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You don’t want to stoop that low—but you might just have to. You don’t want to get blood on your hands—but perhaps you already have. You don’t want to be a monster—but it’s actually all you’ve ever been. If there is a line to be crossed, something that separates the good from the bad—could there ever be an effort worked against cruelty good enough to justify crossing it? ‘Beyond Evil’ is a gripping series that has imagined these concepts in a way that is so deep and beyond electrifying, turning viewers into detectives with its thrill and inviting them to juxtapose their own judgements and morals to discern the good from the bad. Not only will it put one’s detective skills to the test, but it also permits exploration of morality, questioning how to label what rests in between both extremes of a crime: all those who are witnesses but choose to turn a blind eye. It is as much an uncomfortable watch as it is heartbreaking—but it is these very qualities that qualify the series as a well-produced thriller that has succeeded in its performance.

These themes are all tackled with great strategic pacing in the unravelling of crimes and brought to scene with its award-winning actors who have greatly succeeded in giving goosebump-raising performances. Its ever-present suspense is amazingly developed and gradually built using play on perceptions between both the characters themselves, and how the viewers perceive them. The buildup to the true culprit is impeccable—the series will shine a spotlight on even the faintest of suspicions just to clear certain individuals out of the portrait of possibilities in being the murderer only to make them targets of investigation again later on when more clues arise. Jam-packed with extremely spine-chilling scenes and revelations, the show’s execution of its promising premise did not let hopes down and instead surpassed the lines of constraints it set.

Twenty years after a gruesome killing spree that targeted illegal women immigrants, citizens of the small town Manyang are pulled into yet another detective case to catch the culprit that no one ever worked thoroughly enough to find 20 years back. Son to an extremely high-ranking father, Han Joo-won is a Seoul-originated detective from the illegal-immigrants department, who is strangely committed to discovering the truth behind the string of serial-murder cases despite initial orders from his father to cease in his investigation. Lee Dong-sik, brother to the successful yet modest 20-year-old girl who was first to cause ruckus in the small town 20 years prior to the present day with her disappearance, was convicted guilty to her abduction and possible disposal of body and now finds himself wound up in the Manyang police department after being demoted following his former partner’s death.

Against their own will, Han Joo-won and Lee Dong-sik are partnered, with their own suspicions of each other’s involvement in the case only growing after another disappearance occurs and seems to have the same MO as the cases prior to it. Both equally determined and eager to catch the murderer, they secretly decide to tackle the case on their own. However, it soon embodies greater issues and becomes something big that may concern the police department itself, leaving other officers and investigators no choice but to get involved. There are those who join the case for personal gain, such as promotions or a raise in status, those who wish to frame a culprit to end things quickly, some who just want to find the peace of mind of catching a killer on-the-loose, and others who get involved to create fake alibis and protect their own interests.

But among them all, only a certain individual, or perhaps more than one person, can be given the label of a murderer, even though everyone is guilty of something and has a role to play in the impending question: who is the serial killer? This is ultimately the question that torments Lee Dong-sik the most, fueling his strive to always remain one step ahead of everyone else so that he can orchestrate the murderer’s perfect demise and revelation. He deliberately makes the murderer's investigation unfold slowly and only publicly points fingers at the killer when a body is found to be careful in the steps he takes before fully closing in on the murderer’s arrest. More than anything, he wants to ensure that the culprit has no way of defending himself because he doesn’t want any wrongdoings on their own side as police being revealed in his capture when so many have been hurt by the murderer. Personally being the brother of one of the victims himself, and partner to an officer that made a mistake by committing a crime against a murderer, Dong-sik emotionally connects with the struggle of not wanting a criminal to turn into a victim. He believes that their acquaintances don't deserve that extra baggage and betrayal of causing the criminal to have something to be sympathized and victimized for.

Lee Dong-sik knows Han Joo-won already has his eyes set on him being the killer and makes this work in his favour, using his suspected culpability to ensure Joo-won’s role in working on the case since he’s convinced he is the only person capable of taking on such a big role in a case that requires everyone in the police station to be suspected. By encouraging Han Joo-won to invite more suspicion on himself, he teases the clear possibility of there being a murderer and that it is still possible for that individual to get caught, making the 20-year-old case still relevant to be investigated. Lee Dong-sik’s goal in doing this is so that he can use Han Joo-won to investigate the case all whilst gathering new information through him, since Lee Dong-sik’s role in its investigation would otherwise be illegal considering he is family to the victim and had previously been declared guilty of the murder.

With Lee Dong-sik scared to frame the wrong person in fear of taking away from the victim’s injustice, and Han Joo-won narrow-minded and set on his own suspicions, they speak in riddles, manipulate each other into helping one another in their investigations, and intricately fabricate their own facades to draw out what they want from one another. They build frames of storytelling to shed light on clues, trying to draw attention to a bigger picture. Both leads pull each other in by raising suspicion to one another, building a sense of mutual mistrust. However, this eerie sense of mysteriousness in their relationship gradually grows into a unique and strong bond that is built on a strong reciprocal trust that both pretend don’t exist. Between them sizzles an intense rivalry and chemistry—they go from pointing guns to each other’s throats in one scene to working side-by-side against everyone else in the next.

‘‘There are times where you’re not sure. If you pull out too soon, you’ll chase away the fish. And if you take too long, the fish will get away. Should I reel in? Or not?" With such an endless array of possibilities of things that could go wrong, Lee Dong-sik and Han Joo-won have to feign ignorance, resist acting on impulse, and accept doing the unimaginable in order to find the perfect proof that would immediately prove the murderer guilty before reeling in so that there would be no space for doubt to be raised during the official investigation—and no chance for the killer to slip away from their grasp. This goal of the main leads' explains the importance and focus that the show places on a certain conversation both investigators shared—where Lee Dong-sik wanted to be sure that Han Joo-won understood that even against any accusations, it is juridically impossible for a murderer in South Korea to be convicted guilty for their crime if there is no body found.

Twisted and dark, from the first episode to the very last, it’s a timeless masterpiece of a detective series that'll pull viewers into its game of show and tell—but only show, and then tell in a few more episodes just to keep them guessing. It’ll propose ideas, make the audience believe them, and just when they think they're on the brink of coming up with a conclusion, it turns out that everything they believed is wrong, and viewers have been tricked so well that they’ve swapped the innocent for the guilty. The hefty plot heavily relies on the narrative that no one is free of suspicion or can be trusted to embark viewers on a journey that’ll leave them desperate for answers and relentlessly searching episodes for hidden meaning or new clues. There is no other thriller that does it better in building suspense, delivering acting performances, character intricacy, offering a top-tier OST, unmatched tension, and showing remarkable storyline complexity.

Overall, ‘Beyond Evil’ has beautifully mastered the art that is storytelling—from its intricate little details to the bigger picture it creates and everything that stretched in between its many mysteries’ unraveling, exceeding the precedents of its genre with its unexpected, thrilling, and flawlessly executed plot.

2025/02/14