This review may contain spoilers
They say in order to figure out what goes through a person's mind who do heinous things to other people is to think like them.Wow!!! The screenwriter was so on point about how a criminal mind's behavior works. The uncanny thing about the characters who committed certain crimes all had the characteristics of being a true narcissistic psychopath.
This drama isn't for the faint of heart. It did have A LOT of disturbing scenes in it. You most definitely will have to take a break from watching these episodes. I just dove right in and binged the whole thing. I didn't know it was going to be so intense.
I wonder what went through the actors minds who portrayed the criminals when they decided to take on such a strong role. Having to do retakes of doing and saying disturbing things until the director was satisfied had to have taken a toll on their mind set. If not....
This drama was very dark. It did have specs of comedy in it which I welcomed wholeheartedly but I wish there would've been a little bit more to lighten the mood.
The whole cast represented themselves in a way that always amazes me. I liked the chemistry. It wasn't as strong as I'm use to but it was slightly there.
I'm also glad that this was only a 12 episode series. It could've been less because some of the criminal scenes were really drawn out by being too wordy.
It was good. I got to see a different side from the main male character but as for me....this is something I will not watch again.
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Watch only if you understand what exactly the drama is about
Through the darkness is about the person eho became the first profiler of SK. Its based on his experiences, so if you are here to watch some kind of major plot twist this is not your drama. Feel free to not watch it rather than calling it a boring drama.All the cases, as far as ik were real cases.
And the acting, woahhhh, i mean be it the offenders or the main team all of them did such a good job. You will actually feel that nauseousness when you come across some acts done by the myrderers/rapists.
The drama is a door for you to know how the mind works of a murderer.
THE DRAMA IS PHENOMENAL WITH BRILLIANT ACTING. YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON A GREAT DRAMA JUST BCOS YOU ARE "FAN" OF MAJOR PLOT TWISTS IN A THRILLER DRAMA AND FIND THIS SLOW.
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A realistic deep dive into the process of criminal profiling
"Through the Darkness" is a slow unravelling of the mind - the twisted criminal one and the righteous one. There are few chase scenes to give you thrills and no hidden culprits, instead the narrative delves deep into the criminal profiling scene in South Korea and the hard work that goes into it.The drama portrays all the nitty-gritty details that happen backstage - the long hours of gruelling and repetitive data analysis, hundreds of interviews with convicts, research etc. This kind of job puts a psychological strain on the characters and Kim Nam Gil perfectly portrays the consequences of empathizing too much with killers.
The setting is realistic and feels lived in - the atmosphere of the early 2000s is omnipresent and every shot is devoid of so-called artificial "cleanliness". Every scene is immersive as well as beautifully acted.
The director and writer's approach to the minds of serial killers is outstanding and praise-worthy. At first, the viewers are shown flashbacks of their childhood as well as given the opportunity to understand their motives. Little by little the explanations dry out, the flashbacks disappear, and we learn close to nothing about their family if it isn't relevant to their arrest. "Through the Darkness" takes a relevant stand: in the end, there were victims and the motives of the killers do not matter, their horrible childhoods do not matter, their stories do not matter. They are all the same anyway.
What matters are the people left behind and the drama sticks that landing with Song Ha Young's last interrogation.
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Unsung Heroes
I didn't expect that I would like this drama. At first, it kind of gives you the similar vibes as 'Signal' but as I continue, I was pleasantly surprised with its charms; how it naturally unfolds by giving us a glimpse of crime solving in Korea. How it has evolved and forever changed in criminal profiling, introduced in a classic setting of old age versus new age; Although sometimes it may be seen as a bad cop versus a good cop. The pilot episode was a bit slow and painful to watch to be honest, but believe me it got better as we continue on.I simply love the subtle way of each main and supporting characters is being portrayed, which include the dynamics of the politics in shaping the future of the newly developed Behavioural Analysis Team (BAT). It doesn't discourage you as it pan out, whether to the unit's advantages or the opposite, but I found myself rooting for them to succeed nonetheless. Yes, I care for them. In my book, if a story like this can pull you into their world, immerse in their emotions and struggles, it's a pretty damn satisfying journey to experience. It reminds me so much of the beginning of my most beloved crime show, Criminal Minds.
Story
It's pretty straightforward as most of the cases were based on true events. This is a realistic investigation story that balances well in their logical problem solving with no over-the-top of emotional turmoil. Their approach is subtly layered with the right amount of emotions, just enough to get you to care about the victims without feeling overwhelmed. And you'll keep yourself rooting for the good guys instead of feeling frustrated even when they get stuck in their investigation or fail to meet your expectations of the outcome. This drama affected me in such a good way, the very opposite of the other usual crime investigation angst.
The story revolves from various views; the BAT itself, the criminals, the Special Crime Squad as well as the reporters or public, which I find very intriguing and interesting. The dynamics between each of them contribute mixed feelings of anticipation, frustration, excitement and disgust but in a subtle way which is surprisingly surreal to me. The show kept us grounded, even with the unimaginable grotesque crimes involved, the burden to unravel such horrendous acts was even bigger to fill in. It led us to think, what makes us human?
But what captivates me the most is how we witnessed and came to understand the evolution in profiling, the dynamics within the police forces and the criminal act itself. Both are developed side by side, echoing with our increased anticipation as viewers of the classic battle of good against evil. Again the show delivers us not only the character development, but how they reacted with its ever changing surroundings. Although it focuses more on the criminal side, the important message is that ‘Through the darkness’ of the criminal’s minds, we must not forget the victims and their loved ones who are the true heroes in the whole story. They are the reason as to why the BAT ever formed and profilers can somehow stay sane and cope with their ever so challenging job. This is like a tribute to those real profilers existed out there in the real world.
Cast
Kim Nam Gil is marvelous as So Ha Yong. His demeanour really makes you curious and sympathetic, as to how he reads, dissects, reacts, interprets and comes to understand the criminal minds as he keeps digging and unraveling the truth and reasoning behind each criminal's act, however twisted it may be. OVERALL, the casting is realistically believable. Down to the portrayal of the criminals itself. It will give you goosebumps.
Music
Pretty decent and suits with crime-theme drama.
Rewatchable?
Yes. It's engaging even if you already knew what would happen.
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Brilliant
This a show for a more mature audience, who enjoy a more realistic take on police cases as the cases might take a really long time to solve and the arrest isn't always directly made my the lead characters. The suspense in this show comes from exploring the human mind of murderers and the experiences the ML goes through due to digging into these monsters' minds, not gore or jump-scares.I liked that this show wasn't predictable and cliche like most dramas, the plot overall didn't move in a predictable way like usual, sometimes things might drag on for a long time and seem to build up to a cliched stand-off but unexpectedly, come to an end quickly before that. This seemed really realistic for me, as in real life, things rarely build up suspense layer by layer and come to a dramatic end, sometimes things that last long might come to a very quick and easy end at surprising times.
The time-skips were done very naturally and gave time for the characters and cases to develop in a natural way.
For people like me, who have watched plenty of shows about profiles before, some of the things they pointed about the criminals' psychology might've seemed obvious when they explained them to other police , but it fit very well for the time period the show was based on - profiling was completely new to Korea back then.
The acting was fantastic, both by the main leads and the criminals. For a plot that could've easily seemed boring and flat for many people for the lack of the usual dramatics shown in police shows, the subtle intensity (even for really reserved characters like the ML and FL) in which the actors delivered their lines and scenes kept the show captivating and let the great plot shine.
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This series is uncomfortable and heavy to watch so..
I don't usually leave reviews so bare with me haha. This series is uncomfortable and heavy to watch so this should be a trigger warning. I can't watch it in one sitting because my mind needs a time out by how serious the topics are. Please take care of your mental health! If you need to take a rest then please do so.So, anyways, the acting of every actors and actresses are commendable. That's my most favorite part. Kim Nam Gil's performance is great as always! I also appreciate the performance of the actors playing criminals. Imagine having to read the script, memorize and deliver those lines?...The acting is really good and will made you really hate them.
I also liked the good balance of storytelling from the perspective of anyone involved. Crime shows like this shouldn't be centered around the criminals because that's hella problematic. Like *ehem* "Dahmer" *ehem*. Please excuse me for squeezing this in lol.
Overall, this series is worth watching.
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Very good plot
The plot is the king embellished with great acting by Kim Namgil. The darkness depicted through the cinematography is just too good.The story is inspired from real events so be ready for some chills . Very well paced story and the characters are well written not a single moment of boredom … The acting combined with a unique direction skills make this a treat to watch as it serves the eerie feeling through the screen.It is a gem for people who love crime thrillers …too underrated Trust me and give it a go you will not regret .Was this review helpful to you?
opened my eyes
....to the fact that I should stop forcing myself to complete mediocre shows just because I am halfway through them. That's the biggest epiphany I had whilst watching this.Now let's come around to this show. There were a few mind-blowing things. I started this on the assumption that it is an adaptation of Mindhunter. Only found out towards the end that it is based on the book by Korea's first criminal profiler. And the fact that Kim Nam Gil was in Pandora. Damn! I just couldn't make the connection. He's done a really stellar job of acting here.
The cases were gruesome. The criminals were scary (and I even found one very pitiful ...eeekss). I was wishing for a 'normal' criminal...as in someone who doesn't have wild eyes and crazy behaviour from the get go...And there the person appeared. So yes, the show covered a range of cases and types of criminals.
Loved seeing the Behavioural Analysis Team camaraderie and growth.
Anyway, this is a great show. Would love a second season.
And I finally dumped all the other boring shows that I was forcing myself to watch. Life's too short.
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This review may contain spoilers
The darkness of people
This Drama is something else, it makes you afraid if people and it shows the real darkness behind those cases . It also shows the struggle of exacting a new form of investigation in Korea.The most bone chilling thing about this whole show is that every one of those cases is real, it really happend. And the dedication to the detail to the accuracy from those cases to the show is amazing.
The casting is absolutely awesome and the actors are world-class.
The main character is so good portrait i worried do much about him, his empathic nature makes him an awesome investigator but at the same time he does not only sees the darkness of those murdered he makes it his own. And seeing that almost making him lose his mind is hurting to watch.
I would always recommend this shoe, if you can stomach it.
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This drama not only won 4 awards at the 2022 SBS Drama Awards - December 31, 2022, it also received an 8.8 vote on mydramalist, a very excellent score.
The screenwriter managed to compile a story that is coherent and captivating. The music and cinematograph support is cool, making the audience immersed in exploring the thoughts of a serial killer.
Like the perpetrator of the Red Cap Case, Cho Kang-Moo, who strangled and stripped his victim. Cho Kang-Moo has a scary memory, of his father stripping his mother naked after torturing her.
Song Ha-Youn (Kim Nam-Gil) is often stunned to hear answers that are boring. Among them are the answers to the reasons for a serial killer who takes great care of his health:
I want to live longer
So that more people I kill
Heavy applause is certainly aimed at the 2 main actors Kim Nam-Gil as Song Ha-Youn and Jin Sun-Kyu as Kook Young-Soo. I wish the main character wasn't Kim Nam-Gil would it be this good?
Mmm…..when you see Kim Nam-Gil's acting in the Korean drama "Island" (I and II), who seems to be walking alone through the lonely long endless hallway.
As well as his role as Song Ha-Youn who has a unique personality, it seems that we have to agree with the decision of the SBS Drama Awards to award him the Grand Prize. The same award that Kim Nam-Gil also received in 2019.
The next review can be read here: https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2023/03/through-the-darkness-review-drama-korea.html
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A very interesting series that perfectly mixes Korean police history and a good thriller.
The story revolves around the 1990s, where the citizens of Seoul were gripped with a paralyzing fear after a series of brutal attacks and murders occurred. The habits of striking randomly made it impossible for the detectives to predict the criminals next move.Aware of the American F.B.I. and its successful use of criminal profilers to identify serial killers, Gook Young Soo recruits Song Ha Young, a quiet, reserved, incredibly perceptive former detective for his team. Gook believes using this new psychological method will give the police an edge in capturing these killers.
Well I'll be honest, the first episode wasn't amazing in the sense that, me as a viewer, I wasn't captivated by the story. The first episode is supposed to do this to make the viewer want to find out more, but the show lacked in this as it was too slow for me. That's why I had only seen the first episode, and paused this series until I resumed it weeks/months later because I was bored.
Now, I want to establish that the series separates itself from other thrillers for several reasons.
First of all, its pacing, we discover a lot of detective work (door to door, documentation and archiving ... etc.) so it gives a more realistic impression of really observing what is surely the daily life of the police at that time, and that may be redundant. I have to say that the show is really about two episodes long for each killer in average, with the full story, starting with the POV of the killer and his victims, the police work, the arrest, and the aftermath - when they're in jail. It's really quite a process, and sometimes the show made us jump months or even years forward to showcase the realism and the time it takes for investigations to be solved.
Secondly, I would say it's really a series that was focused on showing how the Korean police integrated profilers and how they helped, it's a long process again, with many backlashes coming from superiors or colleagues who at that time didn't see why profiling a killer could help them solve cases. So there are a lot thrilling moments, I wouldn't lie, but it's really a series that focuses on the police and historical aspect of such an approach.
It reminds me of models, in the fashion industry, runway models are chosen for their very thin, almost characterless features and bodies to showcase the clothes. Well here, I would say the actors were good in their roles but ultimately they were more part of a bigger picture where the story was more important than the characters.
And lately the show hasn't been overly focused on drama, like no big shenanigans from superiors or rich, no backstabbing between friends or colleagues, no revenge, no love dramas, no overly character strong and intelligent. All these elements that are generally part of drama thrillers in Korean, here have been set aside to focus on realism and tell the story - a little fictionalized - of profilers in the police.
I would like to mention, also, that all the actors did a good job of bringing their characters to life, especially actor Kim Nam Gil who played the main role of Song Ha Young, showing how much this kind of profession - profiling - weighs on these people, and that it requires a certain mind, composure and discipline, and above all intelligence.
So I recommend sticking with the show after the first episode, I believe the story is very well written - the characters and the story, especially from a detective perspective, and despiste the sometimes slow pacing, realism cover that well.
It's really a series to see, and I must say that I really enjoyed it, the killers were real monsters, not romanticized, who often committed the worst crimes.
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One of the best thriller K drama I have ever watched.
There is an American series based on the same concept but I have not watched it. Why? Because I thought it would be boring..And I thought the same about the korean drama. I started it as an afterthought because I had nothing to watch. What started as a pure pasttime ended as one of my fav drama of all time. To tell the truth, since I am starting to miss it so I am thinking about watching the American one (though I forgot its name and now have to search the entire internet for it). If I have to speak about Kim Nam Gil performance, It was phenomenal. His character is an introvert person which he definitely portrayed well and if i may go overboard since I like him, it was fantastic. His character was the best at pissing people off and he did that well. Moreover, as the story goes on, as he deals with more these lunatics living in this world, u get to see the progressive deterioration of his mental balance. The exploding of the accumulated stress, anxiety and guilt brought with each cases was perfectly written and executed at the right time. Moreover, the other characters also did well in their role and the acting was also perfect each in their villain or heroic character. The serial killer actors were so good at their character portrayal that it had me wondered if it did not affect them mentally afterwards ( which i hope did not happen). In overall, this drama is a must-watch and cannot remain on ur plan to watch list.Was this review helpful to you?
