KDRAMA SPOTLIGHT
A MODEL FAMILY
Park Dung Ha just had both the best and worst day of his life. In the midst of a finances-driven marriage crisis and struggling with medical bills for one of his kids, he stumbled upon a huge duffel bag stuffed with enough cash to solve all of his family’s problems. Unfortunately, the unexpected windfall comes accompanied by two corpses and the attention of both mobsters and the police. Park desperately tries to avoid getting caught by either the bad guys or the good guys, but eventually finds himself caught up in the criminal underworld and the drama turns into South Korea’s answer to the Ozarks. He’s a desperate man and desperate men are useful to crime bosses. Park then tries to navigate his normal family life while learning how to be a mule for the mob.
The drama does a good job communicating Park’s desperation and making viewers understand the choices that he feels he is forced to make. This is largely due to a standout performance by star Jung Woo. You can feel his fear and tension when he is in danger. On the flipside, the drama also delves into the more mundane aspects of his life, the problems with his family and job. There, you can sense his sadness at having failed his family and how defeated he is by the breakdown of his marriage.
Unfortunately, the drama is let down by some fairly plotholes, unbelievable coincidences, and strangely enough, some really bizarre soundtrack choices. Still, this thriller is engrossing enough to be worth investing the relatively short run time of ten episodes. Be forewarned though, it is quite explicit for a kdrama. It contains scenes of both savage violence and nudity.
4/5 (based on episode 1-3)
Available on Netflix. Premiered August 12th. Starring Jung Woo, Park Hee Soon, Yoon Jin Seo, Park Ji Yeon, and Kim Sung Oh.
OTHER NOTABLE AUGUST 2022 RELEASES
Netflix
- Little Women – 12 episodes
- Release Date: August 29th
- Synopsis – Little Women is a modern, localized South Korean adaptation of the classic novel. It’s the story of sisters trying to break out of the cycle of poverty.
- Main Cast: Kim Go Eun, Nam Ji Hyun
Viki Rakuten
- Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist Yoo – 12 episodes
- Release Date: August 1st
- Synopsis: An historical comedy about a royal physician. After being ousted from the palace following a scandal, he finds his calling healing people in a village with happiness and laughter.
- Main Cast: Kim Sang Kyung, Kim Hyang Gi
- If You Wish Upon Me – 16 episodes
- Release Date: August 10th
- Synopsis: Ji Chang Wook stars as a struggling ex-convict who is tasked with working in a hospice where the staff listens to the final wishes of the dying.
- Main Cast: Ji Chang Wook, Sung Dong Il, Sooyoung
- Good Job – tbd episodes
- Release Date: August 24th
- Synopsis – A woman with hyperacuity teams up with an arrogant and rich private detective to help people.
- Main Cast: Jung Il Woo, Kwon Yuri
What We're Watching
Every month I’ll be asking one person from staff or AKP users to tell us what drama (new or old) they are watching or that they are looking forward to and why.
I forget who recommended this, but thanks.
THE CURSED (2020)
The Cursed is a occult thriller. Part cop show, part drama, and peppered with horror, it teams an idealistic reporter with a young girl who is possessed by a spirit. The spirit grants the girl the ability to lay some truly horrific curses on people. Together, they end up fighting the evil head of a conglomerate who relies on shamanism for his success.
This 16-episode drama features a lot of slower-burn character moments, but intersperses them with moments of violence and horror. It’s not a show for the faint of heart. It’s also not a show for viewers that expect a lot of action or fast plot movement. This is not a Netflix original designed for international audiences. It’s regular kdrama with all the normal ticks and tropes that they normally have. Still, if you enjoy supernatural kdrama, this does its job well.
Stars Jung Ji So, Uhm Ji Won, and Song Dong Il.
Recommended. Available on Netflix.
