[Ishani's Picks] An Honest Review Of "The Silent Sea"

"The Silent Sea" starts off like a masterpiece but unfortunately ends like a children's fantasy novel, leaving us wondering whether we really deserved such a simple conclusion to one of the most complex premises ever.

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On the 24th of December, 2021, "The Silent Sea", starring Gong Yoo, Bae Doona, Lee Joon, Kim Sun-young, and Lee Mu-saeng premiered worldwide on Netflix. Soon after its release, the drama climbed up Netflix's top 10 most popular TV shows chart, proving its massive success. It seems as though "The Silent Sea" is continuing the legacy of global impact previously set forth by "Squid Game" and "Hellbound" but something is amiss.

Spoiler Alert!

"The Silent Sea" is set in a not-so-distant future where water scarcity has caused the Earth to turn into a wasteland. Aquatic life has perished, poverty and disease prevail and drinking water has become quite the political commodity in the capitalistic hands of the world. In the midst of this chaos, a group of elite astronauts and field experts head off to space to retrieve an undisclosed sample that could save humanity.

The premise of this drama is extraordinary, to say the least, and it is set up in an equally masterful way, building up the tension slowly until the big reveal. The spacecraft that our heroes are on has been tampered with, leading them to crash on the moon; there are mercenary imposters on board; dead bodies are sprawled all across the Balhae Station with signs of death from drowning; water is viral and the first being of the moon (rather than on it) is a little girl, aptly named Luna. By the end of the narrative, the only ones left alive are the women in the crew, Dr. Song (Bae Doona), Dr. Hong (Kim Sun-young), and Luna (Kim Si-a). Needless to say, the symbolic import of this quite intentional creative choice is wonderfully lucid. The future is female, after all.

From start to finish, "The Silent Sea" has an impeccable pace. The first two episodes feel exactly how it must feel moments before a rocket is launched into open space and everything after that is a rollercoaster ride of revelations. The moon that is wished upon, that is home to potentially life-saving lunar water is turned on its head into an exploitative research facility where thinking, feeling humans are subject to fatal experimentation. One class of humans is sacrificed for another, and ultimately, it is accepted as a necessary measure to attain the greater good. Genocide is swept under the rug and the ethical and moral ambiguity of human experimentation is barely elaborated on except for a poignant dream sequence between the Song sisters. Neither the government nor Director Choi (Kil Hae-yeon) is held accountable for their extraterrestrial atrocities and instead, they are simply forgotten in favour of hope for the future.

It is rather questionable whether Luna considered herself in need to be rescued but she is brought along anyway, for the sake of the Earth. Dr. Song chooses lawfully neutral experimentation at the International Institute of Space Biology over the presumably abusive treatment of Luna at the hands of Director Choi but neither option rules out the fact that Luna will live out the rest of her life as a specimen of research. Dr. Song is not giving Luna the gift of a better life but she is most definitely taking away her sense of freedom, albeit limited.

It is simply not acceptable, especially after such an outstanding run, that the final episode ends so idealistically that it throws off the conviction it builds throughout the previous episodes. Perhaps this was intentional, in order to leave scope for a second season but that makes it all the more disappointing.

At the end of the day, it is undeniable that "The Silent Sea" had the potential to be even more impactful, if not for the "happily ever after" ending. However, it is equally indisputable that it is one of the most gripping space thrillers to come out of 2021, regardless of language. After all, such a combination of a stellar cast, incredible writing, flawless direction, and unbelievable cinematography, only comes once in a blue moon (pun intended).

By Ishani Sarkar

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"The Silent Sea" is directed by Choi Hang-yong, written by Park Eun-kyo, and features Bae Doona, Gong Yoo, Lee Joon, Kim Sun-young, Heo Sung-tae, Lee Mu-saeng. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/12/24, Fri on Netflix.