Strangers from Hell (2019)

TRY YOUR BEST TO SLOWLY WITHDRAW FROM THE DARKEST IMPULSES OF YOUR HEART

I think if I were to touch upon every single thing that I loved about Strangers from Hell, I would be writing a novel instead of a review. I've actually seen this drama twice now because I started to re-watch it the day after I finished it. Actions sometimes speak louder than words, so let that sink in as I try to best express the amount of love I have for this show while also keeping it as brief and coherent as I can possibly can.

For me, watching Strangers from Hell was the equivalent of picking away at a scab you might have on your knee or elbow. It is immensely satisfying to peel back the layers of skin, no matter how gross or painful it might be. Except, in this case, the scab was the human psyche, and there was no hesitation whatsoever when it came to ripping apart these layers. This show was dark. It was gory. It was terrifying, and it left an ache in my bones and a hollow feeling in my chest after I finished the very last episode. There were moments when the show seemed to be hinting at going into a certain direction, and I would often think to myself, 'This show is already dark enough, there's no way they're actually going to do that,' AND THEN THEY DID, so I would have to let out an audible gasp for how daring the showrunners were. I think for the last five or six episodes, I watched them with my hand cupped over my mouth while also keeping the lights on because of how scared I was while watching.

I think one of the things that really worked well in Strangers from Hell and that helped to make it so enjoyable were the two main leads, Yoon Jongwoo and Seo Moonjo, played by Im Siwan and Lee Dongwook respectively. The acting was spectacular; I don't think anyone else could have played these roles. Jongwoo was especially interesting to me in the sense that he was somewhat relatable. Not relatable in the sense that I'm slowly going crazy (hopefully), but relatable in the sense that adulthood is difficult, people are difficult, and work is difficult. I'd also like to point out that I am currently living in a university residential hall with a communal bathroom - on the third floor, no less! - and I wasn't even assigned a roommate for this semester so it can get quite lonely at times in my room. I think this greatly affected my own opinion when watching Strangers in Hell and why and I was able to relate to Jongwoo.

Also, the amount of gas-lighting that was present in the show was insane. Not only did we get to see it with Jongwoo and the residents of Eden, but we also get to see it with Jongwoo and his awful co-workers, Jongwoo and his girlfriend, his girlfriend and her own terrible co-workers, as well as with the female police officer, Seo Junghwa, as she dealt with the detectives. I think this show did a really great job representing what gas-lighting is and how that can affect the mental state of a person, as well as stressing the fact that it can come in many different forms. This was most evident in the character of Jongwoo. I've seen some people complain about how this could have been a movie because of the slow-pacing, but I believe that it was the pacing of the show that truly allows the audience to see the changes that Jongwoo was going through, and I don't think a movie would be enough time to explore and justify Jongwoo's actions. Personally, I did not find the pacing slow at all and I found every scene, from dialogue to action sequences, to be thrilling.

Then there is Seo Moonjo, the sexy dentist of my dreams. He was wonderfully creepy and strange; I couldn't help but be drawn to him. I would physically get chills all over my arms whenever he smiled. His relationship with Jongwoo was so interesting to watch unfold. I could probably write a whole essay on that aspect alone but I will resist. Just know that this character was extremely well-written and that he drove me crazy in the best way possible. The supporting cast, too, was amazing. The actors must have put in a lot of work in order to prepare themselves to play these characters, the absolute darkest representation of human nature.

Another thing I really liked was the music. It was so haunting and eerie. It really helped to establish the creepy atmosphere of the show.

The camera work here was also really interesting to me, It was kind of shaky at times, though that didn't really bother me. Sometimes there would be shots that I think were meant to give you the impression that what you were looking at was the point of view of someone physically watching the scenes that were unfolding on the screen while also remaining hidden, kind of like a stalker. That was a really nice touch that helped to keep me on the edge of my seat.

And oh my gosh, the ending? What was that? I don't know, but I loved every single second of it. I think it really helped drive in the point of how Jongwoo is essentially an unreliable narrator, and it's up to the viewer to decide how much they want to trust his side of the story. It's definitely an ending that keeps you thinking about it for days on end, and I found it even more satisfying during my second watch.

Overall, if you enjoy watching shows that are psychological and horrific in nature, then I would recommend Strangers from Hell with all of my heart. The grip this show still has over me even after I've finished is still holding strong, so I have a feeling that this story will stick with me for a very, very long time.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama "Strangers From Hell" is a dark story that builds up to the great final twist in the end. The only thing that was missing was a bit of a more craziness of the main villain. All the others were mad enough to be triggering the insanity of the main character.

The latter was the star of the drama and the sole focus of it, as his downfall was well-orchestrated, even though there were evidence from the start that something was off that he himself was trying to suppress.

The performances, finally, were all great from everyone in the cast and the atmosphere pretty dark and suspenseful.

So, overall, 7 out of 10.

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Masterpiece

I don't have a lot to write about for this review, but I want to praise the cast's(both main and supporting roles) fastastic acting, I love how the twins were portrayed by one person perfectly, how the pervert was well acted out, of course, the enthusiatic and creepy landlord should not be forgotten too! Im Siwan and Lee Dongwook also portrayed their victim and villain roles really well, I can literally sense Jung U's fear and distrust, as well as getting goosebumps from Moonjo's psychotic smile and his crimes. The show had really dark vibes and some scenes are too disturbing to be watched while eating HAHA, nonetheless the cinematography of the show was pretty well done and Eden Goshiwon is really the last place on earth I want to visit if it exists lol. I agree with other comments about the loopholes existing in the shows, and one thing I wish to see is the characters' backstorys. Like what caused the twins to behave like this? How did the pervert join their killing plans, did he not get weirded out at first or is he naturally psychopathic? I'm very curious about how did Moonjo turn out to be a serial killer as well, also during the shower scenes in the earlier episodes, scars can be seen on Moonjo's back. Did he have a traumatic past that caused his personality to be like this? I want a season two featuring their past!! TT

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Amazing! The entire cast was just amazing. The actor who plays Yoon Jong Woo should receive an Emmy Award. His metamorphosis was so real. I later realized that I had seen him as the main role in Incomplete Life which was also amazing. This guy has real acting chomps on him. I look forward to seeing his future works.

Also, the guy from Goblin played his psychopathic character really well!! I didn't see his usual "handsome" guy character in his other shows. He was truly terrifying. The actor definitely proved his range in performance. He broke out of his "handsome" guy role and now I will definitely think of him as an Actor instead of "just the guy from Goblin." Know what I mean?

10, 1-hr episodes was perfect for this drama. There weren't any fillers. I had to take this show relatively slow because the torture is pretty gruesome.

OCN truly does make cinematographic art pieces. This is the network for serious and compelling dramas.

The ending is definitely not ambiguous, by the way.

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So this drama has:
The most overreacting stereotypical boring psychopath. The other characters acting is alright, but they tried too hard to make this guy edgy.
Bad communication, ridiculous investigation, dumb decisions, cliches...
Unlikeable characters all around
Very annoying twin brothers
Worst girlfriend material
Very predictable "plot twist"
Everything is predictable from a mile away

And of course in the end our crime writer guy who got so brainfucked by the events of this show be writing "die" endlessly over and over again. Totally buying that of course.....

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I considered writing this review as soon as I finished it, the last episode was quite the finale leaving me on an adrenaline high. However I stopped to continue one of my other dramas and when I came back to review this I no longer felt I'd give it as high a rating. I find this drama to be well worth the watch especially for the finale that required the build up it received, however thinking back the build up left a sour taste in my mouth. Although I'd gladly rewatch the final 3 episodes, the rest of it was only worth one watch.

The major issue wasn't in the story, but the characters. Everyone in JungWoo's daily life outside of the goshiwon was infuriatingly plain and served the single purpose to push our main character mentally. His girlfriend was incredibly discouraging and trusting of strangers more than JungWoo, his senior from college only hired him to make him his junior again, and his coworker said the rudest things about JungWoo and treated him like crap for absolutely no reason. None of these characters seemed to have agency of their own and could be summarized by their actions towards JungWoo. His life outside the goshiwon took up almost a third of the show.

Later in the series they introduced 2 new characters to be friends with JungWoo. The first moved in across the hall and immediately took to JungWoo like a younger sibling, the second knew him in the military and, although bewildered by what JungWoo told him about the studio, rushed to the aid of his friend.
one was an incredibly satisfying addition, the other left me feeling cheated and empty.

On the flip side they did a really good job of setting up each character at the Goshiwon, even the sane ones.

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Gente, que dorama! Amei. Eu já imaginava que ia ser bom, mas não tanto assim.
É um ótimo suspense criminal/policial, que é o meu gênero favorito. Fiquei muito feliz de encontrar um dorama nesse estilo, já que é tão raro. Inclusive a Coreia deve investir muito mais nesse gênero de dorama.
A história começa com o personagem principal, Jong Woo, um jovem recém-formado, se mudando pra Seul, onde ele conseguiu um estágio. Por não ter condições financeiras ele tem que se mudar pra um goshiwon, e com o tempo o prota vai perceber que tem alguma coisa muito estranha no lugar e com seus moradores. E é aí que a história vai se desenrolar.
É um dorama que prende a nossa atenção desde o início e que você não quer parar de assistir, pra saber o que vai acontecer. Eu normalmente não maratono doramas, mas esse eu tive que maratonar.
Além do mais, o dorama tem uma aura de suspense e tensão o tempo todo, mesmo o suspense/terror sendo o meu gênero favorito de filmes e séries, eu fiquei bem assustada assistindo esse dorama. A sensação que você tem é que pode acontecer alguma coisa a qualquer tempo.
Já o roteiro dele é muito bom, ele foi muito bem produzido, não tem furos na história e tudo é verossímil, poderia acontecer facilmente na realidade. Também as atuações são excelentes, inclusive eu tinha asco e raiva de vários personagens, de tão bem interpretados, eu especialmente fiquei muito surpresa com a atuação do Lee Dong Wook, o personagem dele é totalmente diferente dos outros trabalhos que eu já vi dele, ele deu um show de atuação.
Fora os crimes, o dorama trata de outros temas. Ele mostra bem o ambiente de trabalho extremamente estressante da Coreia, onde os chefes e colegas humilham e exploram os que estão em posição inferior, e também a pressão que os jovens adultos sofrem pra serem bem-sucedidos, e em pouco tempo conquistar bens materiais.
E por último, a principal mensagem que o dorama passou pra mim é que os seres humanos são influenciáveis, que nós podemos mudar totalmente por causa das pessoas a nossa volta e de situações que acontecem conosco. Além disso, que ninguém é totalmente uma boa pessoa.
Então recomendo muito esse dorama, tenho certeza de que você vai gostar! Ainda mais se você estiver procurando um dorama fora do comum.

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Disappointed

I had enough expectation in this series. In many of the sites where I have read reviews and opinions about it, they consider it practically a masterpiece, or at least a very good series. The synopsis also caught my attention and because it was short (10 episodes of 1 hour) I decided not only to give it a chance but to watch it with all my family.

The first episode promised a lot but then the second episode gets a little boring (one scene in particular) and some episodes that follow are good and others not that much.

I consider that the idea is good but it is not well consolidated, I feel that it lacked strength. There are some antagonistic characters that are endearing but because there is not such a solid plot, they are not well used. There are also other characters that are left over and that do not contribute to the development or conclusion of the plot.

--------------Spoiler:
The perfomance of the dentist did not seem entirely convincing to me. I think the actor did not do a good job; he looks a little over-reacted.

The young police did nothing in the entire series. She spent all the episodes investigating but practically discovered nothing. In the end they kidnap her and she can't solve anything either.

I did not like the end: I think the transformation of the protagonist happens very quickly, practically from one episode to another. That is, if he is uncomfortable with everything and has an aggressive personality, but that is from the beginning; I do not see a slow transition of his personality that justifies the end (a slow transition where even he does not perceive what is happening to him), because if he was uncomfortable he could have left or looked for another solution. I feel like he goes crazy almost suddenly.

I would have liked another justification for what was happening because at one point I thought it was something paranormal since the dentist follows all of them almost at the same time anywhere and also he worked. I do not understand how he combined to follow so many people, work and kill at the same time.

I believed that the dentist was a character in the novel he was writing and at the same time an alternate personality of his, one he used to unleash his aggressiveness.

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definitely my favorite kdrama.

ok, first of all i want to talk about how i loved this cast.
i really think that nobody else could fix that well with the characters, I was so satisfied
and one thing that contributed for this was that everyone are SO SIMILAR with the webtoon characters, i was really suprised.
im not going to talk about how hot seo monjoo are, but holy shit this guy really scared me. lee dong wook fix so well with that kind of characters i want to see more of this :c

but an kdrama isnt just the cast, right? lets talk abou the story
man, i loved that story SO MUCH
fear, anger and obsession are the main focus of the story, the way that seo moonjo are a crazy killer stalker made me love even more the characters, i really love things like that.

What I liked most about the story was how they made the Jungwoo's mental decline, that made me go crazy
that kdrama wasnt just a thriller, that was also a psychological horror.
but in compensation what made get so mad was that jungwoo's girlfriend
maaan, that girl made me SO ANGRY
all the problems could have been solved if she wasn't so ignorant that girl made CRAZY
she was so boring... but shes really pretty tho

anyways, i really loved this kdrama and i really recommend if you wanna something more heavy to watch

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Def not for the weak hearted

so i kinda needed smth intense and from the look of this drama i know that u could tell it is indeed intense.. it also is not for the weak hearted. I am used to watching horror and extreme shows but after finishing up this one nicely i feel like i need a drink to be able to get all what happened through my head.

what got to me is that the ML (ofc not our handsome villain) is indeed a very normal person at the start of the drama and i was doubting if Evil will win in this one as im used to angsty esp in this kind of dramas but Alas was i surprised by how STRONG the Evil side was and how it ended up winning.

Another thing i want to add is that this drama is somehow wholesome as it talks abt different subjects: Animal abuse, Mental illness, Sexual offence, etc. and then there's cannibalism like whew i was super shocked and disturbed at how not only did they consume but only gave out to others.. u know without getting into details......

Def not for rewatch to me but it was one heck of a ride and im proud of myself i finished it!

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This Kdrama Shows Why Ghost Stories are lot less Terrifying!!

First of all I want to say that I thought this would be a Ghost Story and I had no idea what the synopsis is or what the manhwa is about and was so dang surprised that the situation the MC is in much much worse than I pictured.
This is a Kdrama which makes really feel creeped out and disgusted with the atmosphere itself. I literally had goosebumps and felt something was wrong so many times in the beginning itself. Though the violence in this is not hidden in any way we know exactly what is happening yet not shown too much. Even then I skipped through most of it.

The Acting is PHENOMENAL! Honestly every single person are so so perfect! Hat's off!!! Truly!!
We continuously root for the MC to survive and hope he doesn't get too affected by the people around him and the situation he is trapped in and helplessly watch as each episode becomes more and more twisted.
I must say one of the best Survival Horror stories I ever saw and just in 10 Eps of 1 Hr each! The pacing is well done, the editing, the Eden Studio itself, the atmosphere and just everything.

A Must Watch! Though this Kdrama may not be everyone's cup of tea.

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To like or not to like..

I am torn if I like this series or I don’t.It’s creepy and intriguing at the same time.
During the first episodes I can’t wait to watch the next to find out if finally the male lead had escaped from the hell he’s been. But as the series progresses I find it hard to watch because it creeps me and I’m starting to pity the ML.
Trying to survive on his own amidst his social status, but it seemed that Lady Luck was not on his side. Finding it hard to fit in the society were everyone was different probably took a toll on him and it made him disoriented from reality.
Life in itself is difficult and we need a good support system such our family and friends we can trust and those who believe in us to keep us sane and to survive.

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