Netflix’s Beyond Evil presents a well-paced plot that complements the brilliant storytelling, artistic cinematography and perfect soundtracks in this whodunnit, placing it above its fellow crime K-dramas. It nails all the elements of a neo noir crime thriller and has you anxious till the final chapter. The Telegraph breaks it down…
Plot Pot
Ghastly murders terrorise Munju as women disappear and their brutally mutilated bodies are found in the county. Amidst this frenzy, Dong-sik’s twin ends up a victim — the remains of her fingers laid carefully outside their residence and Dong-sik becomes the alleged culprit. He is proven not guilty. Two decades later, the county of Munju, now up for redevelopment, still recovering from the series of murder, faces turbulence again. Things go haywire when the murders with the same modus operandi 20 years ago occur again and Dong-sik yet again finds himself in the middle of it. This time, investigating.
All is not what it seems as detective Han Joo-won relocates all the way from Seoul to investigate the same. As the unspoken rumour of the town once more believes Dong-sik to be the culprit, Ju-won too is hell bent on proving so, disguised as his partner. The chase begins.
Beyond Evil complexly sets to solve a case spanning two decades with mistrust at an all-time high and everybody turned against each other. What further complicates the puzzle is the recluse nature of the town and the duplicitous characters who are more intricately tied in than they let on. The protagonists’ Janus-faced nature only fuels the dilemma of the viewer: is this a tale of a protagonist’s retribution or a villain’s rebirth? One thing is for sure — there are no heroes.
The setting of the eerie county of Munju adds to the experience with cool, bleak tones embedded into the cinematography, and plays well with the dramatic and elaborate soundtracks that will have your nails bitten down to the bed. In any case, Beyond Evil is also unique in its presentation of the crime. Though it is not uncommon to have women as the victims of brutal murders in crime shows, Beyond Evil is succesful in not giving the criminal’s gaze any credit or allowing it to pervade the screen and dominate the viewer with explicit gore and violence. The moments are suggestive and the crimes occur out of the camera’s lens, and though it doesn’t provide the in-your-face shock and discomfort of watching the crime, it leaves the worst to you, forcing one to take a trip down the worst recesses of your imagination, creating an atmosphere of horror just the same.
Genre: Crime Thriller
Where to Watch: Netflix
You Will Love It If You Love:
- A whodunnit
- Cop-partners who detest each other but have to work together
- Flawed characters
- A small-town murder mystery
The Telegraph Rating: 4/5
Trivia
Actors Shin Ha-Kyun and Yeo Jin-goo previously starred in No Mercy for the Rude where the latter played the younger version of Ha-kyun’s character.
Melodies that killed it
The Night by Choi Baek-ho:
Baek-ho’s powerful vocals create this haunting melody that builds suspense. The good blend of old vibes to the tune spurs thoughts of contemplation.
Timeless by BIBI:
BIBI’s soothing vocals convey conflict, abandonment and weariness perfectly. Paired with Dong-sik’s and Ju-won’s strained scenes, we couldn’t pick a better OST.
Characters We Had Our Eyes On
Yeo Jin-goo as Han Joo-won:
The untrusting partner of Dong-sik who hates him. His stubbornness is infuriating but his determination is what had us rooting for him. His reluctance adds well to the insane chemistry the duo has.
You’ll also love them in: Hotel Del Luna, Orange Marmalade
Shin Ha-kyun as Lee Dong-sik:
Cunning alleged culprit turned detective, Dong-sik sports several faces, each of which is less trust-worthy than the other. His true motive behind any of his actions makes us unsure as the plot proceeds but we loved every moment with him.
You’ll also love them in: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Room No. 7 and Joint Security Area
