[Ishani's Picks] Koo Kyo-hwan, Shin Hyun-been And Kwak Dong-yeon Master Psychological Horror In "Monstrous"

In an industry that churns out romantic comedies like nobody's business, we have a simple yet striking horror masterpiece to send chills down your spine. Here's why you should watch "Monstrous".

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Coming from Yeon Sang-ho, the creator of "Train to Busan" "Hellbound" & "The King of Pigs" and Ryoo Yong-jae, known for "Peninsula", "My Holo Love" & "Psychopath Diary", "Monstrous" is paranormal psychological thriller premised on a cursed Buddha statue that finds its way out of hell and into a quaint old village where the local government decides to dig it out and parade it as a tourist attraction.  

The show was a part of the official selection of K-Dramas to be screened at the Cannes International Series Festival Season 5.

Spoiler Alert!

Jeong  Gi-hoon, played by Koo Kyo-hwan is a famed archaeologist/occult researcher dedicated to spreading awareness about supernatural phenomena in the world through his self-published zine, "Monthly Strange Story". His wife, Lee  Soo-jin (played by Shin Hyun-been) is a highly respected author and archoeologist, specializing in decipherment. After a terribly unfortunate traffic accident took away their only daughter, Lee  Soo-jin became estranged, unable to cope with the trauma. She moved to the countryside and now lives in the fictional county of Jinyang, constantly dwelling in the past.

The narrative starts in medias res, with the unearthing of a larger-than-life Buddha statue, notably blindfolded. Soon after, the County faces a terrifyingly ominous shower of black rain and hail in the shape of human faces. A perfectly normal and rather beloved young man goes berserk, seeking revenge and blood and it doesn't take long before similar cases start popping up more frequently.

The next morning, the people of Jinyang call for a meeting with the Governor at the County Office to discuss damages and that is when matters come to a head. With the Buddha statue on full display, sans blindfold, one cannot help but stare into its eyes. As they do, something stirs deep inside, awakening the fire of their own inferno, making them hallucinate, bringing their deathly nightmares to life. Chaos reigns as violence takes over human judgement, turning Jinyang into a hellscape.

In light of impending doom, a couple of Buddhist monks from the Jecheon Order Buddhism Research Lab commission Jeong  Gi-hoon to investigate the matter and hopefully, prevent further devastation. The fact that Soo-jin has also been affected adversely, further pushes him to find a resolution. However, by the time he reaches her, she has already turned into a mindless monster, trapped in her own psyche.

Meanwhile, Kwak Yong-joo (played by Kwak Dong-yeon) is an ex-convict who has just got out of prison. He is now on the hunt for Han Do-kyeong (played by Nam Da-reum), a younger boy who he was once close to. Do-kyeong is the son of a police officer, Han Seok-hee (played by Kim Ji-young), who happened to catch Yong-joo and him breaking the law. While Yong-joo was incarcerated at her hands, Do-kyeong was let off almost scot-free. Upon discovering that Do-kyeong is fulfilling his community service at the County Office, Yong-joo rounds up his goons to confront him there.

What he finds, however, is much more cathartic to him than his initial goal. You see, the eyes of the cursed Buddha bring out one's inner demons, making them inflict harm upon others. While this is divergent behavior for most, it is the reality Yong-joo lives in. Having taught himself to thrive in living hell, it is no surprise that he derives sadistic pleasure from watching "normal" people, who preach morality and peace, lose sight of ratonality and expose their darkest resentments.

Throughout the series, we witness our protagonists passively allowing their grief to swallow them whole. While Gi-hoon proclaims that he's a dead man walking, Soo-jin refuses to accept her circumstances. Thus, when all is said and done, in a classic metaphor, it is love that saves the day. After all, as debilitating as the curse was, it allowed Soo-jin and Gi-hoon to face their trauma head-on and start a new life.

"Monstrous" effortlessly weaves together the stories of our leading characters, creating an easy-to-follow, linear record of exposition, rising action, climax and denouement. With its bite sized format (6 episodes of approximately 35 minutes each), "Monstrous" is a quick and easy watch that will satisfy your craving for some good old mythological horror. Characteristic of Yeon Sang-ho's work, the "zombification" of the victims (more symbolically than technically), once cursed, adds an edge of thrill that is hard to replicate.

The star-studded cast of actors is brilliance incarnate, amplifying the immersion of the story manifold. Actor Kwak Dong-yeon, in particular, has proved once again that he is one of the most talented and versatile actors in the  industry. Koo Kyo-hwan and Shin Hyun-been barely share any screen time until the very last episode and yet, their dynamic is unbeatable. The sense of familiarity they portray as a married couple despite an unaddressed emotional distance, speaks volumes of their extraordinary talent as actors. What's even more exciting is that, not only did the couple mend their relationship but they also joined forces to bring us the most iconic occult detective duo in the history of K-Dramas. Needless to say, I cannot wait for Season 2 of "Monstrous"!

By Ishani Sarkar.

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"Monstrous" is directed by Jang Kun-jae, written by Ryoo Yong-jae, Yeon Sang-ho, and features Koo Kyo-hwan, Shin Hyun-been, Kim Ji-young, Park Ho-san, Kwak Dong-yeon, Nam Da-reum. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2022/04/29, Fri on TVING.