Outstanding performances all around !!
Incredible! Just truly incredible! I don't watch much crime thriller dramas. I prefer real life crime/thriller documentaries if I'm being honest. So this might actually be the first drama of this genre that I watched. And I must say, WOW!However, I didn't really get into this drama until around episode 4. The first few episodes were good, especially the way Lee Dong-Shik's (Shin Ha-Kyun) character was introduced and the way the story was suggesting him to be the perpetrator. But it was definitely more like a cat and mouse act for those first episodes. At around episode 4 when more "suspects"/"possible suspects" gets introduced along with their individual stories, is when it starts to get interesting.
This is when the plot really starts to grab you as it starts to make you question and guess who is the real suspect among all the characters. Then more of the background stories of the supporting casts is also shared which thickens the plot even further. I really liked the way they end each episode on a cliffhanger as well, and that it makes you want to watch the next episode to find out what's happened.
In terms of the characters and acting, I really have to give it up to Shin Ha-Kyun and Yeo Jin-Goo because their chemistry and their acting in this drama was just another level. I have never seen Shin Ha-Kyun in any drama before this so I didn't know how good he is and my gosh is he SO GOOD! The way he acted a some-what psycho -ish character but then also had those gut-wrenching emotional scenes, it's unreal. I got scared by his psycho smile, but then also cried and felt heartbroken for him at the crucial stages of the drama.
Yeo Jin-Goo was just as incredible. He really held his own and it's dramas like this that makes you forget how young he really is because of how good and how mature he acts. I will say though that his character is very serious, I don't think Han Joo-Won ever smiled but that's not bad thing. This drama is a crime thriller after all and he's already proven he can act comedic and funny in Hotel De Luna already. This drama just showed that he can do both serious, emotional acting as well as comedic and funny.
Big ups to the supporting cast too. They were all impressive in their acting and their chemistry as a whole. At the episodes where a certain character is being suspected, I really did think that, that person could be the bad guy because of how well the/she acted. On the other hand, when it turned out not to be him/her and the real story of that person is revealed, that certain character's acting complimented that story change too. I felt suspicious of them then felt sad/sympathetic/angry...seriously lots of emotions.
A special mention to the OST/sound mixing too because I think it's a big part of what makes a good drama. And I must say, the soundtrack and sound mixing in this drama is just perfection. I didn't really know what type of soundtrack to expect from a crime thriller drama but golly its good. The sound mixing especially during tense scenes was also very very well done. It did hype up the tension a lot and added so much to the scenes.
Overall, this drama is truly amazing. The story, the cliff hangers, the never ending question of 'who did it'...it will grip you to the very end. It's worth all the accolades it received and certainly worth all the hype!
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best dramas EVER!
What to say about this drama that completely escapes the cliché? I have never seen such a complex story in my life, full of plot twists, minutely interconnected events. And the best thing is that even being a story full of details, they managed to show us all these details in just 16 episodes. Your head fills with theories. It fills with outbreaks because all the time you think one is the culprit, because all the time someone appears who took actions that impact the main story. The entire cast's performances were perfect, but the one that caught my attention the most was Yeo Jin-Goo. His performance was FLAWLESS! We could feel from here all the emotions that the character felt through his performance.Each episode that ended was a different impact.
In short: a perfect drama, with a perfect story, with a perfect cast and a perfect acting!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Overrated
This is a decent drama. Starts off good but drags till the end.The script is too thin and relies on editing to make things confusing. It keeps repeating unequal fragments of information to create pseudo-reversals. The layout is too small and there are too many characters, all concentrated around a police station.
It had many opportunities to be better but it doesn't get there.
Was this review helpful to you?
Beyond Evil? Beyond Amazing.
A thick story with some logical yet sudden twist and turns, leaving you to guess what will happen after each episode, alongside some amazing performances from a stellar cast, that's right, this is what happens when watching Beyond Evil. I feel like Beyond Evil is best watched when you take it slow, episodes are "heavy" so you will need to take your time with it, but it's definitely worth it if you do. Shin Ha Kyun absolutely shone in his role, as did many other cast members, but I thought I had to mention Shin Ha Kyun himself here as I will remember his performance in Beyond Evil for a very long time, I definitely need to watch more dramas that have casted him.The OST is, for me anyway, the strongest OST of 2021 by far currently, I have literally been listening to it when exercising at the gym. Re-watch value could be considered low here, however, there are two things to consider: like before, episodes are heavy; and also consider my re-watch value rating is normally considered lower compared to most people when writing reviews.
I highly suggest for everyone to watch Beyond Evil!
Was this review helpful to you?
Brilliant Thrilling Story with Phenomenal Acting
Beyond Evil is a compelling incridible story that keeps you guessing. The plots are so unpredictable well-written. There is easter eggs in every episode and we can see them get revealed in a good pacing.They casted a great actors & actress that played a phenomenal acting. Both the main and supporting characters have back stories to support their purpose in the mysterious plot. I must say every characters in Beyond Evil are important and significant for the story line. Shin Ha Kyun one of the main actor, won the Best Actor award from the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for his role. At first I came watching this for Yeo Jin Goo, but Shin Ha Kyun surely catched viewer's attention especially mine.
The cinematography was dark, creepy, and perfect for the story. The OST add so much atmosphere and match the characters and story perfectly. I must mention the promotional poster, as a designer I really love the idea! It captures how the two main characters are like a set of twin that slowly merge together.
While I can understand some people find the show confusing and dragging, I had nothing to dislike from this series. Beyond Evil is surely an outstanding heavy thrilling story for psychological drama fans like me.
Was this review helpful to you?
Goosebumps!
This slow-burning serial killer drama is literally a work of art!All the cast fit in very well in their respective characters.
Complicated storyline evokes the curiosity, & keep on going.
Soundtracks are amazing & synchronizes very well at the right timings.
Shin Ha Kyun's acting skills are beyond excellent, & I recommend another Daesang award for him.
The director pointed out certain weak points or loopholes in the law of South Korea, &
his sincere intention & good faith can obviously be seen till the final minutes of the finale.
Was this review helpful to you?
Beyond Excellence.
This is one of the best drama... The acting was super good .... Story was very interesting..... Ost was good ..... I love the Han joo won and Lee dong sik's characters..... I loved how they were enough strong to face everything..... Idk why many people found han jo won quite annoying... I think he did nothing annoying... He was just trying to find the real culprit ...In this drama every characters were necessary... I think the casting director is smart he picked the right actors who fit in their role perfectly...
Only one thing I didn't like that kang jin mook died easily after killing so many people....
He deserve to rotten in the jail.....
Dong sik and Han ju won's life was quite cruel ... Especially for Dong sik ...... However I gald that they didn't kill anyone despite of everything.....
I wanted to happen something between ju won and jae yi .... But nothing happened ....
I felt a little bit bad for oh ji hun ... He didn't get any chance to confess his feelings for min jeong....
I usually don't rate ... But I felt this drama deserve more rating ..
People should watch this drama... I think none will regret after watching this...
Was this review helpful to you?
Good but
The story line is okay, the mystery part is okayy, the setting is okayyy, the characters are okayyyy except that the LCY is truly a pretty girl to watch, but somehow it is still a drama worth to watch. In short what really makes me thrill about this drama wasn't the story line, mystery, the setting, nor the plot, but was the perfect teamwork and relationship between LDS and HJW, where you will wonder if you can achieve it with your partners or colleague in that way all the time. However, the story is still a little bit too draggy and to be honest sometimes will watch until fell asleep and couldnt bear to fast forward. Only if the drama is not that draggy it can be quite a perfect drama to me.Was this review helpful to you?
A thriller that didn't feels like a thriller
I read the reviews before watching this and i was expecting a masterpiece but this wasn't even close to be one.The first part of the drama wasn't that bad but the second part was so slow, predictable and it gets boring. It has very little suspense, we could discover and imagine what happened already in the first episodes and for the remaining 6 episodes we were basically waiting for them to discover and arrest the villains, it didn't feels like a thriller.
Dongshik's character's was good, i loved that he was unpredictable and creepy sometimes.
Jungje was my favorite and he was the most interesting character, you will probably hate him at first but trust me you will root for him in the end.
Jihoon was so cute and lovely, i wished they could 've write him as a more interesting character to know better in the second part of the drama but at least he was a breath of fresh air during the boring and unnecessary long episodes.
I liked Jaeyi, she was pretty and caring but her character wasn't that special for me, especially the unnecessary interaction with Joo Won? I don't know how to explain this but they made it look like there might be something between them, i'm not a fan of romance in crime drama but maybe it would've made things less slow and boring in this case.
Special mention to Changjin that was the only villain that caught a little bit of my attention.
I couldn't see the big family they were bragging about, they didn't look like they cared for each other at all.
Same for the bromance i had high expectations for it but the main leads kept pointing fingers at each other and arguing for basically 15 episodes with some little glimpses of affection in the last one.
The city was deserted and it was really weird and the others cops have been very forgettable for me.
The ost was good same for the acting but i really can't understand all the people saying it was a masterpiece.
The plot was weak, it was predictable and didn't have suspense, the villains weren't that good (usually they are my favorites), one of the main lead was annoying and had a little character development only in the very last episodes. It should have had no more than 10 episodes in my opinion.
If you want a good dark, psychological and super intriguing thriller that keeps you on the edge then this is not for you.
Was this review helpful to you?
Started off as an anti-buddy cop drama.....but ended up being much more than that…..
Where do I begin....this was spectacular! If you're someone who enjoys a good slow burn mystery thriller THEN THIS IS FOR YOU! There are absolutely no reasons for not watching this.....so here is why this show deserves all the accolades, praises and is one of the best shows of 2021. I have not given any spoilers so feel free to read.
1. Simple done right: At its core, beyond evil is a very simple murder mystery but it is the execution that blows the mind of the audiences. Classic isn’t always bad. With the amount of dramas Korea is churning, the pressure to present new and unique stories rests heavily on the shoulders of the makers. But Beyond Evil is a great example of sticking to basics of a genre yet somehow reinventing story telling styles.
2. Three Cheers for the Screenplay: As I said the story is simple, then what made it a standout show? It was the screenplay. The carefully placed hints, the decision to reveal what aspects of story to the audience, when, how and systematically placing flashbacks in every episode is mesmerizing to watch. I cannot praise the writing team enough for the amount of intelligence and creativity they showed while building every episode.
3. Layers, Layers and Layers: This show can be very deceptive. On the face value it might seem like a straightforward murder mystery but at the end of the day it presents umpteen perspectives to the same plot. The show has successfully bypassed binaries of good and bad. It elevates the discussion on grey characters and grey scenarios. Every character has motives, secrets, complex emotions and varied outlook that clashes with each other. These layers add depth to the story without distracting the plot, rather it enriches the narration.
4. Remarkable Character Development: The testament of a great show is when the characters draw the audience into their world, make them invest and embark on a journey together. This show does exactly that. If you compare every character from ep1 to 16, you will be able to distinctly witness an evolution or devolution. Not a single character remains same by the time the show ends. Every character changes for good or worse.
5. Top Tier Acting Skills: I have always believed that Korea produces one of the best well rounded actors not only in Asia but also in the world. This show proves my point. If the screenplay/script is one pillar of the show then acting is the other. Our two lead titans Shin Ha Kyun (Lee Dong Shik) and Yeo Jin Goo (Han Joo Won) are outstanding. Everyone has been praising Shin Ha Kyun for his spectacular performance, even speculating possible Baeksang (totally deserving), so I thought to comment on Yeo Jin Goo. I never followed Yeo Jin Goo’s career in the past and I only saw Hotel Del Luna, which honestly centered on IU and therefore he did not leave any impression on me. But his nuanced and compelling performance in this show attests his years of experience in the industry. I cannot wait to see what kind of projects this young actor will choose in the future. Special shout out to every other cast member….they were equally great and deserve to get bigger roles after this show.
Beyond Evil has definitely raised the bar high for the industry. This is one of the finest of its genre, so featuring it on Netflix is a great decision. A show that will be remembered for a very long time…..
Was this review helpful to you?
Masterpiece
It's like watching a puzzle slowly put together with each new piece/episode providing new inisight to the bigger picture. Everything is brilliantly connected and every character matters and is involved in some way.The show is not just about finding out who the killer is but most importantly about the people involved and how deeply they were affected by it.
I don't see an issue with the pacing, it's what you would expect from a psychological thriller, no time was wasted. It slowly builds and forms the story with each episode and once you get to the end you see just how perfectly thought and planned out it was.
The cast I can't praise enough, all of them were phenomenal and had me so immersed that at times I forgot to read the subtitles, especially Shin Hakyun who blew me away every episode.
The ost seemed a little odd at first but I quickly fell in love with it and thought it perfectly fit the show.
No words are enough to describe how much I love this show and I'm not really good at reviews so if I could only use one word to describe it it would be masterpiece, it's by far the best k-drama I have seen.
Was this review helpful to you?
Definitely 1000% Daesang Award-winning Show !
Daesang Award-winning Show and performances by the 2 main leads - The Best Bromance Duo carried by Yeo-jin Goo and shin ha Kyun!!wow wow wow wow DAEBAK INFINITE TIMES INFINITY!!!
BEYOND EVIL IS ONE OF THOSE SHOWS that literally leaves you glued to the screen, to the plot build-up, piquing your curiosity radar into thinking what happens next, one of the greatest whoDUNIT stories ever told in History!!
Standing ovation for :
1. The Leads Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo for powerhouse performances, delivering their characters to the T, they were just perfect!! And it's unbelievable that Yeo Jin-goo is just all of 23 of Age!!!
Yeo Jin Goo is just perfect as an Actor, wow!!!!
2. The Writers and Director and Cinematographer of the Show Beyond Evil!!!! Kudos to the Team for the perfect edge-of-seat psychological thriller for the audience!!!
This show deserves lots of Awards and TOP HONORS!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
