Good Enough
Korean Drama "Strangers From Hell" is a dark story that builds up to the great final twist in the end. The only thing that was missing was a bit of a more craziness of the main villain. All the others were mad enough to be triggering the insanity of the main character.The latter was the star of the drama and the sole focus of it, as his downfall was well-orchestrated, even though there were evidence from the start that something was off that he himself was trying to suppress.
The performances, finally, were all great from everyone in the cast and the atmosphere pretty dark and suspenseful.
So, overall, 7 out of 10.
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Masterpiece
I don't have a lot to write about for this review, but I want to praise the cast's(both main and supporting roles) fastastic acting, I love how the twins were portrayed by one person perfectly, how the pervert was well acted out, of course, the enthusiatic and creepy landlord should not be forgotten too! Im Siwan and Lee Dongwook also portrayed their victim and villain roles really well, I can literally sense Jung U's fear and distrust, as well as getting goosebumps from Moonjo's psychotic smile and his crimes. The show had really dark vibes and some scenes are too disturbing to be watched while eating HAHA, nonetheless the cinematography of the show was pretty well done and Eden Goshiwon is really the last place on earth I want to visit if it exists lol. I agree with other comments about the loopholes existing in the shows, and one thing I wish to see is the characters' backstorys. Like what caused the twins to behave like this? How did the pervert join their killing plans, did he not get weirded out at first or is he naturally psychopathic? I'm very curious about how did Moonjo turn out to be a serial killer as well, also during the shower scenes in the earlier episodes, scars can be seen on Moonjo's back. Did he have a traumatic past that caused his personality to be like this? I want a season two featuring their past!! TTWas this review helpful to you?
Also, the guy from Goblin played his psychopathic character really well!! I didn't see his usual "handsome" guy character in his other shows. He was truly terrifying. The actor definitely proved his range in performance. He broke out of his "handsome" guy role and now I will definitely think of him as an Actor instead of "just the guy from Goblin." Know what I mean?
10, 1-hr episodes was perfect for this drama. There weren't any fillers. I had to take this show relatively slow because the torture is pretty gruesome.
OCN truly does make cinematographic art pieces. This is the network for serious and compelling dramas.
The ending is definitely not ambiguous, by the way.
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Disappointed
I had enough expectation in this series. In many of the sites where I have read reviews and opinions about it, they consider it practically a masterpiece, or at least a very good series. The synopsis also caught my attention and because it was short (10 episodes of 1 hour) I decided not only to give it a chance but to watch it with all my family.The first episode promised a lot but then the second episode gets a little boring (one scene in particular) and some episodes that follow are good and others not that much.
I consider that the idea is good but it is not well consolidated, I feel that it lacked strength. There are some antagonistic characters that are endearing but because there is not such a solid plot, they are not well used. There are also other characters that are left over and that do not contribute to the development or conclusion of the plot.
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The perfomance of the dentist did not seem entirely convincing to me. I think the actor did not do a good job; he looks a little over-reacted.
The young police did nothing in the entire series. She spent all the episodes investigating but practically discovered nothing. In the end they kidnap her and she can't solve anything either.
I did not like the end: I think the transformation of the protagonist happens very quickly, practically from one episode to another. That is, if he is uncomfortable with everything and has an aggressive personality, but that is from the beginning; I do not see a slow transition of his personality that justifies the end (a slow transition where even he does not perceive what is happening to him), because if he was uncomfortable he could have left or looked for another solution. I feel like he goes crazy almost suddenly.
I would have liked another justification for what was happening because at one point I thought it was something paranormal since the dentist follows all of them almost at the same time anywhere and also he worked. I do not understand how he combined to follow so many people, work and kill at the same time.
I believed that the dentist was a character in the novel he was writing and at the same time an alternate personality of his, one he used to unleash his aggressiveness.
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This review may contain spoilers
I considered writing this review as soon as I finished it, the last episode was quite the finale leaving me on an adrenaline high. However I stopped to continue one of my other dramas and when I came back to review this I no longer felt I'd give it as high a rating. I find this drama to be well worth the watch especially for the finale that required the build up it received, however thinking back the build up left a sour taste in my mouth. Although I'd gladly rewatch the final 3 episodes, the rest of it was only worth one watch.The major issue wasn't in the story, but the characters. Everyone in JungWoo's daily life outside of the goshiwon was infuriatingly plain and served the single purpose to push our main character mentally. His girlfriend was incredibly discouraging and trusting of strangers more than JungWoo, his senior from college only hired him to make him his junior again, and his coworker said the rudest things about JungWoo and treated him like crap for absolutely no reason. None of these characters seemed to have agency of their own and could be summarized by their actions towards JungWoo. His life outside the goshiwon took up almost a third of the show.
Later in the series they introduced 2 new characters to be friends with JungWoo. The first moved in across the hall and immediately took to JungWoo like a younger sibling, the second knew him in the military and, although bewildered by what JungWoo told him about the studio, rushed to the aid of his friend.
one was an incredibly satisfying addition, the other left me feeling cheated and empty.
On the flip side they did a really good job of setting up each character at the Goshiwon, even the sane ones.
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definitely my favorite kdrama.
ok, first of all i want to talk about how i loved this cast.i really think that nobody else could fix that well with the characters, I was so satisfied
and one thing that contributed for this was that everyone are SO SIMILAR with the webtoon characters, i was really suprised.
im not going to talk about how hot seo monjoo are, but holy shit this guy really scared me. lee dong wook fix so well with that kind of characters i want to see more of this :c
but an kdrama isnt just the cast, right? lets talk abou the story
man, i loved that story SO MUCH
fear, anger and obsession are the main focus of the story, the way that seo moonjo are a crazy killer stalker made me love even more the characters, i really love things like that.
What I liked most about the story was how they made the Jungwoo's mental decline, that made me go crazy
that kdrama wasnt just a thriller, that was also a psychological horror.
but in compensation what made get so mad was that jungwoo's girlfriend
maaan, that girl made me SO ANGRY
all the problems could have been solved if she wasn't so ignorant that girl made CRAZY
she was so boring... but shes really pretty tho
anyways, i really loved this kdrama and i really recommend if you wanna something more heavy to watch
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Def not for the weak hearted
so i kinda needed smth intense and from the look of this drama i know that u could tell it is indeed intense.. it also is not for the weak hearted. I am used to watching horror and extreme shows but after finishing up this one nicely i feel like i need a drink to be able to get all what happened through my head.what got to me is that the ML (ofc not our handsome villain) is indeed a very normal person at the start of the drama and i was doubting if Evil will win in this one as im used to angsty esp in this kind of dramas but Alas was i surprised by how STRONG the Evil side was and how it ended up winning.
Another thing i want to add is that this drama is somehow wholesome as it talks abt different subjects: Animal abuse, Mental illness, Sexual offence, etc. and then there's cannibalism like whew i was super shocked and disturbed at how not only did they consume but only gave out to others.. u know without getting into details......
Def not for rewatch to me but it was one heck of a ride and im proud of myself i finished it!
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This Kdrama Shows Why Ghost Stories are lot less Terrifying!!
First of all I want to say that I thought this would be a Ghost Story and I had no idea what the synopsis is or what the manhwa is about and was so dang surprised that the situation the MC is in much much worse than I pictured.This is a Kdrama which makes really feel creeped out and disgusted with the atmosphere itself. I literally had goosebumps and felt something was wrong so many times in the beginning itself. Though the violence in this is not hidden in any way we know exactly what is happening yet not shown too much. Even then I skipped through most of it.
The Acting is PHENOMENAL! Honestly every single person are so so perfect! Hat's off!!! Truly!!
We continuously root for the MC to survive and hope he doesn't get too affected by the people around him and the situation he is trapped in and helplessly watch as each episode becomes more and more twisted.
I must say one of the best Survival Horror stories I ever saw and just in 10 Eps of 1 Hr each! The pacing is well done, the editing, the Eden Studio itself, the atmosphere and just everything.
A Must Watch! Though this Kdrama may not be everyone's cup of tea.
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English and Portuguese Review
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠They promised suspense and delivered exactly that. The beginning is slower, but it never feels dragged out. On the contrary, you can tell that this calmer pace is necessary to build the story and prepare you for the heavier events that come later.
The plot follows a young man who has just been discharged from the military and decides to start over in Seoul. With little money, he ends up living in a cheap place, which puts him in a difficult situation, surrounded by strange and clearly disturbing neighbors.
Besides the bizarre atmosphere of the building and its residents, the protagonist also faces several problems outside of it, whether at work or in his relationship. As the episodes go by, it becomes increasingly clear how this toxic environment starts to affect his mind. And for me, this is the most interesting part of the series. With every argument and every absurd situation, he loses a bit more of his sanity, and you end up feeling just as tense as he does. There comes a point where you almost want to see the protagonist react against those people.
The antagonist is another highlight. He is a serial killer who notices the protagonist’s emotional fragility and sees it as an opportunity. Little by little, he starts influencing him, pushing him closer and closer to the edge, almost as if he were trying to mold him into his own image.
The performances are excellent. Some characters truly make you feel repulsed, exactly as the series intends. You feel the protagonist’s frustration and the constant tension the drama builds. There’s a continuous sense of anxiety, always wondering what might happen next and whether someone could die at any moment. It’s also frustrating to watch how, even with several “pieces of evidence,” the detectives practically ignore the warnings from the policewoman trying to solve the case.
As for the antagonist, I don’t know if it was intentional, but in several moments it feels like he develops some kind of feeling for the protagonist. The compliments, certain looks, and even signs of jealousy give that impression, even though, obviously, the protagonist feels nothing but fear and disgust toward him.
The ending was simply phenomenal. A plot twist that truly surprises and leaves your mind full of questions. It’s intentionally a bit confusing, making you question what was real and what wasn’t, and when you finally understand it, you realize the series completely fooled you.
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𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫
Eles prometeram suspense e entregaram exatamente isso. O começo é mais lento, mas não chega a ser arrastado. Pelo contrário, dá pra sentir que esse ritmo mais calmo é necessário para construir a história e preparar para os acontecimentos mais pesados que vêm depois.
A trama acompanha um rapaz recém-dispensado do exército que decide recomeçar a vida em Seul. Com pouco dinheiro, ele acaba indo morar em um lugar barato, o que o coloca em uma situação complicada, cercado por vizinhos estranhos e claramente perturbadores.
Além do clima bizarro do prédio e os moradores, o protagonista também enfrenta vários problemas fora dali, seja no trabalho ou no relacionamento. Com o passar dos episódios, fica cada vez mais evidente como essa convivência tóxica começa a afetar sua mente. E essa, pra mim, é a parte mais interessante da série. A cada discussão, a cada situação absurda, ele vai perdendo um pouco mais da sanidade, e você acaba ficando tão nervoso quanto ele. Chega um ponto em que dá até vontade de ver o protagonista reagir contra aquelas pessoas.
O antagonista é outro destaque. Ele é um serial killer que percebe a fragilidade emocional do protagonista e enxerga nisso uma oportunidade. Aos poucos, ele passa a influenciá-lo, empurrando-o cada vez mais para o limite, quase como se estivesse tentando moldá-lo à sua própria imagem.
As atuações são excelentes. Alguns personagens realmente despertam repulsa, exatamente como a série pede. Você sente a frustração do protagonista e a tensão constante que o dorama constrói. A sensação de angústia é contínua, sempre com aquela dúvida do que pode acontecer a seguir e se alguém vai morrer a qualquer momento. Também é frustrante ver como, mesmo com várias “provas”, os detetives praticamente ignoram os alertas da policial que tenta resolver o caso.
Sobre o antagonista, não sei se foi proposital, mas em vários momentos parece que ele desenvolve algum tipo de sentimento pelo protagonista. Os elogios, certos olhares e até demonstrações de ciúmes acabam passando essa impressão, mesmo que, obviamente, o protagonista sinta apenas medo e nojo dele.
O final foi simplesmente sensacional. Um plot twist que realmente surpreende e deixa a cabeça cheia de dúvidas. Ele é um pouco confuso de propósito, te faz questionar o que foi real ou não, e quando você finalmente entende, percebe que a série te enganou completamente.
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To like or not to like..
I am torn if I like this series or I don’t.It’s creepy and intriguing at the same time.During the first episodes I can’t wait to watch the next to find out if finally the male lead had escaped from the hell he’s been. But as the series progresses I find it hard to watch because it creeps me and I’m starting to pity the ML.
Trying to survive on his own amidst his social status, but it seemed that Lady Luck was not on his side. Finding it hard to fit in the society were everyone was different probably took a toll on him and it made him disoriented from reality.
Life in itself is difficult and we need a good support system such our family and friends we can trust and those who believe in us to keep us sane and to survive.
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We watched the episodes with so much dedication. However, I must admit that I am disappointed with the ending (not going to say what it was). I expected a totally different outcome.
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incredible
Though I was a bit skeptical about watching this drama as I am really not the biggest fan of Horror, this drama is definitely one of the best shows I have ever watched. It's dark, very dark, and it definitely kept me on my toes the entire time as I wasn't really sure what to do. The plot was incredible with a very very very smart plot twist which had me shocked and in utter disbelief. The acting was brilliant and all actors suited their roles very well. I loved the music and most importantly, the camera work. Very good action scenes as well, it was impossible for me to take my eyes off the screen. If you are looking for a creepy drama with a lot of suspense, this is for you. Even when the plot isn't very "busy" you are always alert, waiting to see what happens next. I definitely wasn't disappointed and I can easily recommend it. Definitely worth watching.Was this review helpful to you?
