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One of the most violent and shocking dramas I have ever seen
"Hellbound" is set in a world when all of the suddenly, people start to have death visions, it doesn't say for sure what it is, but it gives you the time of your death and it's always right. When the time comes, creatures come and drag you to hell, in the most horrible way possible.Jin Soo is a cult leader and his followers say that the people who got the "message" are all sinners that need to be punished and others believe in that, showing the bad side of humans, who will do anything.
The way people freak out reminded me of the movie "Purge", almost like they think their actions is justified, that they are punishing the sinners, using god's name with an excuse, a very twisted insight. The scene where the teenagers violently kill Hye Jin's mother, an elderly woman, it made me sick to my stomach but at the same time, the drama shows the other side of humanity, with the baby's parents sacrificing themselves and the people helping them, it shows there's still a possibility of salvation. I think this is the drama's message, that you could find light even in darkness.
It's an extremely violent and shocking drama, the deaths are bloody and impressive, it's a story made to shock. My biggest problem was to accept the plot, understand that made sense that any person can be taken to hell, even that it didn't commit anything wrong, that everything in life is uncertain and that we don't have any control... that's really scary, but I believe this was the purpose, to make the viewers question everything.
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Look closely, and this is a deep story about society.
Honestly, I went into this thinking, "Oh, cool, a monster show!" Then after watching it I realized it's so much more!! This is an excellent story that looks into society, religion, manipulation of people and how mass hysteria can affect human nature.This was brilliantly done and a very good show. The acting was excellent and the subject was very engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves analyzing complex human behavior.
I saw a few reviews that felt that the first three episides were too disjointed from the second three, but I completely disagree. The second three episodes take place 4 years after the first three and center around different people, but it makes perfect sense and anyone who actually understood the first three episodes would see why the second three are so important to the overall story.
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Great performances from ensemble cast, but beware the violence...
Although the acting and writing is good, I can't rate it any higher than a 7 because the series is not yet finished, requiring a second season to explain its cannon. I almost dropped it because the violence was so over-the-top in the first episode. Human beings are fragile and the way people get knocked around in this show, and still manage not to lose consciousness, is a bit hard to swallow.This dystopian series depicts life in South Korea after a cult exploits a supernatural force terrorizing the citizenry to exert it's own power, setting up an authoritarian society where people are judged and their grisly ends televised to keep them in control. The stellar performance by Yoo Ah In as the New Truth leader pulls you right in with his charm and unassuming manner, ready to be of service but hiding a duplicitous persona with a dark agenda. There are also screen worthy performances by the ensemble cast and the camera shots were very good in pulling the viewer into the action.
For a limited series, you get a lot of action packed into these one-hour episodes, but they are extremely violent so if that isn't your cup of tea, please be warned. So far, there is no explanation surrounding this supernatural force and none of the leads have yet asked the 20,000 dollar question: who are they and what do they want? Perhaps these questions will be answered in the next season. I like the storyline, so I will be watching season 2 to see where this all goes. The twist at the end can either make or break this series, so I will have to keep watching to see where it takes me.
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What do you call a story without a conclusion? A purpose? Easy, mean it's useless. It's a nightmare
I honestly don't know what to say with this one. But this show is a nightmare.Yes the production is ok, the acting was ok, the visuals ok too. But story was shit.
It was never revealed where the otherworldly beings really came from. Then the story jump to the point where the religious group was in the seat of power but is definitely the bad guys. And the street gang, bad guy looking are the real protectors of the people.
It also never explained how a newborn can be a sinner and how it survived judgement. Then suddenly the show was done with no conclusion. The baby was alive. The religious group's abuse of power were exposed. The said group's founder who died at the early part of the story suddenly miraculously alive again.
If this is a marketing strategy for people to watch the next season? Then, no thanks. It's a waste of time.
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Eh....
In the beginning I thought it was good, but then after the third episode all the original cast just disappears and its a weird plot hole, it would've been amazing if the first three episodes were stretched longer so it could have more of a plot and make the last three episodes a second season. The entire thing just seemed very empty. I didnt enjoy it during the middle but towards the end it was good to me again. Kim Hyunjoo, Ryu Kyungsoo, Kim Siha and Choi Hyungjoo definitely saved this drama for acting and their characters were the easiest for me to watch. I thought I'd be upset that this was so short (only about 5 hours for all 6 episodes) but I'm happy it isn't longer. The plot twist towards the end just has me confused and nothing will ever come out of it but it felt like the director was too lazy to do anything else. I do like cult type dramas and mystery but save your time and just watch something else.Was this review helpful to you?
Lost interest halfway.
Don't get me wrong, I was really invested in this drama since the first trailer came out... But after watching it I feel a little disappointed. It started really well but after the 3rd episode I couldn't really see where it was headed. For me it could had just ended there.The second half of this drama was hard to watch. The change of characters made it hard to sympathize with them and the plot...(if there even was one) had so many holes. The concept was GOOD but the way they decided to develop it is such a waste of potential.
I feel like this drama could had been so much more...but as it is now I'm not even interested in a second season. Overall I give it a 7/10.
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A Pensive Thriller
Hellbound is a pensive thriller that blends fantasy, supernatural and horror with thought-provoking discussion and even a touch of biblical epic. Yeon Sang Ho, the mind behind the excellent Train to Busan, directs this series based on his own webtoon of the same name. And Hellbound shares many of the same qualities that made the blockbuster film so successful, including the ability to examine real world ills while engaging in action-packed spectacle.You’re in it for the philosophical discussions? Very nice! You’re sticking with it for the exciting (and yes, violent) action? That’s cool too.
Hellbound successfully offers up a bit of both. It may not be easy blending together deeper and very real ideas with fantastical spectacle, but I believe Yeon Sang Ho has done that here. In merely hopping along for the ride, you can be treated to a thriller that legitimately offers up surprising twists and turns. Most especially in the series’ many (keyword: many!) climaxes. But if you’re inclined and willing to dig deeper, there’s a lot of things for you to grab hold of as well.
Though certainly not perfect, Hellbound is an unflinching and bold series that commands attention. Whether or not it can hold your attention will be up to your level of commitment and faith in it. And as the series will so vividly illustrate, each person will be coming from a different place and position in life to influence that effort.
With a season 2 confirmed, it definitely has rewatch value. And that definitely helps you get into the story a bit more knowing that the story continues after the very last exciting scenes of this first season.
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Projector Face
Projector Face is death angel, not a good animation for a death angel,The series is written by a known writer, and series was based from a webtoon, some may love it some people might pass this series because a good written script was so so directed and animated,
Can't argue with the actors, they get paid at the end of the day
Music could have been better if it was directed well enough
If you like fiction stories and could not care less about the animation it is a well written series,
however if you are a critic and value the portrayal of the written script and how the series was directed i think some will be satisfied and some will look for more because there is a lot missing as the series was directed.
last scene was a copied from the terminator and species, i think it was cool ( why was the animation good at the end scene only)
A good script, an ok acting, so so direction, so so soundtrack, so so animation
meaning that if a season 2 materializes with improve direction, soundtrack and animation then it would be good
Usually season 1 series always deliver, then high expectations on season 2 materializes
this series, i think it is the other way around, keep it low on season 1 then turn it up on Season 2 (hope so)
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Not As Good Or Captivating As Train To Busan & Peninsula
I'm watching Hellbound and no idea how I feel about it yet. It's just so weirdI really really really can't stand that arrowhead livestreamer with all his glow in the dark face paint and a skull on his head. He's really fucking annoying.
Woaw I did not expect Yoo Ah In to die not even halfway through the series. I thought he was supposed to be the main character.
You can truly see hellbound is made by the person who made train to Busan & peninsula.
I truly hate that mother of the baby HOW CAN YOU HONESTLY THINK AN INFANT, A NEWBORN BABY IS AN EVIL SINNER? HOW CAN THAT COME ACROSS YOUR MIND? MY FIRST INSTINCT AND REACTION WOULD BE LIKE THIS IS UNFAIR, NO WAY A BABY CAN BE EVIL OR A SINNER. THIS ISN'T RIGHT. I really hate her.
Lawyer woman is a kickass lady though.
What a fucking moron that mother is. She's lowkey on my list of characters I hated most this year.
OMG WOW OMO! Annoying livestreamer received the decree as well. Damn.... that's kind of full circle. Oh wait he's world's biggest asshole.
Okay, I take it back. The mother really had a redemption arc and both she & her husband protected the baby.
Oh my god no..... not again some kind of zombies. Seriously what is that ending?
I have a love-hate relationship with Hellbound and I have no idea how to rate this.
I hated it but also admired it. Some aspects they did sooo fucking well while others had me like humph this ain't that great. I was also fascinated by some elements while others made me go like bitch not this shit again. The only character I was actually invested in was a baby AND I NORMALLY DON'T LIKE BABIES. I did appreciate a character that was a single mother of a 13 year old boy & a 6 year old girl. Also, the dad of the baby was nice & baby momma really had a redemption as well. BUT SERIOUSLY THIS CREATOR DIRECTOR DUDE HAS SUCH A FETISH FOR PARENTS SACRIFICING THEMSELVES FOR THEIR CHILDREN. It is in all the 3 works I've seen so far of him. AND SOMETIMES IT EVEN HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE WORK.
I guess my undying love for Netflix made kdramas is not so undying anymore. I guess it will be a 6 since it is my least favourite project of that creator.
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Is this about apocalypse, corruption, judgement day, monsters or what? I seriously don't know
People have mixed feedback about this so if you liked this drama, I completely respect your preference however this review might not be for you. It's all my opinion so read at your own risk.I don't know where to start how this is problematic for me. I don't have much expectations when I started watching it because it's not really the type of drama that I prefer to watch. I'm just seriously curious as to where the plot will lead me and maybe it's an unexpected gem.
During the first episode, I just thought maybe it's a slowburn drama wherein everything will make sense as I go further but I finished the drama and not much luck on it to be honest. I just seriously finished it because I don't want another pending drama on my watchlist.
Kudos to the actors though. I can see that they gave their all so I appreciate that. Maybe this drama is just really not my style. The ending also makes me feel like, 'what? Seriously they're expecting to drag this crap further?'
If you're thinking of watching this, it's just a 6 episode watch so why not see for yourself. You might like this more than I did. But if you're someone who loves watching series that makes sense, you can skip this one.
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Hellbound? More like what the hell did I just watch?
I was very interested in this drama when I saw it on the "upcoming" section on Netflix. I watched the trailer and was very intrigued by it. Even after the first 2-3 episodes, the entire concept still seemed very interesting and my eyes were glued to the screen. The idea of having a small shift in the main character of the drama was rather interesting as well. However, after I finished the drama, I realised that everything made no sense. There was no explanation whatsoever - I mean, why did Yoo Ah-in even coax the girl to kill the man who killed her mother? What was the point of that? And what happened to that girl's father? Literally, what the hell is going on?This drama had great ideas that were just poorly executed. Perhaps it's because they were only limited to those few episodes. I heard there'd be a season 2, but what's the point in splitting it into two seasons if that meant ending the first season extremely poorly? Was it really worth it, Netflix?
In summary:
What i liked - cgi, concept
What i disliked - incomprehensible plot
Star of the show: ???
Rating: 5/10
Watch if you like to be confused
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Confusing and confused
(very light spoilers, nothing major revealed)As everyone else, I was very excited for Hellbounds release. And I wouldn’t say that I was let down, but I still think that this drama left a lot to be desired.
Without a doubt, this show has a lot going for it, including cinematography and a few stand-out performances, especially coming from cult -leader Jung Jin-soo who had me captivated every time he was on screen. But this is a very plot-heavy show so it feels fair to focus my review of this drama mostly on that.
Hellbound has a few interesting concepts that I really appreciated. I think the most interesting aspect of this show, is how it explores the exploitation of tragedies. How would we act, if the existence of God and hell were confirmed in our universe? Wouldn’t our first instinct be to capitalize on those events? How long would it take us to try and rationalize what is happening, to twist the stories until they fit in our world-view? I think it was very fitting that no matter how out of control the events of the drama got, even after literally proving the existence of Angels of death, capitalism was the one thing that prevailed. That gave the entire show an air of capitalist-realism that I found really interesting. I got a strong Death Note vibe from the whole premise but the story had enough additions to make it feel like its own thing. Analyzing how we as our society would react to such a setting, factoring in the internet, mob-mentality, streamers, and video virality made this feel fresh and relevant. I also know that South Korea has a pretty serious cult-problem so the premise of the show also appealed to me on a cultural level.
So yes, in theory, this drama could have been great. But as the kisskh score shows: it’s not. It’s merely alright.
When I first read the synopsis of this show I was wondering, how the hell (no pun intended) they were going to pull off a story as complicated as this one in six episodes. The answer to this question is simple: They don’t. While I could, more or less follow the plot, Hellbound ended up being not only a confusing but also sadly a deeply confused show that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be. A lot of elements, metaphors, and subtext were introduced and then quickly dropped, because six episodes simply weren’t enough to tell this story. I think the best example for this problem was demonstrated in detective Jin Kyung Hoon who, for a good amount of this drama on every level seemed to be its main character but suddenly disappeared when a new protagonist was introduced by episode four. Now I enjoyed both these characters but still was left kind of stunned when the show, past its mid-point, suddenly decided to tell the story from the point of view of someone we never even met before. Then there is, of course, the open ending, which I did sort of expect but at this point, I am very doubtful that we’re ever going to get a Hellbound season 2, and considering that, this story left way too many knots untied for my taste.
Also, and I don’t know where else where to mention this as it’s only a half-serious criticism of the show, but good God Bae Youngjaes baby is ugly. I felt like laughing every time it was on screen. I understand that the majority of the CGI-budget probably went to the monsters and action (and understandably so) but this has to be the worst animated infant I have seen since Twilight.
I read that many people were disappointed with the drama's lack of gore and that many were hoping for an experience more similar to Sweet Home. While Sweet Home is a show close to my heart, this is not the case for me. I think all the ingredients were there to make this drama special. I didn’t need any more blood from it, just a bit more focus. Sadly the potential to be great doesn’t make something great and so Hellbound simply isn’t.
Still, it’s not a total waste of your time. I am not mad about having watched this. The questions this story poses were interesting enough to keep me engaged. There’s enough about this drama to be somewhat enjoyable, plus while the short runtime might have weakened the quality of the show, this way it at least doesn’t feel as big of a commitment. Should you watch this? Sure but lower your expectations. I will say this: If you liked Death Note you’re probably going to get some kind of kick out of Hellbound. Just bear with it for those few episodes. You’re not going to get a whole lot of explanations from this show but a few interesting thesis statements about the state of the world (plus an ugly looking CGI baby).
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