A Killer Paradox

"A Killer Paradox" is Netflix's latest Korean crime drama series. It features a protagonist with a unique crime-fighting ability. Some are approaching this with high expectations due to the caliber of past roles by the two leads, Choi Woo Shik and Son Suk Ku, but it might be best to temper your expectations. It's mostly entertaining, exploring ethical dilemmas related to justice, guilt, and innocence, but seems to be missing the extra something (maybe emotional impact) that the top shows in this genre possess.

The show is generally fast-paced and combines suspenseful storytelling, psychological thriller elements, and grimy action. The narrative is at times non-linear and gradually unveils layers, keeping the audience engaged and guessing. It is more plot and mystery driven and doesn't invest as much into character development as many Korean dramas do. As a result, it's not as easy to sympathize with the characters.

The production quality stands out, with meticulous attention to detail in set design and cinematography. The cast delivers compelling performances. This is a thought-provoking addition to the crime drama genre.

Choi Woo-shik plays Lee Tang an ordinary student from a poor family with a part time job at a convenience store. One day he gets into an altercation with a customer and ends up murdering him and from that point things quickly escalate and many more deaths occur. He is pursued by an upright detective JangNan-Gam played by Son Suk-ku who is determined to bring him to justice. The story is an interesting idea and starts well but then it just seems to drag and would have been much better as a movie or with a lot less episodes. Too much filming in the dark, no redeemable characters and the detective constantly chewing gum make it at times an annoying watch. Clever story which you may find yourself sadly fast forwarding.

A Killer Paradox starts off with a bang, but ends with a whimper. The first two episodes are really engaging, and keep you guessing to see what will happen next. The cinematography and storytelling is also top notch. The acting throughout is also very good.

Unfortunately, after that the quality quickly falls off and we are left with a run-of-the-mill vigilante origin story.

Episode five deserves commendation. Here, we are shown how an ordinary person suddenly commits a fatal crime of passion, and thus becomes target fodder for our vigilante. It would have been nice to see more episodes like this one.

This show is really worth watching. The plot is super unique and interesting. It keeps me hooked, with lots of exciting, intense, and also some dark comedic undertones. Although, I'll say, the story kinda dragged in the middle and it got somewhat dull for a while before getting back on track.

The cinematography is also well done. Particularly noteworthy are some scenes that are captured in long one-take shots. The editing choice to sometimes cut back and forth between different times also makes it more fun and engaging to watch.

The actors are great. They play the characters' emotions well, especially the two male leads.

While there are some predictable moments in the story, they don't detract from the overall experience. Extremely recommended.

A Killer Paradox gets better as it gets weirder. The beginning was already humorously dark, but then the plot unfolds into an even darker bizarre hero story. I initially thought that this would be an average series. I am glad I was surprised. This series sucked me in without me even noticing. Even though the genre is in the fantasy category, the dialog is well written and feels real life and genuine. The story jumps around and covers numerous sub-stories, but they all link together as the story unfolds. Choi Woo-sik gives a fantastic performance. The series is not too scary, but the viewer will definitely be drawn into the intense scenes.