Gwimul

Confounded. The story seems unique. The development of the characters is good. Confusing to say the least. The lead is manic. It keeps you guessing.

Acting, directing, script, music, camera movement are all top-notched. It is not an everyday detective story that just focus on catching the killer - the messages the drama brings out are very meaningful and are the major focus. Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo have a pretty big age gap there but that was exactly why the chemistry was so well - the contrast in terms of age, personality, approach to issues brings out so much sparks and chemistry between them. The acting is natural yet impactful. The supporting actors/actresses all deliver very well. Music gives me goosebumps. Heavy use of metaphors, hidden meanings and subtexts. Clues and leads are set out in a subtle manner throughout - there is no meaningless or useless scenes if you understand the story correctly. It is one of a kind indeed. Highly recommended.

'Beyond Evil' is a 16-episode long Korean drama, starring Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo in pivotal roles. The story is about two police officers who are determined to solve the case of a 20-year old murder case. Their desire to uncover the truth is strong enough to lead them to bend laws and reach a stage where they question everyone around them, including themselves. The main reason behind me starting this drama was the amount of appreciation it got in the recent Baeksang Arts Awards. The drama was easily able to sweep away the 'Best Actor', 'Best Drama' and 'Best Screenplay' among many other titles, which perked up my curiosity and led me into giving it a watch.

Talking about the acting, one man that stands over all others will be Shin Ha Kyun. He is the brightest star in the big galaxy of actors in the show (haha, poetic much--:P). He has done a very good job and deserves all the appreciation that he has been getting after this show. The finesse with which he is able to convey each and every emotion to the viewer is highly commendable. On the other hand, Yeo Jin Goo also has done a stupendous job of maintaining a steady love-hate relationship towards Shin Ha Kyun's character. Both the actors' chemistry is very well maintained throughout the drama, and makes it a delightful watch.

While the first half of the drama was very intriguing, scary and full of suspense, the second half doesn't seem to match up to the already maintained thrill. Things get a tad bit slow and predictable but the show is still watchable and holds adequate amount of suspense to keep you hooked. Overall, 'Beyond Evil' is a very compelling drama to watch. It talks about the actual power that a cop holds and throws light on the evil face of people in power, which is hidden by their mask of good deeds. For people who enjoy watching thriller and suspense-filled dramas, this show is a very good pick and is worth a try.

Beyond Evil is not a typical crime or detective drama. It focuses not only who the culprit is but also how the incidents influence and change suspects' and victims' lives. Watching BE is like doing a difficult jigsaw puzzle. Patience is needed, but it's worth it. No plot holes, and all cast did a brilliant job. The music also goes well with the scenes. In addition, the cinematography is awesome. BE is a drama that makes you think a lot and gives you profound feelings especially during your second watch.

GENRE: This drama is a full package psychological thriller - one that focuses on psychological narratives in a thriller setting. Acting, writing, directing, cinematography and music all monstrously good. One is totally missing something if one just thinks it's a mere crime-solving / detective / find-the-culprit drama. Beyond Evil tells the story of the pain, sorrow and wounds of the families and friends of the victims who are left behind. Its key message is to bring out how the selfishness of one person could have a knock-on effect to turn everyone into a monster, how one mistake can grow into multiple bigger ones which inflict pain on people, as they find ways to cover things up (hence the title "monster" - the name of the drama in Korean, "gwemul", means "monster" literally. "Beyond Evil" is the official name of this drama in English). It also explores various issues like the loopholes and injustice of the legal system, and "necessary evil".

STARTING: It is one of those rare dramas that lingers long after it's ended. The first few episodes are slow-burning, focus on setting the scenes, laying the leads meticulously (so if you re-watch the first few episodes after finishing the whole series, you will find that all the dots are amazingly connected).

ACTING: The chemistry between Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo is no joke. The intense gazes, "hate-to-heal" dynamics just keep you on the edge of your seat! Shin Ha Kyun won the best actor award for his role in Baeksang Arts Award and Yeo Jin Goo, who is just 23-year-old now, is critically acclaimed for his mature performance in the drama. Han Ju Won played by Yeo Jin Goo is a complex character - someone who appears calm and cold about everything on the surface, someone who has a somewhat broken childhood, who holds up to his belief in justice, who is extremely startled but not shaken when the truth is unraveled. Yeo Jin Goo, who has been an actor for over 15 years despite his young age, shows you the change and growth in Han Ju Won with his excellent and natural acting. There is a heavy use of close-up shots - the director explained it is to show the subtle changes in gazes and micro-expressions of the actors/actresses such that various subtexts could be understood by viewers even they are not explicitly depicted by way of dialogues.

SCRIPT: Even though the "main dish" of the drama is the deeper psychological narratives, Beyond Evil delivers perfectly in the crime-solving side as well. There is a plot twist in basically every episode. But note that the twists are not unnecessary at all for the sake of creating suspense - every twist is meaningful and if you watch till the end you will marvel at how meticulously the dots are tied together so well. Even the seemingly "not-so-important" scenes embody certain subtexts! The amount of careful design is just breathtaking. Beyond Evil thrives so much on subtexts and deeper meanings which makes it so fun to watch.

DIRECTING: I usually prefer movies over dramas for the better cinematography (in general) but Beyond Evil really surprises me - excellent camera movement and mise-en-scène (roughly, the stage design and arrangement of actors). For example, in the scene where Han Ju Won learnt of something important, a train passed by at the backdrop quickly, as if Han Ju Won's complicated emotions were splashing out at that very moment. There are countless metaphors and stage-setting like this - one has to watch it to find them all out!

MUSIC: The OST just match very perfectly with the theme, from the song "That Night" which conveys loneliness and sadness to the instrumental background music designed for various scenes (especially the opening title - that's my favourite. To add, if you review the opening title after you have finished the whole drama, you will find a lot of clues and hints in it. Yes, this is how meticulous the whole production is!!!).

CONCLUSION: Beyond Evil is a masterpiece of acting, writing, directing, cinematography and music which carries very meaningful messages. It totally deserves the awards and positive reviews it got. I have watched it 3 times to date and every time I re-watch it, I find something new (either something I missed in my previous watching, or a metaphor/subtext that I come to realise a certain scene is getting at). It is definitely my "YOLO" drama and I would highly recommend it to you.