Strangers from Hell (2019)

painfully slow and boring

the acting is absolutely top notch, the production value is all there, and thats about it. the material here is barely enough for a 2 hour movie, having this stretched out over 10 episodes is simply painful.
i assume this is a problem inherited directly from the webtoon. while i havent read the source material for this show, webtoons in general tend to be paced... badly, to say the least, and profit from some very aggressive restructuring in adaptation.
the idea seems interesting, if only the execution could be at least decent.
i wouldnt recommend this to anyone.

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it could've been better

the drama started out interesting, but the middle part was empty, repetitive and boring.. I always say shorter dramas don't get 16eps just because the producers know they can't drag it for that long.. basically, a movie or 4 eps would've been enough...
the acting was PHENOMENAL from everyone.. I think they all portrayed their characters perfectly, and I think they alone carried this show.. but they also felt like, puppets? the writer didn't let them reach their potential...
and beside the main "group" the rest of the characters were empty fillers..
the gore and graphicness of this was, funny.. they promised a 19+ last ep and they still blurred the tiny knives and blood splatter.. and the fight scenes looked over dramatic to the point it was comical? also I think the writing was weak too.. by the last ep everyone just started to feel forcibly flat, like the writer just wanted to wrap everything up in a little bow for his own perfect ending..

The ost was another beautiful thing about this drama, it was perfectly hunting and mesmerizing..

Noh Jong Hyun stole the show for me.. among psychopaths, there needs to be something you can connect with. also that last friend, he was a hero :)


my rewatch values are always a 1 or 10 and I don't think this needs anther watch..

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I saw a lot of people mention the book the metamorphosis , and I think those theories are great , but I haven't seen anyone mention "hell is other people" which is another title from jean Paul Sartre . In the play, three people are trapped in Hell — which is a single room — and ultimately while confessing their sins to one another, end up falling into a bizarre love triangle.

" Hell is other people has always been misunderstood. It has been thought that what I meant by that was that our relations with other people are always poisoned, that they are invariably hellish relations. But what I really mean is something totally different. I mean that if relations with someone else are twisted, vitiated, then that other person can only be hell. Why? Because … when we think about ourselves, when we try to know ourselves … we use the knowledge of us which other people already have. We judge ourselves with the means other people have and have given us for judging ourselves. "


The hell here would be the studio , as he is trapped in there he starts to go crazy and by "confessing their sin" we can maybe think it's about how the dentist forces him to bring out the "psychopathic" nature in him and his killing urge .
"We judge ourselves with the means other people have and have given us for judging ourselves." The people around him make him think he's overreacting and imagining things , that the people there are okay and he's just paranoid , so we literally see him become more and more paranoid during each episode , as he starts to believe what other people (especially his girlfriend) are telling him . We can also interpret that , since the dentist keeps telling the protagonist he's just like him , that's why he starts to believe that . His coworker says he only pretends to be a nice person on the outside , so Jong Woo acts as according to those prejudices , smashes his keyboard and beats him up sending hum to the hospital. If we take the metamorphosis in question , as the protagonist begins his transformation and becomes a bug , he completely forgets what he used to be like and starts to become what the people around him think he is , paranoid , crazy , rude , a murderer .
This is just my theory based on what I heard about these books , I'm going to try reading Sartre and Kafka and completing the webtoon and see if I can correct it or come up with something more .

This drama is really amazing , I watched it in one day . The actors did a really great job , especially Lee-Dong Wook , it's not easy for an actor with an already established image as a sweet and nice character to break form that and play a completely different role as a psychopathic killer , but he managed to do that and played out his character really well . This is my first time watching Im Shi Wan and he did great as Jong Woo .

If I have any complaints about this drama , it would be that the last episode is a bit rushed , but that's the case for many dramas so I'm not going to hold it against it , overall this was a thrilling and exciting watch , definitely worth a rewatch someday .

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GRITTY AND INTENSE THRILLER TO BOGGLE YOUR MIND

I watched this series back in 2019 while I was on a trip with my family and decided to binge watch all the downloaded episodes in the bus.
That was dumb. I agree cuz after watching this series I was left dazed and in denial for days. Last time I was this baffled when I watched the "House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths" docu series.
From first 5 min to last minute I was hooked! I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. All of characters were written equally weird and wonderful. Not only Im Si Wan and Lee Dong Wook acted well but also the other characters like Park Jong Hwan, Lee Joong ok and Lee Jung Eun created an eerie aura which will make you realise how gruesome-ly each characters are real.

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Even when I know this drama is going to upset me, the journey and visuals are outstanding!

A young man moved to a cheap but in poor condition run-down building, planning to stay just until he can save up for a better place. Right away, he experienced strange occurrences in his corridor, around the neighbourhood and he starts suspecting there's some weird stuffs going on. He has a growing suspicion that someone has been entering his room...

Everything on screen is super unsettling and mysterious. All characters, including our male lead Jong Wo (Yim Si Wan) are creepy, sweaty, and they’re interacting in a weird way in this dirty old building. At first, I kept wondering whether they are truly strange people or if there’s something evil within the walls. This whole set up is so masterfully directed and it kept me guessing between reality and imagination even after the end.

Trigger warning: this drama might potentially distress you, as there are very explicit torture and gruesome killing scenes. I was ready to peace out by ep 4, but one character kept me super damn curious; He’s our creepy cool-headed Moon Jo (Lee Dong Wook), who is a friendly professional dentist and seems to be obsessive towards Jong Wo. Moon Jo is goose-bumping but also hilarious when he’s being a stalker. Anytime right now, he appears nowhere, catching people red-handed, like “Boo! I see you!” and I got jump-scared and giggly. Jong Wo has no idea that Moon Jo loves watching him all the time through a pin-sized hole in his claustrophobic room. As the story reveals more and more facts, I enjoyed how Jong Wo's point of view gets me psychologically engaged. Both leads’ performances were incredibly impactful, especially when the stakes are heightened, they played each other in a really powerful way but yet so refined.

On a personal note: I met Lee, another fan of SFH and since we relate with their bromance a lot, we immediately got so giddy talking about them. Any edit or meme of SFH are now a laughing drug for us. The free eggs, sashimi and the teeth that we can't yet get over with. Oh, we’re so messed up! XD

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The first K-Drama that I watched

Absolutely gripping. I watched this is about a day, that's how hooked I was. The story was fascinating from start to finish. Thw premise itself is worthwhile - someone who moves next to potential serial killers but has no choice to stay due to financial problems. Strangers from Hell goes deeper and further with its story however, exploring PTSD, bullying in the Army, estrangement from family,etc.

The characters are all well developed and highly memorable. The "Family" all are creepy and scary in their own ways. The wide eyed young police officer was the source of innocence and she playes to role perfectly. Im Shi Wan was outstanding as our lead. Able to capture the nuance of what was being presented perfectly. On tbe surface he's fine but there is clearly something deeper that's not right. And well,we dont have to even talk about Lee Dong Wook who steals the show with his impeccable protrayal of the evil dentist.

Just an excellent series.

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One of the Best Psychological Thrillers

It’s been a while since I was left grinning from ear-to-ear after watching a drama, when this show ended I was left with the dread of the ending, and the excitement of having found a show that made me want to instantly write a positive review.

This drama takes an important stance on economic privilege within a society that is heavily reliant on societal class. The commentary made is that poverty has a direct correlation to your environment and eliminates your option to leave a negative environment. There is this mindset that people, of financial privilege, may have where they believe that poverty is a choice and that many people choose to stay in a negative environment because it is ‘easy’. This may come in the form of unsolicited advice such as: Living in a place with poor facilities? Just Move. Finding it tough to earn more money? Then work harder. The drama highlights the ignorance that financially privileged people take when trying to empathize with someone who is in poverty. The plot also displays the direct correlation between one’s financial ability and the limited options they have when choosing their environment. Many people who are privileged like to pretend that they have struggled and that they have ‘moved on’ from their previous poverty state. The juxtaposition between Jong-Woo and Jae-Ho displays the lack of understanding an individual displays when they haven’t lived through difficulty. As his boss and ‘friend’ Jae-Ho attempts to undermine Jong-Woo’s experience regarding the difficulty living in the Eden Residence. Jae-ho is quick to reply with his own, fake sympathy, experience about having once lived in a communal residence (which we later find out was a lie anyways). Jae-Ho, from his financially privileged background, found it necessary to overshadow Jong-Woo’s struggles. Jae-Ho couldn’t even begin to empathize with Jong Woo because he lacked not only empathy but first hand-experience with anything remotely similar to Jong Woo’s situation.

Poverty plays an essential role in understanding the backdrop of this show’s plot and how Jong-Woo remains stuck in the Eden Residence even after he realizes that there is something fishy. There is an extreme financial strain on Jong-Woo to earn money. He is one of the breadwinners for his single mom and disabled brother. The Eden Residence ends up being the cheapest place, at about $100 (115,000 Won) per month for rent. Many times throughout the show he clearly identifies that the people living there are strange, weird, and potential criminals, but every time he calculates his income he can’t afford anything over $100 per month. There is a gap within society, where people in poverty remain stuck in their negative environment and when they seek help either face more hardship or are not believed, as is the case with Jong-Woo.

There are three levels of Hell that Jong-Woo faces. The first is that he becomes physically stuck in this residence, he has no money to move out. What happens next is that he is failed by his friends and colleagues, which becomes the second level of hell--disconnect from a support system. Jong-Woo, many times throughout the show, tries to convince the people around him that the Eden Residence is dangerous. When his girlfriend, colleagues, and boss undermine and diminish his experience, it backs him up into a frustrating situation. The skepticism is worst when his girlfriend tells him that he “is being too sensitive” about the residents. At these two levels, Jong-Woo no longer has a physical safe space or an emotional one. His descent into mental instability continues as he reaches the third level of hell. Despite his concerns having been ignored by those around him, Jong-Woo continues to believe in himself and seeks help from the Police. He is once again viewed with skepticism and asked to bring evidence. There is only one police officer who believes him, but she too struggles to initially find evidence. Now stuck financially, emotionally, physically, and locally Jong-Woo becomes truly isolated, left alone with his fears and truth about Eden Residence. These three descents into Hell are the commentary on poverty and the depths that it can push someone to when they become physically stuck in a negative environment and have no means of escaping.

Many people underestimate how debilitating poverty can be, people at the residence were preyed on because they had no support system and no money to leave.

My favourite element in the drama is Jong-Woo’s mental deterioration because it is written in such a realistic and efficient way, although saddening to witness. When in poverty, you're more likely to be preyed on, because of a lack of support system, and Jong-Woo becomes Moon-Jo’s prey. The real deterioration is solidified when Jong-Woo himself begins to question his own account of events and questions his morality. The reason for this is that Moon-Jo, through their conversation, plants seeds of doubt that grow bigger and bigger throughout the episodes.

I find the most saddening scenes to be the conversations between Jong Woo and, the second new resident, Kang Seok Yoon. In these conversations, after Jong-Woo has begun to slowly lose his mind to paranoia, we see a glimpse of Jong-Woo’s personality before the Eden Residence. Jong-Woo is smiling and laughing and able to fully converse again because he has someone who, not only experienced what he has been experiencing but validates his emotions. The desperation, of Jong-Woo’s need to be heard out, plays out with his interaction with Seok Yoon. To have someone believe in you and your struggles is a validation that Jong Woo received when it was too late.

Another question that’s brought to light, in this show, is the inmate nature of humans and what exactly makes an individual good or bad. Throughout the show, we see Jong-Woo’s flashbacks to the military juxtaposed with his current struggles, especially at work. In both instances, he finds himself face-to-face with bullies. In these situations, where he is egged on by the bullies, Jong-Woo’s internal monologue relates to death and wanting to kill the other person, often asking himself “Should I just kill him?”. My take on this is not that Jong-Woo was innately violent, or a psychopath (as Moon-Jo wanted him to believe), but that his environment and being failed at all three levels, as talked about above, exacerbated his negative emotions. Let’s take a what-if example and say that if Jong-Woo never entered the Eden Residence then he would not have resorted to the violence we see at the end of the show. The violence he does is out of necessity because no one looks out for his safety, so he is forced to look out for himself. Had Jong-Woo been born wealthy he would have had an option to leave environments that he found to be dangerous.

Having the option to leave is one of the biggest privileges anyone can have, but when faced with poverty this option is cut off. One may counter that, even with a privileged life Jong-Woo would've faced those same types of people, and would’ve blown up again, and although it is true that he would’ve met those people --what's different is that he would have been able to tell them off or stand up for himself, without the fear of losing his job. He had to suppress his right to talk back because he needed the money. In the beginning, before anyone believed Jong-Woo, before he goes to the police, and before he realizes that the residence may be the source of crimes, we can see Jong-Woo have these negative thoughts, but never act on them. The difference between when he ends up acting on those violent thoughts and when he doesn’t, is that he only acts upon the violence when he is left with no other choice.

Moon-Jo tries, and succeeds in the end, in convincing Jong-Woo that he is innately evil. Jong-Woo can’t see the cherry-picking that Moon-Jo does when he puts forth these claims. Unlike Moon-Jo, Jong Woo did not kill people just because they are a nuisance.

Jong-Woo does not give himself grace for the acts he committed and instead believes that he is encoded to kill. I want to reiterate that the turning point for the complete acceptance of himself as ‘evil’ is when Jong-Woo no longer challenges his internal monologue about if he is or isn’t bad, he just accepts that he was always meant to kill, but doesn’t stop for a second to think that the situation he was in forced him to commit those actions. Whether Jong-Woo is good or bad is up to interpretation, but personally, I don’t see him as either, I see him as a victim of his environment; had someone taken my family and friends hostage, put me through what Jong-Woo went through, I probably would’ve lost my mind as well.

No one believed in John-Woo's struggle, no one validated anything he felt. Hell was everywhere for Jong-Woo because even outside of the residence, he was not safe anywhere.

Combined with its exemplary writing is the phenomenal acting, cinematography and editing. I want to touch on the acting first because Im Si-Wan’s acting range within the role of Jong-Woo took me by surprise. If you compare Jong-Woo’s character from episode one to episode ten we see two starkly different personalities. The main change is not only in his gestures, or lack of (in the ending episode), but his facial expressions. He loses a sense of life within his eyes, instead replaced with grim. I’m not quite sure how Im Si-wan managed to capture this level of mental instability, displayed in Jang-Woo’s character, but it is captivating. I’m scared of the Jong-Woo we see at the end because you can see physically, through the acting, how much emotional baggage and trauma he now carries. I love how this progression is quite slow, Jong-Woo’s character does not make an immediate emotional change from each episode, rather it is a slow build-up of trauma and gas-lighting that shapes the version of Jong-Woo we see at the end.

Paired with Si-Wan’s acting is Lee Dong-Wook’s who displays a chilling character through Seo Moon-Jo. During the Dentist scenes, Moon-Jo seems like a different person than the one we see in the residence. Lee Dong-Wook is able to display this quick change of personality that Moon-Jo has in a way that is eerie and chilling to the audience. One of the scenes that captivated this perfectly, is the rooftop conversations between Moon-Jo and Jong-Woo where he’s able to display a twisted love and hunger for corruption. Usually after these conversations, Jong-woo will say that he is confused by Moon-Jo’s personality because he looks normal on the outside but emanates a creepiness. This was my first time seeing Dong-Wook in such a villainous role and he absolutely perfected the character. It is that level of calm and clearness that Moon-Jo has, towards his steadfast belief that what he is doing is humane and normal, that makes him an even more chilling character. The lack of remorse in his expression, and instead excitement, when he commits crimes is efficiently captivated within Dong-Wook’s acting. The way that both Si-Wan and Dong-Wook control their facial expression and display a variety of anger, calm, worry, and fear makes it clear that these two actors were perfect for the characters.

I was even more immersed into the story because of the cinematography, editing and music. Had the lighting been bright, the music cheery, and the angles less sharp, this same residence could’ve been an Eden. To create a sense of dread the cuts are made to be narrow, giving a feeling of entrapment within the Eden Residence. Looking down the corridor feels suffocating. On top of that is the amazing transitions, between the setting of the residence, work, and the city that make it feel like the entire worlds are enmeshed together, as if to say that once you enter the Eden residence it begins to take over your entire life in a smooth and horrific manner. The lighting and music were just as eerie as the plot. The level of darkness, from the fourth floor being almost pitch black, to the main floor being slightly lighter, and the bright outside world made a visual division between each level of hell that Jong-Woo experienced. The cinematography, editing and music make it seem like we were actually within Jong-wook’s mind and how he views each of these settings.

What surprises me the most about this drama is how well it hits all the points. I’m a sucker for wonderful writing and am able to excuse many things, as long as the writing is well done, but with this show, there is nothing to excuse--only to compliment. I don't usually write about cinematography, editing or music, but I found them to be so essential to the storytelling method, for this show, that it went hand-in-hand with the essence of the plot. I genuinely cannot wait to rewatch this show and discover something more horrifying and new about the Eden Residence that I didn’t notice on the first watch. This is definitely a show to watch multiple times.

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It's a rare type of Horror kdrama that Don't rely on ghosts or unnatural strength but they are really scary, it horror but not empty plot it have good point and it took that "humans are scary being" in a series note. and success in doing it. and even drag it to the disgusting level not just horror easily . all the character are scary in a different way and This what made the drama distinctive and give it strength. even in that moments when you feel tired in the half part from watching repeat murders/ torture. the characters hold you down bc you want to watch them more and what they will do. i wish i know more about their past put it's true that it didn't fit in the drama to tall stores.

the acting was great and if we going to give credit between plot or acting in this drama although the plot was good, the acting was the best in this drama, everyone portrayed his character perfectly, they amazed me by there acting skills.

Cinematography i think they did good in using that studio with narrow and suffocating rooms and their best was the lead dreams, i think they could do better in filming the murders it self, i didn't notice the music that much in this drama.

i like what they did in the ending it's really fit well with the story the drama build from the start and how the Mental control is the main force in moving everything and making the world around the person. " WE AREN'T STRANGERS, THE PEOPLE AROUND US MAKE US STRANGERS" not only the Eden Studio and Moon Jo was part of Jong woo' end but everyone> his gf(that never believed him), his office collage, his army days and the irresponsible police in his country.

Im Shi Wan / Yoon Jong Woo really did great job it was the first time i watch him and he amazed me he descript every emotion so well i fell to him. Lee Dong Wook / Seo Moon Jo never thought he can be scary character he is great actor for sure.
it's not something i can enjoy if i re-watch it's onetime drama that lose it's power after you know everything. Over all this drama did so well in it's Genres i give it 8.5

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I really expected a great drama. But no, I only felt bored. I was skipping 10 seconds for the sake of finishing this.

My expectation- gore, bloody, scary, disturbing and chilling (if this is the right term). IT. WAS. NOT. I watched this around 1am-3am or 4 but I did not feel scared at all. The only time I felt disturbed is when they ate raw meat.

The drama was very slow. I was expecting something right off at ep 1 since everybody's reaction about it was great, but nah. (Also since the drama is short, around 10 eps only).

Kudos to the man acting as twins, he was too annoying to be honest that I want to punch the screen every time I see his character. The perv one too but the twins were more annoying.

Siwan's GF looked like Ryujin lol.

My reaction watching this was saying "boring, boring, boring" over and over. The only time I was hyped was the ending. Extracurricular was better.

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Terrifying and creepy enough

Story:
As a psychological thriller lover, this was totally my type. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole journey and often forgot to eat while binging. Not to mention it was enough to make me lose my sleep those 2 days.

Acting:
10/10 Can you expect anything less from LEE DONGWOOK & IM SIWAN?? They're both legendary and so versatile. Apart from the the other actors were incredible too. Their perfect acting made me lose my mind abs question my existence for the time being.

Rewatch value:
I usually don't rewatch anything. My watchlist is too long. So probably not.

Overall:
It may not be your liking if you're not familiar with this genre. It may seem a little boring to you if you're used to too much melodramatic stuffs. But trust me psychological horror lovers this will blow your mind. I'm very much satisfied with the open ending. You can interpret it however you want. This is my ultimate favorite thriller drama.

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okay, I'm still recovering from the drama. I only have one question. why has this drama not got the attention it deserved? I could not find one flaw with this drama. I'm not exaggerating when I say this drama is a masterpiece.

Story: I could write pages just praising every line and every word of this drama. It unravels in an almost graceful way, revelation after revelation leaving me breathless. I couldn't stop watching but was too afraid to go to the next episode. There were scenes that gave me literal goosebumps. I had to pause at some scenes to just take in what was happening. I loved the pacing of the story, how each episode just gave us the right amount of fear and curiosity. I could slowly feel myself being sucked into the madness and it made me question myself. I didn't know who or what I was rooting for in the end. The subtle contrasts that I only noticed after rewatching it were really genius. I learnt a lot from the drama.

Acting: I couldn't ask for more from the cast. Everyone gave stellar performances. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for the cast to portray such complex characters but they truly did justice to it. their acting has left a lasting impression on me. one I will not forget for a long time. I have to especially appreciate Lee Dong Wook and Im Siwan. I could see the despair, madness and fear in Jung woo's eye. Moon Jo was like a super hot psycho that I wanted to hate but I mean how can I? just look at him, even his creepy smile made my heart skip a beat. I was scared and in love at the same time. Not to mention the chemistry between them which was like feeling the aftershocks of an explosion. I would love to see them act together in future projects. Everyone did outstandingly.

Music: the few osts that were there were really good however there were not many windows for it in the drama itself so I understand how they might not get the exposure it deserved but god damn was the background music creepy. it was not overdone. just the right amount of creepy music made the scenes thousand times more terrifying.

Overall: 100% recommend (unless you are easily triggered) I mean it is a psycho-thriller. The adrenaline rush I got from watching it is not something I will soon forget.
kudos to the cast and staff of the drama for this rollercoaster of a drama.

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