The Trunk

LOVE IS TEMPORARY AND MARRIAGE IS A SERVICE

In The Trunk, appearances are deliberately deceptive. The series situates its characters within polished, affluent environments that suggest security and order, yet beneath these glassy surfaces lie decay, repression, and unresolved trauma.

The title refers to a baby-blue designer suitcase trimmed in red, first discovered abandoned beside a lake at dawn. The lake reappears later when a woman kayaks serenely across its surface. In both images, an unsettling red intrusion disrupts the calm. These recurring visual motifs signal the drama’s central preoccupation with concealed truths. The trunk functions as a metaphor for the emotional and psychological burdens each character carries, histories sealed away but never truly discarded.

Gong Yoo stars as Han Jeong-won, a traumatised music producer plagued by insomnia and pill dependency. He resides in an expansive house weighed down by memories of childhood abuse and his mother’s violent death. Recently divorced from his childhood sweetheart, Lee Seo-yeon, Jeong-won remains deeply and painfully attached to her.

Seo-yeon abruptly leaves him, marries a younger man, and later presents an unsettling proposal. If Jeong-won agrees to remain married for one year to a stranger of her choosing, she will return to him. That stranger is Noh In-ji, played by Seo Hyun-jin, a professional “field wife” employed by NM (New Marriage), a shadowy company that provides contractual spouses to clients. In-ji has already completed four such marriages. When she arrives at Jeong-won’s home with her red-and-blue suitcase, she begins her fifth assignment.

Their marriage is governed by a detailed instruction manual that enforces shared routines and constant proximity. Initially distant and methodical, In-ji gradually reveals warmth and emotional intelligence, transforming Jeong-won’s cold, cavernous mansion into something approaching a home. As Jeong-won begins to heal, sleeping naturally again and relinquishing his reliance on medication, Seo-yeon grows increasingly jealous and disturbed by his emotional recovery outside her control.

In-ji’s backstory, while occasionally convoluted, lends her character a sense of depth and complexity. Jeong-won, by contrast, feels less fully realised on the page, though Gong Yoo’s restrained performance lends credibility and emotional weight to his vulnerability.

The Trunk excels in atmosphere. Visually elegant and emotionally restrained, it is dense with symbolism. Objects such as the titular suitcase or a chandelier fashioned from knife-like glass reflect the darkness the characters attempt to suppress. Although a crime mystery simmers beneath the narrative, it remains secondary to the drama’s true focus, which is marriage as performance and as a constructed façade through which distorted self-images are maintained.

Where the series falters is in its eventual revelations. Seo-yeon’s motivations become increasingly opaque, and NM, introduced as a powerful and ominous organisation, never develops beyond a vague conceptual threat. When the series finally opens its metaphorical trunk, the contents fail to fully justify the prolonged suspense.

Visually refined and emotionally compelling, The Trunk captivates through mood and symbolism, but ultimately loses force when pressed to explain itself.

Read More

When an 8 episodes drama felt like a 16 episodes drama.

Contract marriage is one of my go-to genres but the way they did it here was not your typical contract marriage.

The plot : The ex-wife (with issues) planned for her ex-husband (also with issues) to marry other woman while she herself marries to another. Thus began their mutual toxic relationship in the drama until the ex-husband met now his new wife (who also had her own share of trauma) which after living together her presence slowly become significant in his life. Then after facing a series of incidents together, began their process of healing.

For an 8 episodes drama you would think just how hard it can be to finish one. But it took me 7 days to complete watching. Even watching in 2x speed still feel too long. Plot got repetitive especially in the first half. Just when I feel like things started to get interesting , we are back to 0 again.

This was me while watching,

Ep 1 : Feel like the longest 1 hour of my life.
Ep 2 : Watching my cat sleeping is better than watching this.
Ep 3 : Still feel like the longest hour ever in my life.
Ep 4 : Why I am still watching ....
Ep 5 : Now things are getting interesting.
Ep 6 : We getting somewhere..
Ep 7 : Urgh. Not this obsessive woman again .
Ep 8 : Okay...

What this drama has :-

🔸️Contract marriage
🔸️Broken main leads
🔸️Toxic unhealthy marriage
🔸️Annoying unhinged ex-wife
🔸️Lot of stalking
🔸️Snailed-paced storyline
🔸️Okay mystery
🔸️Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin who have great chemistry with each other

If you liked these elements in your drama well good news ,this is the drama for you.

Read More

Boring, Bland, and Unfulfilling

What is there to say about The Trunk? Normally I start my reviews with a brief summary of the show so people who haven't seen it may know what to expect. But I have no idea what to put here because honestly this show is just...nothing. The official premises provided on MDL, wikipedia, and even Netflix promise a mystery show about unraveling murder and a powerful company. Yeah, no, don't expect any of that.

I think that is where a big issue of this show lies - it is not what it is promised to be at all. The fact that this show is advertised as mystery is to me, false advertising, especially in regard to 'a whirlwind of secret behind the NM company' when in reality the murder is really second fiddle, and the NM company is practically not involved at all. Instead the show focused on the twisted relationships between four people - the ML, the FL, the ML's ex-wife, and her new husband. The problem is that it's really not written well. The relationship between the ML and the ML's ex-wife is particularly written as though it should be complex, but instead it's infuriating. The ML's ex-wife's actions are bizarre, and unjustified, and considering she is the driving force between a lot of the show it's hard to enjoy it when she's constantly on screen being a terrible person.

The other selling point of this show is supposed to be the relationship between the ML and the FL. This has the same issues as the plot does in that is underdeveloped. This show clearly suffered from being 8 episodes - it either should have been shorter (like a movie) so it didn't meander so much or way longer (like 16 episodes) so it could actually explore what it wanted to. Instead its stuck in this in between where nothing it touches on really gets fleshed out, and man does it want to talk about so many things. The ML and the FL's relationship is especially rushed - we don't really get to see why they work for each other, why they click aside from that they help each other heal (kind of). It isn't unique to them - you could replace one of them with a different person and the love line could stay practically the same.

On the technical side I will say the cinematography is gorgeous - it is certainly a beautiful show to look at, but that's really the only thing about it I can say was positive. I was very disappointed by the soundtrack, especially because the ML is a music producer. Maybe it is on me for expecting that that would mean more care is put into the music, but there was nothing noteworthy about it. It would have been a great way to weave the technical with the story - if the ML is a music producer you can use music to symbolize his feelings, his life, but there is none of that. It's just another aspect of the show where you can see so much potential in it, and then its just...not used.

Speaking of potential, this feels like a real waste of good actors. I do think that Seo Hyun Jin is particularly stand out from the cast when it comes to acting - she was amazing in her role. On the other hand, I expected more from Gong Yoo. But I don't think that's necessarily his fault when he is given a character who's default mood is 'miserable.' I've seen better from him (even his cameo in Squid Game was more intriguing than this), but again, I think he did well for what he was given. The other actors are fine, but again, it feels like a misuse of a lot of talented people who could have devoted this time to far better projects.

At the end of the day The Trunk is immensely disappointing, especially if you went in wanting to watch it for the mystery aspect (don't even bother). If you watched it for the drama you may enjoy it more but even then things are so contrived and frustrating it's hard to get through. The only reason I can think of to watch this kdrama is if you want to be mad? Like if you really need someone to hate and get angry at this will be perfect, but otherwise don't waste your time - there are far better kdramas with these elements. There isn't anything unique to this drama that you can't find done somewhere else with more nuance and better writing.

Read More

amazing acting, wasn't the biggest fan of the story

I was hoping that I would like this more. The premise is interesting enough: two people with trauma from their ex relationships forced together by an obsessed woman who gets off on controlling her ex-husband. As the headline says, the acting was absolutely remarkable, but with a cast like this, that's to be expected. So I will talk about the story, because while I see everyone here praising it, I didn't enjoy it so much.

There is a dead body, and it's connected to everybody. Honestly, I didn't really enjoy that part. It was a weird decision to add murder mystery to an already complex plot with a messy, broken marriage that has left a man reliant on drugs to sleep to a runaway groom who left without another word after being exposed as bisexual. The murder mystery didn't even feel like mystery because I literally could not give a damn about it lol. A 30-second clip of an interview isn't going to make me engrossed in a death story that has nothing to do with the main plot of the show...

Since I've mentioned the runaway groom, lets talk about that. What the hell was that? Guys like fr how is this good story telling? He appeared for a grand total of ONE episode after being made into such a big deal for the FL and then he just poof! Disappeared! Gone into thin air! An afterthought! He stabbed a man! Stabbed a man! ON THE TOPIC OF THAT MAN. He is an obsessed stalker. We don't know why he's obsessed; there is never a reason given. We don't know what's wrong with him. He literally makes NOOOO sense as a character I'm so sorry like literally none of his actions made any sense??? OPEN THE TRUNK. OPEN THE TRUNK. ONLY I CAN HAVE HER. WHAT DOES HER MISERY HAVE TO DO WITH MEEEE?? dog water writing sorry that upset me

The ex-wife. I understand she is obsessed. I don't understand why they justified her trying to kill herself while pregnant because her husband was soooo happy to have a baby. The real reason she tried to kill herself is because she couldn't bear the thought of his attention being taken away and given to their child. She's selfish. Simple as that. Not an ounce of pity for her in my mind.

I also found the music really weird sometimes. I think it was the MLs music? But they'd play it during like a serious aerial shot, and good god I could not take it seriously lol. This is ultimately a bland story, which saddens me because it had lots of potential. The trunk was irrelevant, which is funny because this drama is named The Trunk. Could have done just fine without half of the extraness they did, could have been developed better without it. I rest my case.

Read More

I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed.

Maybe I should have watched Dune: Prophecy.I don't know.

I absolutely adored the aesthetic of the show. The house, the lake, and the colors. I thought the aesthetic was the most creative part of this series.
I was ready to rate this 6 stars because the visually is beautiful and the music is amazing, but as I kept watching, the story lacked too much to retain my interest.
A dark tale of grief, mental health and loneliness. The concept was really good but the execution just didn't do it for me. Maybe my expectations were too high. But nothing can change the fact that this was a very unsatisfying series. There were parts I enjoyed ( but it wasn't enough to keep me on the edge of my seat) but there were parts which were simply put- so bland.
5 stars - because of the artists & the beauty.
It's always hard for me to give a low score, but... I guess I can't give more.

Read More

Gag. Couldn't finish it fast enough

Some series are so bad I just stop watching them. Because this one was only 8 episodes I convinced myself to blaze through it in the hope that something good would happen. Nope. Train wreck. The uncensored sex scene didn't add anything cuz if I wanted that I know where to find it. The timeline bouncing around was a distraction. I feel like the writer has had a difficult life and this series represented some kind of catharsis. No likeable characters. Few happy moments. I guess there is an audience for this kind of show but it ain't me. Someone commented that it should have been a movie. I guess the powers that be recognized it sucked so it was limited to 8 episodes. One episode would have been plenty.

Read More

Boring, Weird, Deceptively Basic Plot

My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

I wasn't sure about watching this. I'm not really into contract romances. However, psychological is my favorite K-drama genre... so I do like darker stuff.

Acting/Cast: A good cast with good acting. Although, two of the characters, I think, looked too similar. It may be confusing for people who are new to K-dramas. It was Jo Yi Geon (조이건), who for some reason isn't listed in the cast (the second female lead's new husband) and Kim Dong Won (김동원), who plays the stalker. When I was half paying attention to this drama I would get them mixed up. There's also some characters in this drama that I'm not sure why they're there. But, to be fair, I'm not sure why this drama is doing anything it's doing. 7/10

Writing: This drama is so overdramatic. They tease the hell out of us like it's such a crazy murder mystery and it's not. Literally, it's nothing. It's all a gimmick. This drama is more like a life drama that's trying to trick us into thinking it's a scary mystery drama. The villains are non-threatening and the motives are weak. Actually, the real villains are the cops because they refuse to lock up a psycho murderer until after he kills someone, but they have to catch him doing it on camera with his face showing clearly. So if the cops aren't going to do anything about this dude, then someone else will...naturally. The story is just very predictable and way overdramatic for what the plot actually is. By the end...well I wasn't really surprised by how dull the "revelations" were because I could see it coming, but it was pretty strange that there wasn't really anything to the story and that the contract marriage aspect to it was really just a gimmick. They could have told the same story without that and I think it would have been much better, too - there would be more at stake. The female lead doesn't make much sense. Even the whole thing with her and her ex was overdramatic and weird. The male lead was a decent character, though. I think he was the only decently written aspect of this drama (except if I had his trauma, I'd have a device on me at all times that detects hidden cameras). The ending...I haven't seen such a sudden dramatic change in a character before. It only made this whole drama feel even more pointless. 1/10

Direction/SFX/Music: The SFX is fine. The music is good, but it doesn't fit the drama. It just feels so dramatic for no reason. I wanted to say that this drama feels "over-produced", but when I looked up exactly what that word means, people said either it means you can't explain why you don't like a film or that there's too much meaning behind every little thing. But, I mean it in the sense that it feels really flashy (the music, camera work, direction, etc.) as if the story is going to be something really badass or scary or intricate, but it's really not. The production is gaslighting me. The direction is also confusing for no reason - making scenes appear as if they're dreams when they're not? Right? 3.5/10

Entertainment Value: I binged this drama, but not because I was liking it. It was because it's only 8 episodes and I just wanted to get it over with. I wish I didn't though. I feel like I wasted my time. Nothing cool happens; it just gets more dumb and confusing as it goes. 1/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 3/10. The production of it felt a lot like The Glory, but the writing was more like...Please Don't Date Him...yeah that's a good reference. That's another overdramatic drama that was really just a life drama that used sci-fi and mystery elements to make it seem like it was going to be something more interesting.

Read More

When Your favorite actors can't save an underwhelming story...

I was instantly excited when I saw "The Trunk" pop up on Netflix. Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin are favorites from two of my most rewatched KDramas ever ("Coffee Prince" & "Another Miss Oh"), so I just knew this short drama would be a new favorite of mine. Their performances lived up to my expectations but unfortunately, this drama did not.

"The Trunk" is a romantic but melancholy thriller whose plot deals with heartbreak, manipulation, trauma, and longing, and yet the slow pace and convoluted story made this difficult for me to finish. I kept hoping as more of the plot was revealed that I would connect more with the story but I never did. Even the concept of the actual trunk, which seemed like a literal representation of the emotional baggage the characters carried with them, didn't live up to the importance the title suggested. Even as a melodrama it falls flat, despite the great chemistry between the leads. I hoped that the suspense would eventually make me care, but it didn't. The strongest message ended up being that marriages are transactions that don't always benefit both parties, creating resentment and regret.

Gong Yoo, plays a much darker character than the more comedic KDrama romcom characters he is usually known for in earlier dramas, which is nice to see. He plays Jeong Won, an addict who's obsessed with his ex-wife and consumed with childhood trauma. Seo Hyun Jin on the other hand plays a depressed and heartbroken character who is similar in some ways to her role in "Another Miss Oh" without the comedic moments. No In Ji is abandoned by her Fiance which leaves her detached emotionally and leads her to become a contract wife for hire. Both of these actors play well off of each other with chemistry that is undeniable but because these characters spend so much of this drama being either emotionally unavailable or melancholy, instead of being excited to watch their relationship develop I felt drained.

Then there is Jung Yun Ha as Lee Seo Yeon, Jeong Won's manipulative ex who is also a great character with a character arc that I just didn't get. It also doesn't help that this drama is told out of sequence which made her motivations even harder to follow and understand or empathize with. She and her Boy Toy contract husband had their own interesting chemistry but as the drama dragged on I became less and less interested in them.

Even the main villain, Kim Dong Won from another favorite of mine "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes" was played well but was written to be so one-dimensional that his character was more boring than menacing.

If I'm honest I didn't care about any of the supporting characters or cameos, even though some talented well-known actors were nice to see.

Would I watch this again? No, or at least not without a full explanation that makes the story suddenly more interesting. This is meant to be part suspenseful crime drama but I could barely even understand what they were investigating and why. We experience that part of the story mainly through flashbacks, and we are meant to see situations from different perspectives. The Trunk is the catalyst but It also felt like a red herring. Maybe a second viewing knowing how the plot unfolds would make me like this more, but I still think the slow drawn-out pace would make it hard to actually enjoy. The two leads are the only reason I would even consider giving the drama a 2nd try.

Overall, this drama is beautifully shot and the actors are great, but it's a buzz kill. Maybe my expectations were too high, but where the acting and direction excelled the writing was a failure for me. This drama is heavy on symbolism and light on plot. If you're looking for character development or a thrilling mystery I think this drama missed the mark on both. The romance is decent if you like the premise of two dysfunctional people exploring love and healing past hurts but don't expect a satisfying payoff. Even the soundtrack tried too hard to be "interesting" and at times felt too over the top to take seriously. Even dealing with my own grief recently, I couldn't relate to these characters or their pain, especially through fragmented flashbacks that were hard to piece together. I also finished it in a day and a half but it felt like it took a week, which isn't great for an 8 episode drama. Binging shouldn't feel like work.

This drama isn't the worst but I can't recommend it, even for the performances. Maybe if you're just in the mood for something slower-paced, and grown up you will enjoy this more than I did. Seo Hyun Jin stoic poker face, and Gong Yoo's emo puppy dog eyes have their limits for me, so I think this would have been MUCH better as a movie with a faster pace. "The Trunk" as a drama left me frustrated and drowning in boredom and watching the time way too often. I like a good noir vibe but not a turn-out-the-lights-and-snore vibe. I struggled my way to the end which took a lot of patience and I wouldn't try to convince anyone else to do the same.

Read More

Unique and subtle.

It’s good, a worth watch. But I felt something is missing. I could feel what the director wanted to show, but it sometimes came off guard. The editing is not good, with many things cut out due to fitting it into 8 episodes.

The first half was superb, well-engaged, but later it gets a bit dull as scenes became repetitive without much progression. There’s also an issue with the screenplay—it could have been more intact and expansive. Instead, it felt very congested, limiting the story’s potential. I think it really needed some unanswered questions to be talked upon, so Season 2 is a must.

By the way, I loved this series so much—that’s why I talked a lot about its minor problems. I absolutely loved the performances, the cinematography, the production value, the score, and the direction. Well, that’s it about it.

Read More

not a bad attempt

Some attempts to blend psychological thriller and romantic melodrama. It's a show that delves into the darker side of human emotions, exploring themes of love, obsession, betrayal, and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.

The story centers around Han Jeong-won, a man haunted by his past and his toxic relationship with his ex-wife, Lee Seo-yeon. In a desperate attempt to escape her clutches, he agrees to a one-year contract marriage with Noh In-ji. As their lives intertwine, a mysterious trunk becomes the catalyst for a web of secrets, lies, and dangerous obsessions.

It's less about a traditional mystery or a guaranteed happy ending, and more about how troubled individuals confront their past traumas and strive for healing. It is a good journey.

The show features a cast of complex characters:

- Han Jeong-won: A tortured soul, haunted by his past and desperately seeking redemption.
- Noh In-ji: A woman with a guarded heart, who slowly opens up to Jeong-won's warmth and kindness.
- Lee Seo-yeon: A manipulative and controlling woman, obsessed with Jeong-won and willing to do anything to keep him under her thumb.

It's not your typical love story. The relationship between Jeong-won and In-ji develops slowly, with a focus on their emotional connection and personal growth. However, the undercurrent of suspense and the looming threat of Seo-yeon's obsession keep the tension high.

I think that the visuals are very on point, with its dark and moody cinematography and haunting soundtrack. Good uses symbolism and imagery to create a sense of unease and mystery. However, the show's pacing can be too slow at times, with some episodes feeling drawn out and lacking in significant plot development.

Pros
- Strong Performances: Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun-jin deliver compelling and nuanced portrayals of their complex characters.
- Intriguing Plot: Enough twist to keep up some momentum
- Stunning Visuals: The show just looks good.
- Thought-Provoking Themes: Love, obsession, and the human condition, prompting viewers to reflect on their own emotions and relationships.
- Unique Soundtrack: Adds to the suspenseful and emotional tone of the show.

Cons
- Inconsistent Pacing: The deliberate pacing can drag at times, with some episodes feeling slow and lacking significant plot development.
- Anticlimactic Ending: The payoff just didn't feel like enough to me.
- Uneven Character Development: Some characters, such as the supporting cast, feel underutilized and underdeveloped, while others, like the main leads, receive disproportionate attention.

Read More