Why “Strangers from Hell” is so Captivating to Watch
If you’re a lover of a psychological thriller and mysterious series like me, Strangers from Hell is right up your alley! Many people believe that South Korean dramas only contain genres like rom-coms and fantasy and that’s it. But that’s not the truth because these Korean series boo me. I can guarantee you that there is some superhit South Korean drama series that are crime thrillers, psychological horrors, action adventures, and many more. These dramas will blow you away if you dig deep into them. Hell is Other People, also known as Strangers from Hell, is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Im Si-wan and Lee Dong-wook. Based on the Naver webtoon series of the same name by Kim Yong-ki, it is the second series of OCN’s “Dramatic Cinema” project which combines film and drama formats.
Summary
This show tells the story of a young man, Yoon Jong Woo (Im Si-wan) in his twenties who moves to Seoul after landing an internship at a company. While looking for a cheap place to live, he stumbles upon Eden Studio, where he shares the kitchen and bathroom with other residents. Despite being unhappy with the place, he decides to tolerate it until he saves enough money to move out. However, mysterious occurrences start happening in the studio, causing Jong Woo to start fearing the studio’s residents.
Is “Strangers from Hell” Disturbing to Watch?
Strangers from Hell is very creepy and its insanity is surely not for the weak of heart. The series contains many gruesome scenes from eating human meat to a lot of killings. It is a psychological thriller that aims to question whether or not humans are born or are made to be evil. Although it leans more towards the horror genre, don’t expect a lot of jump-scares from it as you already get the scares you need just by looking at the place, the residents, and Seo Moon Jo’s devilish smile. It made me believe that indeed, humans are the most fearful beings. If you love a series that plays with your mind with a dark and creepy atmosphere and suspicious background, then this show is definitely for you.
Lee Dong-wook
This series is definitely a must-watch, with great characters including Im Si Wan, Lee Hyun-wook, Lee Jung-eun, and many more. But today I want to talk specifically about my favorite character, Seo Moon-jo from the series. All of his fans have seen Lee Dong-wook with his charismatic, hot CEO, chocolate boy, and love at first sight kind of vibes. I really loved the Grim Reaper from Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Lee Dong-wook) so much, that I had to watch Touch Your Heart and now this. This was a completely different role that he took on and I loved it. It was dark; his character reminded me a lot of Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter: a beautiful man with a dark soul. Lee Dong-wook proves himself in this drama that he can do more intense roles. He has done an incredible job and I can undoubtedly say that this drama is one of his best works. The intensity, the emotions… he has given it all to his character. And how can we not mention his devilish smile, it surely does give you the creeps! Yoon Jong-woo (Im Siwan) just needed someone to listen to him, believe him and understand his feelings. We see a twenty-seven-year-old man go from being excited and happy about his new internship, moving away from home and closer to his girlfriend to a man that doesn’t seem stable enough to be in society. If some of the characters just heard him out, would they be able to save him? There are scenes where you can see Jong-woo talking to Moon-jo but in reality, he’s hallucinating talking to himself as witnessed by his girlfriend. I’m absolutely astonished by the way Moon-jo manipulated him. I found myself being reminded of some of the bullying that are experienced in the adult working world. It’s scary what the real world is actually like and Strangers from Hell is successful in demonstrating that harshness. This series also explores many mental disorders like insomnia, anger issues, anxiety, and much more. (There’s even a guy with a porn addiction!) All of the others were mad enough to trigger the insanity of the main character. But in the latter part of the series, Jong-woo was the star of the drama and the sole focus of it as his downfall was well-orchestrated, even though there was evidence from the start that something was off that he himself was trying to suppress. He has a difficult time managing his anger that he even imagines killing his roommates. There’s so much to unfold in this series but I don’t want to ruin it for you with spoilers. All I have to say is its ending is splendid and very well crafted.
