Krishna Kumar

A strangely addicting Korean monsterdrama that feels like a come-to-life manga (its based on a webtoon by the same name) due to its over the top acting, body horror, and insane monsters. The monsters are the centerpiece of the show, and they either make or break the scene once they appear. The monsters sometimes looked out of place during action scenes, giving the show a high end B movie feel, but the creatures are so awesome that it’s easy to forgive. This is not always the case as there are some truly horrific moments that look very realistic, especially during close up shots when the CGI monsters were switched out for more practical effects. Its clear that much of the shows budget was put into the monster design with the majority of the episodes taking place in a derelict apartment complex. The main characters constantly battle the monsters while in their bubble existence (they are trapped in the apartment from the lockdown) but I still couldn’t help but wonder why the other city residents were rarely, if ever, seen. The plot isn’t very deep, although the idea of peoples worst moments/fears physically manifesting into a terrible beast is very interesting. I couldn’t turn away from this Netflix oddity that reinforced my belief that Korean films/shows (Parasite, train to busan, kingdom) are able to compete with the best of American productions.