Além do Mal (2021)

Rice car

I feel like this drama is basically a Rice car. On the surface it looks amazing. The cast is full of good looking people, and the two male leads absolutely nail their roles. Did Shin Ha-kyun deserve the actor of the year award from the Baeksang Awards? Probably. Did the show deserve the best script? Absolutely not.

This drama suffers from trying to be greater than it is. In doing so, it tries to add suspense and wonderment through (if I actually counted) probably around 50 different plot twists. I'm all up for plot twists, but they weren't meaningful in any way. Just a bunch of cheap suspense tricks. E.G. You see X as following victim at 8:10 so he must be the killer. Surprise we now know that at 8:15 X actually left the victim and the at 8:16 Y was the last person to be wit the victim. So on and so forth for almost the entire series. I don't really know why people claim that they were at the edge of their seats from suspense, but to me this is not suspense. It's the equivalent to cheap scares in horror movies. Just like cheap scares don't count towards making a scary movie scary, these cheap twists don't create actual suspense and certainly don't qualify as good writing.

People also praise the character development in the show, but I am still wondering what they are talking about. Sure we are all cheering for the two male leads to get along and at the end they finally do, but I basically just revealed the entire series of events that lead to that development with, "they finally do." LDS is dead set on finding the culprit for his sister's death the entire series and continues to hide from his friends what he's doing until he's doesn't and until he's not. We never see the progression of his anger slower subsiding, realizing that there is more to life than being stuck on his sister's murder for over 20 years, or that he should share that burden with his friends and family. The only semblance of development we get from LDS is his attachment to HJW which can be summed up over the prison scene where he says, "we protect our own," HJW multiple random barge ins and suspecting LDS, a bowl of soup that LDS treats HJW to, and the last episode where they smile at each other. HJW's development isn't much better, he's pretty much dead inside until he feels sorry about his father's crimes and then again the smiling scene before the end credits.

Lets talk about the council woman's unconvincing confession. She confessed because her son said he'd kill himself if it turns out to be true that she killed chief Nam and KJM. But she didn't and her confession has no bearing on that. There was no evidence that she did killed anyone and it was never shown that her acquittal banked on such a confession. Heck it didn't even show that she was ever arrested or charged. A huge leap in logic to reach the outcome we got. Plot convenience is not good story writing.

Now lets talk about the crucial moment where HJW learns of his father's crimes and convinces LDS to not take things into this own hands. He promises to go to hell to bring his father down by gaining his trust. He makes this promise knowing that the recording he has would be inadmissible in court. Not only does HJW not go to hell, he didn't even go to jail. He did absolutely nothing Beyond Evil worthy to go to "Hell." In fact, his father goes to jail because the Council Woman's plot convenience "confession" ( her word against theirs) magically makes the recordings admissible in court? Yea, sorry that's now how that works. And what exactly did gaining his father's trust do to bring him towards arresting his father? Absolutely nothing. Just some more showboating that make the audience go "OMG," with no actual substance. Just like the cheap plot twists exhibited throughout the series. What was the point of HJW saying he'd gain his father's trust if there wasn't actually going to be any follow up on that? Just more rice.

This show did not deserve best Screenplay of the year. Not even close.

Leia Mais

One of the best drama deserving of its award

The moment I have finished the series felt like a weigh has been lifted off me but at the same time, I craved more. I thought I must write a review at all cost. So here we are!

The drama gave off a premise of what one would think of a typical crime drama where our protagonist gets wronged by the police so he seeks justice. Nope, it isn't all that.

In the drama, we have our protagonist, Lee Dong Sik, whose sister went missing 20 years ago, became the police officer he is today. He meets another officer whose views and perspective of things differ with him. Han Ju Won. From their clash of perspective to their suspicions, the two work it out to find the meaning of justice for the both of them.

There were a lot of GOOD things about the show that in fact just stating it in words alone isn't enough unless you experience its goodness yourself.

From the plot to character development, this drama nailed it all. I have to even say, everyone of the character feels like a main than a supporting and the casts? Everyone's superb. The drama will really leave you at the edge of your seat everytime you finish one, thinking what's going to happen next? Who's the real culprit? how will they catch him? Typical questions one would raise over a crime-mystery drama but Beyond Evil answers it all and will give you a satisfying end.

I must warn you of the stares between our actors Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo as their roles Lee Dong Sik and Han Ju Won, it gets to the point of addicting! The chemistry is too wonderful as partners, as brothers, or however way you want to see it.

Acting-wise, I think Shin Ka Hyun is truly the god of acting, the whirlpool of emotion he'll bring you and the eye-acting he offers is enough to pull you even more into the show. That doesn't mean Yeo Jin Goo falls behind, he manages to match against the other senior actor and offers his best, I think this is his best role just yet after Hotel Del Luna (for me). Choi Seung Eun whose known as a rookie, on the other hand, will catch your attention just as it caught mine.

The OST? Man, The Night will be on repeat once you finish the drama like a curse. I love it so much and it is so on point for the drama. Truly a masterpiece.

Anyway, I think it is a drama packed of human drama, thrill, emotions, and a whole lot more. But more importantly, I think it is important to find the message it was trying to convey.

I hope that this drama will be given a chance because it deserves the attention. I hope you enjoy it as much as we (the fans) do.

This is a first, but I think it has a rewatch value of 10/10. I would rewatch just to feel it all again.

Happy watching!

Leia Mais

Beyond Evil is a fantastic thriller that will leave you questioning everything

I am totally new to Dramas and this will be my first review on here so please bear with me and I found this show to be so interesting that I have to express how I feel

STORY:
I'm a huge fan of crime thrillers in general, whether it's books or movies, I love them. But Beyond Evil is a first for me since it's a Korean Drama and I never really delved into them fully before. I wasn't disappointed, in fact I was pleasantly surprised.

Set around a group of people ingrained in their local small town community - the show perfectly depicts how societal norms affects people's lives and the lengths people go to quench their desires - be it for good or evil. I found the setting to be perfect to explore such themes. But all this serves as a backdrop to the real story at hand, a ruthless serial killer, two detectives who will go to extreme lengths, and a local community caught in the middle of a huge political storm - that'll have huge ripple effects on our main characters.

I was immediately gripped from the first episode, there was never a dull moment and each scene served a purpose to the overall story - even the slow burn/set up episodes were enjoyable to watch. I'm not quite sure how Korean Dramas usually operate but I often found myself impressed at the depth the series goes to flesh out the main cast. It was extremely thorough in developing not just the two main characters but every one involved .. it's a true ensemble and I especially loved all the bonding moments between the characters and just how flawed they are with each other.

ACTING:
Again, I have to reiterate I'm not familiar at all with Korean Drama nor the actors. So I really wouldn't know where to start but the acting itself is FANTASTIC.. I was shocked at the level of quality involved. In particular, I have to mention Shin Ha Kyun as Lee Dong Shik.. there was even this one scene that got me crying.. which I never thought would happen nor I would be so invested into his storyline. He was unbelieve in this series and deserves to be singled-out. But this doesn't mean the rest were not. In fact, everyone is truly a master of their crafts and I totally bought into their characters and the roles they were playing. I cant recall all the different emotions I felt watching this..

MUSIC:
I have to mention yet again that I have no idea who made the music for this series or how things are in Korean Dramas, but the OST is also top notch and simply adds to the different moods the show was trying to explore, I loved the music and there are two soundtracks that I wish I could find online. LOVED IT!

REWATCH VALUE:
I could see myself rewatching the series down the line. I am a little exhausted by the end of it. I think the lengths of each episode was the biggest shock.. But i guess this is the case for most dramas.. I think?

ENJOYMENT:
I'm new to all this .. So this is the opinion of someone who isn't well informed into this world, but I'm thrilled to have not only enjoyed this show, but totally love it. I feel like I discovered a new wealth of content in this medium and I can't wait to watch more. Beyond Evil is truly a great show - not without it's flaws of course - that will keep you wanting the next episode till the very end.. I honestly cant recommend it enough

Leia Mais

I was very worried upon starting this drama that it would be too dark and gruesome for me, so much so that I stopped watching after 2 episodes. But even after spending such a short time with the plot and the characters, I could not stop thinking about it, so after a few weeks I started again, and thank god I did because this was truly amazing! Also, not quite as gruesome as I was expecting, so my fear of seeing something I really didn't want to see at the end of episode 2 was unfounded, in case that helps anyone a little squeamish who reads this.
Part psychological thriller, part crime drama, and almost family drama, Beyond Evil manages an impressive balancing act between cold, disturbing darkness and raw emotion, both of the positive and negative kind. The plot unfolds perfectly over the course of the 16 episodes, leaving no lull in intensity or filler episodes but not rushing into anything either. You get enough time to savor all of the twists and turns of the story, all of the new developments and revelations, without getting bored. Contrarily to other intense crime dramas, Beyond Evil is truly moving and shocking at time, but never uses cheap tricks and haphazardly put together twists to achieve that, each turn of the story is impactful in its own right, and will leave you trying to solve the mystery by yourself.
What I was not expecting from this drama is for it to be so viscerally emotional at times. This comes mostly from the stellar acting from Shin Ha Kyun, who constantly walks the line between protagonist and antagonist, while staying utterly loveable and captivating throughout. The rest of the cast are all really impressive, most notably Yeo Jin Goo, who manages a really great, complex performance, despite his young age. The Korean title (Monster) is particularly fitting: the drama explores the monstrous in the different characters. If it sounds clichéd and a bit on the nose, don't worry, the drama never is. It uses this admittedly a bit overdone idea with impressive subtlety and efficiency, so that it always feels fresh and new.
On top of that, the drama simply looks fantastic, even though a lot of it takes place in dingy police station and old, somewhat decrepit houses, the filmography captures each place's essence and feel in a way that always elevates the story. The cold interrogation room is the perfect backdrop to enhance the ambivalence and mystery surrounding the suspects, while the old butcher shop reinforces the warmth of the long years of friendships between the main group of protagonists, and the old streets surrounded by vast expenses of countryside surrounding the town really drive home the sense of "localness" of a tragedy taking place in a small town.
The music is another great addition to the drama, with pieces that almost sound out of place at first, but work so well overall to build up the atmosphere, without being too distracting.
All in all, Beyond Evil is a remarkably well-rounded drama, that manages to feel amazingly intense while never resorting to cheap twists or being too fast. Each element of the production helps build up the intensity and emotions, leaving you with a really solid contender for best mystery/crime drama/psychological thriller of the year.

Leia Mais

An absolute masterpiece, before watching BE I didn't enjoy slow paced stories, and was about to drop it as I found the first episode so slow, but glad I decided to give it a chance, it changed my taste and I really started enjoying slow burn thrillers.
the story starts unfolding itself slowly and you realize that truth isn't what it seems to be, tbh what I love the most about korean thrillers is the plot twists and BE didn't disappoint.
The acting!!!, Omg it was perfect, better than most dramas I've watched, what makes me so fond of their performances (especially the two main characters) is their ability to deliver emotions through their eyes only ,other characters acted very well too I couldn't find a mistake, I think acting is one of the main things that made this drama so stuck in my head even after finishing it.
Now that I wrote this review I feel a huge desire to watch it again.

Leia Mais

I have no words to say how this drama made me feel. I love thrillers and this year we had so many great dramas in this gender! The next one in my list of dramas that I translated but have not watched is "Taxi Driver" and I'm already pretty excited about it. But let's talk about this amazing production, without spoilers. You can see my first impressions here: https://mydramalist.com/profile/8270201/feeds/QkBBJS8

It's not for no reason that this drama won so many awards this year. We have an addicted story mixed with actors that deliver everything in their roles. I'll start talking about the main characters. Lee Dong Shik (Shin Ha Kyun) is the kind of character that you don't know what to expect. Until the last episode, I yet had afraid that he could do something terrible and I think that Ha Kyun pass the exact essence of the disturbed personality of Dong Shik. What is the smile of this man? It made me nervous and in love at the same time during the entire show. On the other side, but with the same instability, Han Joo Won (Yeo Jin Goo) made me crazy in the same way. Seeing Joo Won slowly losing his sanity and notion of justice and himself was the most incredible journey for me here. Yeo Jin Goo is a beast and I really hope that he can get a lot of complex characters in his career because I think we'll gonna see so much more of his ability from now on. I love the way how they put the people of the city so together. This left us confused for many episodes and maintain the thriller at the highest. I will make an honorable mention to Choi Dae Hoon, our Park Jung Jae, and Lee Kyu Hoe, the incredible Kang Jin Mook. These two, besides all the Munji crew, captivate me with extreme performance. I'm not totally recovery yet, for real.

About the story, I have to say that is not a even single missing point. Maybe you don't feel so excited if you don't like corruption plots, but if you are like me, you gonna love it. The corruption of the high society of Munji is the center of everything, and many times I felt disgusting seeing so much dirty, but at the same time is a totally possible story. It's very insane to think that something like that could happen for real, maybe not with such greatness but for sure with something similar, for the same reasons.

I'll definitely put this one as a chosen one (★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★) and tied with "Mouse" in the scale of my heart (I really can't choose between these two). If you love "Mouse", "Taxi Driver", "The Devil Judge", you'll gonna love this for sure.

See you soon!
XOXO, Mari.

Leia Mais

The best of it's genre.

A suspense thriller that deserves all the high ratings and awards it has received. Its scriptwriting is incredible; written for a thoughtful viewer who is able to read the eyes & emotions yet able to understand a plot which includes a bunch of different undertones. This show will not seem as tense or tedious only to viewers who can see beyond a facade.

It's certainly more inclinied towards the psychological part of a thriller e.g heroes unravel a tight tangle of secrets and intrigue through interrogations and reflections type of plot. This is exactly why, I would recommend it to an adult. Specifically a thoughtful viewer who is able to empathize with the heroes even when they do not openly show their suffering.

Leia Mais

This drama was completely unpredictable from start to finish. And that's saying a lot from someone who watched dramas for years. Everyone suspects everyone and you never know what's coming next. I loved that all of the people from the town were close friends but kinda had their secrets. There were also some pretty gruesome scenes so you should keep that in mind before you start this drama. I loved the chemistry between Dong Shik and Joo Won. The two were supposed to be enemies where Joo Won would suspect him and Dong Sik just ignored that he was being interrogated and played it off. Joo Won learns a lot, unexpectedly, from Dong Sik and how he catches criminals. To be honest, they were kinda fruity (if you know what I mean) like Joo Won literally has mommy and daddy issues. That's a story for next time though. Also, I gave this drama a 7/10 for rewatch value because it wouldn't be the same to watch this when you know what's going to happen. Have fun bitches <3

Leia Mais

I started Beyond Evil expecting a dark, twisty crime drama. I got something even better. Because while the show delivers a solid thriller plot, at its heart it’s a love story. Not a romance, but a close character study of deeply traumatized people fighting like hell for justice, absolution, and each other. The entire cast is excellent, but the real fireworks happen whenever Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo are on screen together. Their frenemy partnership is one of the most explosive actor pairings I’ve seen in years, a raw, bruising encounter of open emotional wounds as two people from very different worlds discover just how similar they are.

Most murder mysteries focus on solving the crime, but this one explores the damage left behind – the way friendships and communities fray, the guilt of survivors, the difficulty of finding closure, the fact that neither vengeance nor arrests are ever really “enough.” The show also recognizes that atonement is an action taken, not a gift bestowed. It never lets its characters escape responsibility for their choices, but it also grants the option of redemption. There is a lot of darkness in this world, but it suggests that even at our most broken, we are worthy of love and capable of grace.

Leia Mais

PHENOMENAL! PHÉNOMÉNAL! FENOMENALE! PRIMA!

WAIT before watching something after "Beyond Evil": subsequent series/movies will feel bland or boring. "Beyond Evil" (I don't like the title, hence I left it to watch it when there was nothing else on Netflix) requires concentration and you'll get rewarded BIG time.
One thing that is amazing is how you can at times barely guess what is going to happen. As a rule of thumb, you can't. Let yourself immerge in the events shaking fictional Manyang village next to fictional Munju town.
Unsure whether the lack of romance adds or detracts from the series. There was the possibility to develop something, and my bet would have been Oh JiHwa (ladies first) and ML DongShik as well as Yoo JaeY and ML JooWoon. The author chose not to.
The music fits both in terms of when it appears and what it sounds like.
"Beyond Evil" is another high light of 2021 kdramas, and bodes well for the future.

Leia Mais