Beyond Evil (K-Drama) Review

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Albeit the fact that I’m suffering another wave of serious withdrawal (the only other time this ever happened was due to The Guest), I do consider myself blessed to have been able to cross paths with a drama like this in this life.

While my feelings about the show are still very raw, and since I’ve been doing nothing but thinking about Han Joowon and Lee Dongsik 24/7 for the whole two weeks after watching the drama, here I am, dedicating a review to this compelling, one-of-a-kind sort of show, whose lead characters’ chemistry has transcended my very own definition of ‘perfection’.

Genre: Psychological, Thriller, Mystery, Investigation, Drama

Year: 2021

Featuring: Shin Ha-kyun, Yeo Jin-goo, Choi Dae-hoon, Kim Shin-rok, Choi Sung-eun

Synopsis (taken & modified from MyDramaList):

Meet two fearless men who are willing to go to extreme lengths in their pursuit of a serial killer that has shaken up their quiet town.

Lee Dongsik, a once capable detective, is now demoted to perform menial tasks at the Manyang Police Substation. Just as he is beginning to settle into a peaceful life, Han Joowon, a young, arrogant, elite detective whose father is the star candidate for the National Police Agency’s next chief, is transferred in and becomes his new partner.

When a string of gruesome killings occurs in town, the pattern that takes shape is oddly reminiscent of several serial-murder cases from 20 years prior, for which none other than Lee Dongsik was the main suspect.

As the two’s investigation proceeds, they are forced to look far deeper than what the evidence suggests and to question the culpability of all those surrounding the case, including their own.

Length: 16 episodes – 70 minutes each

Personal review:

➕ The Plot: Beyond Evil may come off looking all very similar to the usual small-town murder, where you’re made to anticipate that the core of the show is a whodunit mystery.

But then, it isn’t.

At its very core, Beyond Evil is a powerful story of grief, guilt and greed, masked behind a remarkably intricate web of human relations and their ugliest, rawest desires. Where no one seems innocent. Yes, not even the lead characters.

Did Beyond Evil do a good job at being a Mystery? Likely, yes, though I’m aware some might’ve preferred the mystery bits to stay on a little longer. Did it do a good job at being a Psychological Thriller? Oh, god, yes.

➕ The Characters: This is probably the first K-drama I’ve ever watched that somehow manages to spare a proper backstory for almost all major characters, including the villains. We’re talking about at least 8 of them here, within mere 16 episodes.

Most interestingly, this is also the first show I’ve ever watched where every single character’s ethics might lie in a grey zone. As easy it is to judge them for such questionable behaviours, the reasons why they do what they do will probably keep you awake at night, wondering if you could’ve done any better had you been put in their shoes.

Intriguingly, when it isn’t dealing with the darker sides of life, the show oozes a quality Found Family vibe, a warm depiction of how far a close-knitted community will go to protect their own people. Get ready to be attached to certain characters, because you simply will.

And of course, I can’t be done with this part without talking about our two leads, Lee Dongsik and Han Joowon. Lee Dongsik certainly makes it to my list of characters with such profound depths, despite the fact that the show’s runtime isn’t even that long, and the subtlety, the complexity of his struggles is brought out even more amazingly thanks to Shin Hakyun’s acting. His partner Han Joowon, one who walks into the show looking nothing short of the annoying brat you’ll want to punch in the face, reaches what I would gladly define as peak character development by the end of the show, the sort that almost feels as though he’s been through a lifetime of troubles.

➕ The Chemistry: Here’s the point where I want to share with you my personal experience trying to appreciate and interpret the two male leads’ dynamics.

In my first watch of Beyond Evil, this was what I said to myself: “Cool, seems like bromance isn’t the focus, but not bad.”

In my second watch of Beyond Evil, this was what I screamed to myself: “Goodness gracious was I f**king blind in my first watch?”（￣□￣；）

Here’s the thing, Shin Hakyun himself said something along the line that “this is the type of script that, if done well, will make the audience want to watch twice.” I heeded his words, and guess what I found? So many minuscule details, so many subtle movements.

I believe in the first watch, I was so overwhelmed by the convolution of the plot and all the characters’ emotional grapples that the two leads’ dynamic was somehow majorly sidelined from my attention. By the second watch, I was dead-set on focusing on these two, their every line, their every gaze, their every gesture and their incapacity to stop flirting when they’re with each other.

The result? By the time I reached the ever-famous ending scene in the second watch, I was a horrible mess.

How lucky must I be to be able to watch such a mesmerising enemies-to-partners-to-(how-should-I-even-define-this-relationship) development? These are two characters who come to ruin yet save each other, two persons who stand against the whole world, and two men who are willing to fall into Hell for the other.

Such. Fervour.

➕ The Acting: You know, let’s just go straight to the point. Everyone, please stand up and give every actor and actress a standing ovation. Just, please. (I personally will stand a tad longer for Do Hae Won’s actress. I got goosebumps from how mental that lady was, in all earnest.)

➕ The Filming/OST: I’ve never found any aspect to fault a K-Thriller’s filming, and I’m certainly not gonna do so for Beyond Evil. Perfection, 11/10. But, I’ve never commented on any show’s OST before, so let me make the first exception today: That is some god-tier OST, one that matches too well with the show’s heavy atmosphere and tension among the characters. Look up the full OST folks, especially The Night by Choi Baek Ho.

➖ The Negative: Yes, I have something to complain about: How am I supposed to move on from this, at all?

If you’re giving this show a go-ahead, here’s some advice: Proceed with caution, because I won’t be responsible for your subsequent withdrawal and/or inability to find other shows that could fill in the void that Beyond Evil leaves behind. You’ve been truthfully warned.