kdramas with the same actor in it because he protraited his role so good and it was really scary because it felt so real i hope that there will be a season two would love to watch it y'all are about to be real mad at me but it must be said the story was a little confusing and the end to because idk if it was this or this ending




























































































i guess i have to read the webcomic

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Creepy AF, but Worth It

I watched the first episode and then proceeded to watch something else, it was boring, but. BUT. Give it a chance. Once you get to about half way through episode 2 or even episode 3, you will be hooked. It's a bit slow to begin with, but totally worth it.

I was in the mood to watch something with psychopaths and murderers, this DID NOT disappoint. Half the time, I could not tell if it was reality or Jong-Woo's secret fantasies. I so badly wanted him to break free and become a true psycho.

Lastly, let me just say, I have never really thought that Lee Dong-Wook was my type, BUT I ain't never seen any other a man look so sexy while murdering people. *chefs kiss*

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Well, that was wild to say the least...

If I remember correctly, back when this first aired, I started watching this drama, but I didn't, or should I say couldn't get through even the first episode. I'm not sure if another drama interested me more, or if this creeped me out too much because I'm a scaredy cat. Well whatever it is, here I was watching it, now finally finished it because a lot of people in my twitter timeline kept talking about the drama (or should I say, the characters Seo Moonjo and Yoon Jongwoo in particular?) And me being me, even though I was a scaredy cat, I'm also pretty curious. A pretty bad combination of personalities.

And honestly, I don't think I have much to say about this. Not as in, this is boring, or this is bad. But as in, I just really don't know how or what to talk about this. I started off finding Jongwoo relatable. He seemed shy and timid. The way his surroundings stressed him out, from his creepy neighbors to his rude workmate. How his girlfriend and his senior treated him, alienated him, didn't bother listening him out. How his mind plays out what would have happened if he doesn't keep his cool and blew up all his feelings. You don't know how glad and happy I was when he had the new neighbor who got along with him, and his old friend from the military who listened to him and even went with him to help out (Though we all know how that ended...)

I finished it only a few minutes ago (or an hour?) as I'm writing this. And therefore, I'm still pretty much processing the ending. I didn't really know how to feel. I feel like I understand, but on the other hand, I feel like I don't understand it yet, as I don't know what to say about it. But.. I feel like if I had just continued watching this when it first aired, it would feel a lot more thrilling, a lot more stressful. I like marathoning series just fine, but watching series on going, as each episode airs every week, it always feels so much nicer, more thrilling, and probably would make me more interested, and more attached. So, that was probably the only little disappointing thing about this and it's not at all their fault that I watched this late. But at least I got to find out what this was about and that's enough.

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Not unexpected at all; the ending was totally spelled out

1. Story

a. Characters
I hate everyone. They all had such awful personalities or were completely stupid. The mc himself was completely stupid. If you're that creeped out of the residents, move out. idc how inexpensive that place is. Safety>>. Plus, the place was going to be redeveloped in 6 mos anyway so he was bound to move out and his pay just isn't enough.

On the otherhand, I hated his girlfriend too. Not once did she listen to him or even entertained his worries. I get it she's stressed too, but she said he should learn to defend himself so people wouldn't step on him, but she's the exact same—she always just let her boss bully her. Aside from that she can just rant about her life to him too? What is the effing point of being in a relationship when you cannot even rely on each other. L girlfriend. I hated her more than her boss and the MC's nerdy co-worker and boss.

Speaking of which, I was just waiting for them to die. Too bad it was just the ceo. Well at least the nerd got what was coming to him. I'm not an advocate for violence but don't bully people if you cannot handle the consequences.

b. Plot
As I said it made no sense for him to stay. If you feel that unsafe that it was making you crazy, leave. It wasn't like he absolutely did not have money. I'd so go back home if I can't stay at Seoul. There's no point in trying to make a living if I'm dead. It's just so stupid.

And I'm just not convinced by the scarriness of the antagonists nor their capacity to drive him to insanity. They weren't scary nor really good at their jobs really. They're sloppy. We're just told through the narrative or through camera work how scary they are. Like he killed them all so easily at the end even when they were so cocky.

2. Acting
It was solid. They were believeable except for their scarriness and all.

3. Overall
Expected ending and tbh boring. They could have expanded it more, could have shown us how deadly, capable, brutal and without empathy the antagonists really are but no.

I don't get whose minds were being blown at the ending. Unless you're a five year-old who has never seen a movie then it was pretty much spelled out that he would go insane and murder someone at least. He wasn't going to go out sane in any situation. Idc how that's rare in kdrama. There were literally no other options with how they set it up so no it was not u expected, not mindblowing and certainly not a masterpiece. They could have done more with the promise and could have actually made it terrifying and actually made the viewers question morality and sanity of humans.

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Make me want to be a psychopath too

This story especially the ending really surprise me, in the beginning, i'm a little bored, but that's still make me want to watch the next episode. I have never thought that all scenes in the beginning that make me bored is closely related to the storyline. If you are pay attention to details, that's really creepy and make curious. We will be brought into the truth by flowing like water, the one is very scary is when My mentality is also drained like Jongwoo's role here, I get carried away and even affect the real world. Its cool. and i've never thought the ending. the one that makes me hurt so much is when "they're" will kill Seok Yun, It hurt my heart when he begging Jeongwoo please. you have to watch this, you won't regret it. the scene is certainly gruesome, but it's very cool. Once I once even supported the main leader, the handsome dentist. don't forget to watch its only 10 ep, I finished it only one day

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Scary but brilliant

This movie is one of those movie that can make you squeamish and helpless, especially since the background felt as if it was a living character, as if you are watching while expecting an impending horrible car crash about to happen.

The ambience and the music is absolutely wonderful, and the cinematography is brilliant. "Eden Studio", the place where the main character lived in, is a horrible place and the series did a great job in showing it. It emphasizes the feelings of the main character towards a place, including its dingy walls and dirty background, as well as the offensive and the mentally unsound inhabitants. In a sense, Eden studio is like one character encapsulating the helplessness of the main character's flight.

Throughout the series, I sometimes find it hard to watch because I felt really bad for the main character. He is someone who has a lot of pride, and struggles to make his bread due to his literary career and would feel relatable to everyone starting out in life. We can see how he is a flawed character with a lot of anger and suppressed feeling as he grew increasingly isolated in the place he lived in, with his girlfriend treating him coldly and his coworkers bullying and humiliating him. Moreover, his only place of solace, Eden studio further exacerbates this condition by being so claustrophobic and morally unsafe.

The way the movie is set is like a horror movie, with a lot of suspense as you await the main character's unraveling sanity and the evil that exist in the studio.

Lee Dong Wook's acting is superb, it is amazing how he is able to be so creepy while still being so charismatic and handsome. I especially like the interactions between him and the main character and how he is trying to mold the main character into him. However, the situation the main character is put in is similar to how a toxic relationship works- he is isolated and was gaslighted several times (by the inhabitants and his own girlfriend), and was made to question whether he is overthinking and overly sensitive, and each of his step is controlled (as he had no financial independence).

It is a very good psychological drama in all aspects, and bordering that of a horror movie.

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I really wasn't expecting it to end so good.

This is basically another memorable Dong Wook role, seriously, those last two episodes the way he was acting, was just incredible!

Si Wan too was just so good in the last two eps and they were brilliant, no doubt.

This drama is on par with Save Me as far as I'm concerned because the role played by Lee Jung Eun of the eccentric building owner Eom Bok Soon was just a beautiful performance like the cult leader preacher from Save Me. Honestly, it will give you chills and creep you out but the actor she played it so naturally. We all know an ahjumma like that right, nosey, and no respect for privacy and always making you uncomfortable and making you feel bad for something completely rational, basically the ultimate gaslighter.

But okay, I already said this before, it's not perfect and in the middle it sort of lost its place, for about two episodes but I don't need perfection.

I'm glad that they took a risk making something that would make some people uncomfortable because it's not a chaebol romance or comedy action procedural, they made something serious. That alone is commendable. But then they chose the right cast and except for the lull in the middle everything else was done well.

The plot twists were clever and unique. The dialog was brilliant! ! The camera work was ART and it's all so realistic the ambiance becomes a part of the storytelling. So, yes. I'm really happy with the way it ended.

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it could have been so much more.

⚠️ contains heavy, albeit vaguely worded, spoilers for both SFH and Mouse, and minor spoilers for The Bad Kids. ⚠️

it seems that everywhere i turn there are more and more plotholes to grab my attention when i am attempting to process all of this like a normal human being. i am failing, miserably, but i will continue to try anyway

i came into this show looking for the Hannibal-esque content, i will admit—i have mutuals that have been recommending this show to me bc they know how whipped i am for Hannigram (despite not having watched anything from the series. am i really gay if i haven't watched Hannibal, tho, can someone answer that question for me), and i was excited to see some of that here. it,,,,,, it fell flat, in a way? i wanted to enjoy this far more than i did but it refused to let me do so and that sucks, tbh

part of the reason, i think, is that Lee Dong Wook is simply not scary. maybe it's bc i've watched 20 episodes of Mouse and therefore have known a glimpse of true terror (despite the fact that it started to go careening downhill in the last 3 to 4 episodes—y'all know that OZ storyline was not necessary to the plot, own it) or maybe it's bc his role as the multi-layered Grim Reaper has embedded itself into my eyelids, idk, but Lee Dong Wook waving knifes and doing what appeared to be an attempt at a creepy smile just did not cut it for me (pun not intended). what he is, tho, is hot, and gay, and slightly unstable, and obsessed with the writer in Room #303. (throat-touching. throat-touching is gay af, ik what i'm talking about bc necks are the most attractive part of a human body after the hands. if you don't agree then fight me bitch) could have possibly f*cked me over/induced a fear of dentists in general by the time all of this was said and done (if it had been executed properly *cough*) but do we give a f*ck? we do not give a f*ck. would we like to be f*cked, tho? no comment
i don't want to say that i'd let Lee Dong Wook pull out my teeth and tie me to a chair for 5 minutes of ASMR reading material,,,,, but that is exactly what i'm saying in a way

on that subject of f*ckery (the act, not the behavior): personal headcanon that Seo Moon Jo and Yoo Ki Hyuk have hate-f*cked at least once pre-canon (bc, yk. apparent Frankenstein kink and all that? idk, it's just the vibes the two of them give off sitting in the back of a detective's vehicle with a needle stuck in someone's neck while the homoeroticism has just started to make itself known here) and both of them could really have cared less about the sex itself. rip Ki Hyuk, for such a hot man you could have had some good sex once in a while if you had held off on the garotting of a public figure for a sec—truly gone too soon ?

but Im Si Wan, tho. i am going to be honest here and say that i knew him from his musical career with ZE:A but once again made the same mistake that i did with Junho and did not bother to check out his acting career. like with Junho, i am now attempting to rectify that bc i refuse to believe that this man filmed this almost immediately after being discharged from the military. i refuse. the casual disassembling of a man's morals contained in the pretty little tooth bracelet he carries around on his wrist that was given to him (with some kind of tenderness!!!) by his toxic ex-boyfriend is not something to be taken lightly and he,,,,,, he didn't. he put his entire soul into this sh*t, f*ck

the other inhabitants of Eden Gosiwon are not to be forgotten, however—Park Jong Hwan and Lee Jung Eun as the Byeon twins and Eom Bok Soon, respectively, stole the show almost as much as Siwan. (we need more women serial killers from the latter, pls and ty) Noh Jong Hyun as Kang Seok Yoon made me cry a bit bc he was soft and precious and made his entrance during the last three to four episodes and did not deserve what he received at the end of that

the OST was good as well! i can't say that it added anything to the show per say but it certainly didn't subtract from it—my personal favorites are Blow Off by Yoari and Strangers by The Rose.

but y'all. y'all. what the last 45 minutes of SFH did to me had me, to put it plainly, f*cking shook. who killed who? who was killing who from the moment this all began? whose voice were we hearing? once we entered the fourth floor,,,,,,, who was the "victim" in the end? is the psychopath dentist with a penchant for f*cking (or otherwise propositioning) his creations still alive or are we are all on a canon acid trip rn
when i sat on that for a few days, however, i realized what it reminded me of, and as it did the weaknesses of SFH became glaringly clear.
The Bad Kids employed a similar ending as SFH, except there was a sense of unease from the beginning with the former. the gaslighting was so subtle that you only realized it in the latter half of the show, and even then you were tempted to think that that's not really what they meant. i didn't really pick up anything that made me necessarily uncomfortable in SFH—even the "human meat" jokes felt typical and very trope-like—and the screenwriter's attempt to gaslight us in the final episode (again, pun not intended) worked for all of 24 hours. after that, it doesn't hold up too well. the mindf*ck in TBK is unparalleled bc of that, and serves as just one of the reasons i consider it to be a masterpiece.

SFH also, imo, could have done with some more backstory. from my research, Moon Jo was a character unique to the television series—he was billed as this serial killer with sinister motives, but we never really got to find out what those motives were. "we're making art. it's not just murder," he said, but where was the art? Mouse played into this aspect as well bc (iirc) Jung Ba Reum used to take pictures of his victim's bodies and had it up on his wall—there was a meticulousity to it that i can't get into at the moment, but it was tangible. he had something that he considered to be worth killing for, and all we got from Moon Jo was a barely utilized tooth collection and no proper explanation behind that sh*t, sksksksk

to make a long story short, it could have been more. and i hate saying that, bc ik how good of an actor LDW is, and ik how much effort Siwan put into this, but it wasn't enough. at its core, the plot was stretched too thin—as an adaptation of a webtoon that (i assume) had far more content, it did very little to convince me to read the source material.

do i regret watching this? no. will i watch it again? that's also a no.

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