Tanin wa Jigokuda

Not bad, but also not good enough to validate its existence.

There are two reasons to make remake - different time period/culture (cultural changes between countries that are vital for the plot, or modernizing older titles), or significant changes to the content that explain the reason for retelling (changing genres, changing the pov of the story etc.). Sadly, Tanin wa Jigokuda is just retelling exactly the same story, without additional nuance, stripping a lot of depth from the characters and their relationship to fit the plot into a movie format. Basically, all the changes made it actually worse.

Yes, I do understand it's unfair to judge a movie by comparing it to the original drama, but when the movie is so similar and fails to stand alone, it's hard to ignore existing bias.

One of the things that made me disappointed is how this movie was just a horror, while the original story was clearly a psychological horror. Yu was not this guy who from the start we can see has some issue, and we are just waiting for him to finally snap. Yu was just a normal guy that was driven mad by the environment.

Because there was far less focus on Kirishima compared to his character in the korean version, he never had this unnerving presence. He did not feel like a psychopathic wolf in the sheep clothing, he was just full on psycho. Him and Yu also barely shared the screen, so the movie more or less completely skipped the depth of their relationship, dynamics and how they affected each other.

I also feel like the ending was less vague - here some people might like it, depends on the preference. One plot twist got me giggling tho, did not think it made that much sense.

On the bright side - is someone prefers less of a tension, and more of the actual creeps, Japanese version for sure presents more of a horror style of presentation. Less subtle, more weird. The acting was also solid. Even if I was not completely sold on Kirishima as a character, Yanagi Shuntaro portrayal was dreadful and dire, which was exactly the point.

Directing wise - they knew how to make you uncomfortable. Close up to chewing, quick cuts between the shows. sometimes showing more than I might have wanted to see.

Overall, it's the type of movie you kind of enjoy, but there is nothing really unique about it so you will forget it in a week.

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A decent, if disappointing, adaptation that takes its own direction

This adaptation definitely stayed more truthful to the Webtoon in certain aspects, but veered into new territory in others, with one notable twist, and several minors ones. Thus, the movie offers a new experience, even if you've watched the Kdrama or read the Webtoon.

Personally, I much prefer the characters in the Kdrama. While this problem may partially lie with lacking screentime, I think I take issue with the writing too.

Here I find Yu (Jongwoo) entirely unsympathetic, and lacking in depth. I felt little pity for him. While this may have been intended, the movie loses some necessary tension by not making us care more about our main character's safety. Additionally, unlike in the Kdrama, the gangster literally told Yu he didn't plan on leaving. I expected the writers to have added this interaction so Yu would suspect the Ark's residents earlier on, but this was not the case. Instead, you have more reason to shake the screen in frustration. One other thing I found a bit strange is that Jun was given the role of "suspense writer" (here, "showmaker"). Not sure why they did that.

The movie equally stripped Kirishima (Moonjo) of some dimension. He tells us he's an artist, but we're never really shown his artistry. In the Kdrama, he creates jewelry. He reads classics. Here... he wears a colorful shirt. Kirishima lacks the creative spirit of his Webtoon and Kdrama counterparts.

I found their dynamic unfortunately weaker, and less compelling in this movie. The at times questionable writing decisions are the reason I docked 3 points compared to my rating of the Kdrama.

On the positive side, like the Kdrama, the movie offered fun cinematography, with a particular focus on color and patterns. The acting was well done, particularly Kirishima's. I believe the new twist to be decently written and aptly foreshadowed.

Overall, while I prefer both the Kdrama and the Webtoon, I think this adaptation is worth a watch because even if I don't agree with all the writing decisions, it brings something new to the table. You experience the same awesome "what" moment you did in the Kdrama's finale. For first time viewers, though, I would suggest the Kdrama.

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