The Tyrant

I love Korean movies and series but this one????

I give up!

What was that???

A lot of people are killing a lot of other people and I really did not understand why they did it and who these people are at all. There is no story there, I liked none of the people, nothing. They used a lot of flashbacks and some non-linearity but only to cover up how bad everything is.

Okay, when you have no story but only mindless action then at least that should be good? No, what is worse than the nonexisting storyline are the fighting and shooting parts. They are always the same, very amateurish, lack any originality and they are extremely boooooring.

Not only that, since I didn't know who these people are and why they are killing each other, I didn't care at all who wins or who loses.

Honestly, I don't know who makes stuff like that and why there is nobody pulling the plug on something like this during production.

Or maybe this is a new cinematic artform: no story, just mindless and boring murder and mayhem for hours.

Honestly, I give up!

"The Tyrant" is a mini-series that serves as a side story to the movie ' The Witch ' and it unfolds into its universe.

The action is, of course, a highlight. If you like pure action and violence, this show is the answer for you. Brutality, gore, blood, guns, whatever you need, it's all here, and in the most violent form.

The cinematography is stunning, with wide shots showcasing the intensity of each battle, and the fight choreography is still on brand with the franchise. While the gore has been toned down, it doesn't take away from the high-stakes brutality that defines this universe.

Now, while the drama delivers on action and performances, the plot itself is fairly simplistic. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel; instead, it just gives us a fast-paced chase where everyone's after the same thing. And while that's fine for a side story, it doesn't necessarily add much depth to the Witch universe. If you're hoping for deeper world-building about the origins of the Tyrant program or how it connects to the broader narrative, you might leave with more questions than answers.

One of the biggest surprises of The Tyrant is its new female lead Chae Ja-gyeong (Jo Yoon-Soo) is an absolute legend in the role. She really carries most of the show on her shoulders.

If you're deeply invested in The Witch universe, it's worth the watch. If you're just here for great action and don't mind an open-ended narrative, you'll have fun. But if you're looking for major story revelations? You won't miss much by skipping it.

For some who may not be aware, this series was created by the same director who brought you the Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion (an excellent movie) and the Witch Part II (a terrible movie). All three share the same premise and can be viewed as different parts of a same franchise. This third offering in this franchise lands somewhere between the first and second movies, closer to the first movie I suppose. If you are a fan of this franchise or just the first movie, the chances are pretty good you will like this 4-episode series. However, I do want to warn you that you have to pay real close attention to understand who's working with who and what factions are fighting against each other. As mentioned in another review, the lighting is inexplicably poor. I can go on and pick out couple of other annoying points.

However, the fact of the matter is the series is very compact (total running time of maybe less than 2 hrs) and is quite entertaining.

This series felt like a bunch of real-life psychopaths gathered together, driven solely by lust and greed, which was revolting to witness. The story was not just disappointing but also outright trash, offering little more than a parade of depravity that left me questioning the creative intentions behind it. Rather than providing a thought-provoking or meaningful narrative, it seems the creators were more interested in shocking the audience for the sake of it, without any deeper message or artistic merit.

At its core, this series appears to glorify the worst aspects of human nature, focusing on selfish desires and immoral actions. There is nothing wrong with exploring dark themes in media when done responsibly, but here, it feels like the darkness exists just to be edgy.

The long-expected "The Tyrant" doesn't disappoint! Still, there is a small fly in the ointment!

Director Park is juggling too many balls for the first three episodes. He makes it slightly difficult for the viewer to trace them, especially in the dimly lit scenes. So when he catches them all successfully in episode 4, the viewer is already a bit tired. Just as the capsule is missing, something is missing in the storyline to rivet you wholeheartedly to the screen. I have high respect for Director Park. Yet I think he starts telling the story as if he has all the time in this world, while towards the end, he rushes to bring all the loose ends together. Perhaps because of his vast vision? He takes joy in crafting films that reflect his personal vision, paying little heed to traditional storytelling or pursuing commercial success. He offers his perspective and style, leaving it to you to accept or reject. Much like a true modern artist, he indulges in his individual style and preferences. So it takes time to like it or lump it.

However, he has the knack of selecting a brilliant cast, which makes up for the high mortality rate in this movie/drama.

Of course, Kim Seon Ho as the calm reserved and charismatic Director Choe makes the most of it as usual!