This review may contain spoilers
Doesnt suits the title at all , watch it only for good acting
Talking about the goods - The acting is amazing ! and the dialogues are intriguing , makes you to suspect everyone around !Talking about the bads - Well the story itself ! It looked like an end at episode 7 . The title is beyond evil , but in the end the death is just an accident !!!!!! I know of course its a crime and more so trying to cover it up ! But how is it beyond evil ???
I wished they pulled off a better psychopath story or ended the story at the 8th episode , by making the psychopath the only killer ! They continued the political drama , ahead of the psychopath story and killed the pace of the story !
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Bromance that sends chills
I dropped this drama when it was airing...But when I finished it.... Damn I was blown away...One of the best crime thriller Kdramas I have seen...this is what I want when I watch a crime thriller...The pacing is very good...The Antagonists are very very scary and one in particular... You will know after you watch the drama of which character I am taking about...That character is actually very scary....This show is consistent with its story nothing feels out of place...Coming to the 2 male leads...And damn there chemistry is out of the roof...When they interact you will feel the emotion...Of course they are great actors Shin Ha Kyun playing Lee Dong Shik I loved him in every scene he is in I first saw him in The drama Fix You...And of course Yeo Jin Goo playing Han Joo Won first saw him in Hotel Del Luna...Both Did an Amazing job
Not taking away from the side cast they did an amazing job with their roles...and each character played a role in the drama
Ending...No Spoilers
K Dramas ending can be a hit or a miss... Kdramas can go through rewrites because of different reasons but this drama has a conclusion...It is very satisfying...and I cried not gonna lie...I cried while watching a crime thriller Kdramas...I find it very funny... Thank You to the Cast, the production team, Everyone who is a part of the Drama...Thank You
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This review may contain spoilers
Stellar acting from the leads, brilliantly told story, a thrill to watch!
There’s a lot to love about this show, although there are not many surprising twists towards the second half. I will try to keep this review spoiler free.This show’s strength is not the actual underlying plot itself, which we’ve seen before, but the raw and interesting characters and the morally grey natures of almost everyone in Manyang town.
The first few episodes are a roller coaster where you can’t seem to trust anybody - even the two main leads as they all seem to be hiding something darker within themselves.
What makes this show stand out is our two main leads. Many shows have tried this dynamic of old veteran cop and new, young cop teaming up - not getting along at first and slowly partnering up to fight crime, but it just feels a lot different here.
The constant push-pull between the leads is what kept me glued to the screen until the last second. Their chemistry was excellent; the way Lee Dong Shik and Han Joo Won went from slightly trusting each other one minute to suspecting each other the next was exciting to watch. The way the story unravels around them and culminates into a beautiful partnership towards the end makes this show a must-watch.
Shin Ha Kyun is brilliant as Lee Dong Shik. I have never watched any of his works before, but I will definitely check out some of his other projects. Lee Dong Shik is one of the most exciting and interesting cop characters I have seen. Though he is shown to be a wild, fearless, almost insane guy on the outside, it’s clear to see he is rational and calm on the inside.
On the other hand, Yeo Jin Goo’s Han Joo Won is a younger, colder, thorny, and more reserved person. He is shown to be calm and has a strong sense of justice, but we see he is a lot more emotional and soft on the inside. These two characters are so contradictory to what’s on the inside instead of what they show the world that the dynamic between them works brilliantly.
I have been very impressed with Yeo Jin Goo’s recent works like Circle and The Crowned Clown. I don’t think there’s any other 23-year-old actor who has the same acting chops as him. Shin Ha Kyun's extraordinary performance may have devoured a lesser actor, but Yeo Jin Goo held his own in every scene. I wish he continues picking such scripts now as I believe he shines brightly in these kinds of darker shows and away from the mainstream rom-com type of shows.
Around the 10th episode or so, you kind of know where the mystery plot is heading, but that still didn’t deter the enjoyment factor for me. The show culminated in an emotional and more than satisfactory ending and was well worth the watch.
Also, as a bonus, the OST and background score is very well done. The music draws you in and works very well with the storytelling.
It’s a must-watch for fans of crime thrillers, highly recommended!
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The awards are certainly well deserved. The acting, the soundtrack, the cinematography, everything served to enhance an already incredible story.
Here are some aspects that impressed me:
* The whole drama is not something to watch casually. Every minute is relevant, every twitch or facial twist is an important part of the story.
* I loved how I got to see only bits and pieces of what happened -- and had me mistrusting everybody throughout the series. Especially during the first episodes, which left me reeling with their cliffhangers. And then there was some new bit of info which slotted seamlessly into what I knew but changed all my ideas on what was going on.
* The first episodes made me guess and mistrust to the point where I expected a new twist even to the very end, when in other dramas I would already have been bored by the predictable plot -- I did no longer trust my own deductions nor my knowledge of the genre's usual plots, culprits and tropes.
* Every character is just shades of grey. Everybody's got their motives and reasons for their actions. Nobody is purely good, and still, a lot of them are somewhat likeable. That is something not a lot of dramas manage to do.
* I loved the role smiling and laughing played in this drama. I think the times when a smile, a chuckle or a laugh was really genuine instead of expressing any kind of negative emotion could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
* While the female characters were in the minority (no surprise there), all of them were strong, independent and active characters in their own right. (Apart from the victims of the serial killer, which was one of the few genre-conforming elements.)
* And last: No romance! Always a plus.
If you are a fan of mystery thrillers, this one will be worth your time!
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SUSPENSE SUSPENSE AND SUSPENSE
WHOA This is the perfect suspense drama according to me and my brother.. It is PERFECT.. In fact it is BEYOND PERFECT.. Everything about this show is beyond perfection.. The creators sure know how to create suspense and MAINTAIN it.. It is such an enjoyable watch filled with suspense but still you will feel satisfied after watching EVERY single episode.. THAT'S how good this is.. You MUST watch it right away without worrying that you might not be able to wait for the next episode because you will be able to wait.. Your mind will be filled with so many questions and theories and you will be discussing every episode and every character the whole week with everyone around you and on MDL until the next week comes with a new episode so you wouldn't even feel like a week has passed.. I am so glad that I listened to my brother and started watching it.. And you should too <3 you will enjoy it as much and even more.. The music is top class, the cast, their acting, the story everything about this show is top class really.. I find myself replaying certain scenes not just because how important those scenes were but also because of how great the background score was during that scene hehehee.. I have watched till episode 7 and by far, this has been my favorite episode.. It's very well made.. Exactly how it should have been.. A round of applause for everyone associated with this show.. Thank you for making this show and making it available for us to watch :) Another great drama from South Korea :) A MUST-WATCHWas this review helpful to you?
So much going on but I'm loving it here
I wanted to give it some time before i wrote a review for this drama, at least after I've watched half of it. So here i am 8 eps in.And given that I'm here halfway through the drama, I've only got good things to say.
From the get-go, the plot was already my style. It intrigued me so much I knew I had to give it try. It was also impossibly unique. From ep 1, I was so sure who the killer was and was so certain of it 'cause I had concreate evidence to back my theory, but then few episodes in, my mind changes... and then I'm thinking to myself, "maybe they're accomplices?" But then something happens that goes against my speculations. It plays around with my head so much It started to annoy me! Oof!
And it creeps me out 'cause the moment I began feeling so frustrated, the flow changed. Like it read me. Does it sound dramatic lmao but i kid you not. I was no longer confused and the real killer was shown. And knowing who the killer was for certain while watching this drama as an audience was another type of experience. You get to see how the other characters behave, how the killer killed and what the fukken hell was going through his head when he did what he did. You see the aftermath in a different perspective and that's pretty cool.
Another thing is they don't drag it for too long. Seeing as Ep. 8 is done, we've got 8 more eps and that's half of the drama left. Instead of focusing on the caught killer, the flow changed again, and i love it here. After watching the teaser for Ep. 9, it feels like the killer committed suicide? And even though he/she may have killed a lot of people, the killer Dong Sik has been looking for the past 20 years may actually be someone else? It just keeps getting better and better! I'm not bored for a minute when I watch this drama!
Last thing I've got to talk about is the chemistry between Dong Sik and Joo Won! OMG talk about tension! They were perfect, as rivals, friends, partners, whatever it was, they pulled it off together, and they did it so well! The first few eps, I was worried they'd stay as enemies slash colleagues-who-put-up-with-each-other-cause-they-are-cops-and-killing-one-another-is-illegal but Ep. 8 was a sigh of relief. They're going to team up and catch the killers that run havoc in Manyang and bring justice to the victims!
UPDATE:
Finished watching EPS 9 and 10 and omg so much happened! Someone else dies and it's heartbreaking... That ending scene of EP 10 was devastating yet the chemistry between Dong Shik and Joo Won is simply amazing. They would have made the best partners from the get-go but due to misunderstandings and pride and their stubbornness, we didn't get to see it, at least I hope until now. 'Cause finally Dong Shik acknowledged Joo Won as his partner (he said it in WORDS yasss!!!), and I didn't expect that hug at the end of EP 10 but it was beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time. I want to say they're at last going to work together for real, but I thought the same thing last week for this week's eps... We've got 6 more eps until it ends, I hope we get a happy ending please!
All in all, I love this drama to bits! The genre, the plot, the castings, the bromance!! 100/100!!!
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The best Korean drama in years
Beyond Evil is an intricate psychological mystery thriller redefining itself with every twist and turn before driving it home with its finale bombshell. The script is so well-woven and nuanced that almost every line contributes to the plot and character development and it is filled with Easter eggs that come out to punch you in the gut (or pelt you) when you least expected it. We are all monsters (the Korean name of the drama is literally “Monster”) regardless of the extent of our sins. While revealing the sins of others, we have to cover up our own sins too.Many things are not black and white or fair in this world. Life is full of injustice, grievances, stereotypes and discrimination, sometimes through no fault of our own. Sometimes, we just become victims without reason. While many crime dramas usually focus on the spectacle and evil of serial murders, Beyond Evil looks far beyond this and lets us into the painful world of missing persons’ families who are left behind. Without a corpse, there is no crime and there can be no closure. Yet, within their pain, there is still hope. Hope in that one day their family member will return again alive and well. Hope in that one day justice will be served to the perpetrators of their pain. And it is probably this hope that has carried them till this day.
The plot, character development and character parallels in this Korean drama are near impeccable and it is not until the final scene where you really see everything and almost every character come full circle. I have never seen any other K-drama do all these without any major plot and character loopholes. This drama definitely deserves all the accolades it got from this year’s Baeksang Arts Awards, the biggest TV award show in Korea - “Best Drama”, “Best Screenplay” for the brilliant female scriptwriter Kim Su Jin and “Best Actor” for the phenomenal lead actor Shin Ha Kyun.
It is also with these reasons that Lee Dong Sik is my favourite TV male character till date. He is such a layered character that was acted so masterfully by Shin Ha Kyun. When I heard about this drama, almost everyone was raving about Shin’s acting online. I started watching this drama with humble expectations for his acting since great reviews are usually overrated to me and I have only seen him in small though notable special appearances on the Korean films I have watched previously (The Thieves, Extreme Job). But Shin really blew it out of the park for me. Never in my wildest imagination did I expect to become his fan from this drama and I just feel sad that I came to his party this late. Beyond Evil is Shin’s acting masterclass and is probably his best performance in his 23-year long career. It really is no surprise that he is known as “The God of Acting” in Korea. If you watch his interviews, his real personality is a far cry from Lee Dong Sik or any of his other characters. He is a quiet, shy and humble man of a few words known amongst reporters to be difficult to interview. But a whole load of acting talent (which he never admits to) lies beneath all of his shyness. I now sincerely struggle to thoroughly enjoy the acting of other Korean male lead actors in K-dramas after Beyond Evil. This is how good he was in the drama.
With such casting perfection, it is only under the deft hands of the gifted female director Shim Na Yeon (who is a fan of Shin) that almost every nuanced expression of Shin was captured with all their unflinching instability, brokenness and even beauty. The cinematography of this drama is just so immaculate and even contributes to misdirecting the audience on many occasions. I am sure this young and talented director will go far.
The supporting cast was also amazing overall, especially Choi Dae Hoon as Park Jeong Je and Heo Sung Tae as Lee Chang Jin (many will recognise him from the The Age of Shadows film and Squid Game). I will definitely be watching out for them in future productions.
The drama’s original soundtracks are also amongst the best I have listened to so far and they have been on replay for 5 months now. The OSTs were always on point during the drama and added flavour to the world of Manyang and its people.
Beyond Evil is a story about human nature, morality, justice, grief, self-sacrifice, redemption and hope. But it is also a story about what being a family really means. Set in a small-town world of serial murders, it was surprising how much heart there is in this drama. Yet, it refuses to be cliched and predictable with the constant plot twists dropping your jaw and derailing you almost every single time.
“Eat well, sleep well, poop well.” is a powerful line which recurred twice in the drama. In Shin Ha Kyun’s words, “In reality, that’s all it is. That’s what life is all about.”.
It is a real pity how such a quiet masterpiece is not getting the international recognition it truly deserves although it is on Netflix (not a Netflix original). Nevertheless, Beyond Evil is my favourite Korean drama till date and will be a tough one to beat. This drama burns deep within my heart and soul. But it is only with pain that there can be hope.
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Best Drak Thriller
Beyond Evil is the best dark thriller k-drama. No wonder this won the best drama, best actor and best screenplay in the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards. Shin Ha-kyun's acting made me speechless. I don't know if I have seen such great acting except from Goblin's Gong Yoo. The character was hugely conflicted and Shin Ha-kyun made it absolutely flawless. The plot is intriguing, violent, fresh and exciting. Yeo Jin-goo proved that he is one of the best young actors. The bromance between Shin Ha-kyun (Lee Dong Shik) and Yeo Jin-goo (Han Ju Won) was a treat to watch. Both being police officers, try to find out the hidden crimes that are being continued for years. I will not give any spoiler but the story circles around a girl's fingers being found in a wooden table. This resembled a killing 20 years back whose main suspect was Shin Ha-kyun (Lee Dong Shik) which made the case more interesting as 20 years later the main suspect again becomes Lee Dong Shik despite being a police officer. The plot and writing is excellent. You will not see a K-drama as flawless as Beyond Evil. If you are still unsure, just start watching and you will pat yourself for making the right choice. It is surely the best K-drama of 2021, without a shade of doubt. And the best actor of 2021 is undoubtedly Shin Ha-kyun.Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best dramas EVER!
What to say about this drama that completely escapes the cliché? I have never seen such a complex story in my life, full of plot twists, minutely interconnected events. And the best thing is that even being a story full of details, they managed to show us all these details in just 16 episodes. Your head fills with theories. It fills with outbreaks because all the time you think one is the culprit, because all the time someone appears who took actions that impact the main story. The entire cast's performances were perfect, but the one that caught my attention the most was Yeo Jin-Goo. His performance was FLAWLESS! We could feel from here all the emotions that the character felt through his performance.Each episode that ended was a different impact.
In short: a perfect drama, with a perfect story, with a perfect cast and a perfect acting!
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"누구든, 의심해야죠. 그건 내 직업이니까."
?️How hypnotizing the two leads are! They both resemble two feral territorial cats fighting for domination - and very shrewd ones! Shin Ha Gyun's magnifying asymmetrical eyes stare right into the depth of your soul, and they just won't let you go. Yeo Jin Gu and Shin Ha Gyun are the ones who make this show work because, honestly, the screenplay alone wouldn't be engaging enough for me. Just like any other crime/thriller it focuses a lot on the antagonist supporting characters we don't want to observe for an extended period of time. Instead, who would refuse to watch Han Joo Won and Lee Dong Sik filling the screen with borderline erotic tension and hold onto each other in the moments of pain??️Other K-drama directors produce, Shim Na Yeon creates. She is the master inside a genre. If it's a drama - Good Bad Mother - then it is deeply traumatic and affectionate. If it's a crime - Beyond Evil - then it throws you head-first into the darkness. The editing - that could be irregular like in any TV project - is under perfect control; the actors are living through their characters; the score is filled with passion. What will this wonderful director gift upon us next?
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