A man who doesn’t have much money moves into a boarding house where only serial killers live, and their leader is toying with him. Welcome to South Korea!
Strangers from Hell consists of 10 episodes. This is one of the series I had been looking forward to watching, as many people claim it’s exceptionally dark and not your average South Korean drama.
Though the series only spans 10 episodes, I found the last four episodes dragged a bit. This story would have been more effective in eight episodes, as it tends to go in circles, especially when the protagonist is confined to the boarding house.
Despite the hype, I didn’t find the series as dark as many claim. The plot mainly revolves around the leader of the killers playing mind games with the protagonist, and it also seems hinted that the leader might be gay. He even resembles a vampire with his pale face and disturbingly applied red lipstick.
Besides the plot’s repetitiveness, my biggest issue with Strangers from Hell was the protagonist. He’s a whiner and, honestly, doesn’t deserve his hot girlfriend. He’s broke, and we see flashbacks to his military service, where something traumatic happened, suggesting he might already have some PTSD before moving into the boarding house. He ends up spending a lot of time in his tiny room, enduring harassment from the deranged serial killers who are just waiting for the signal to end him.
Then there’s a cute female cop who is smarter than her detective colleagues but is looked down upon as just a “foot soldier.” But what she does in the final episode ruins her character; she becomes utterly useless in a moment when someone desperately needs her help. Her actions made no sense, so I had to deduct a point. The last episode itself felt lackluster, not delivering the climax I expected from the series. It was lazy and not well thought out.
I enjoyed Strangers from Hell, but it’s easy to see where it fails. Watching the protagonist’s gradual breakdown in each episode was intriguing, as the leader of the killers enjoys playing psychological games with him. The ending does offer a twist, but it feels lazy and predictable. I already guessed how the final scene would play out, and unfortunately, I was right.
The acting is fantastic, especially from the actor playing the serial killers’ leader, who steals the show. Lee Dong-wook is incredible, conveying so much with just his eyes and facial expressions, especially in moments where he sees the protagonist breaking down bit by bit. My second favorite character is the “giggling bastard from hell,” who made me laugh numerous times. Then there’s Ahn Eun-jin, who plays the cop. I don’t think I’ve seen her in anything before, but she’s outstanding and brings a unique, human quality to her role—a refreshing presence in such a dark and intense series. You can tell she has a lot of talent, and I’ve already picked out a few other series to watch just because she stars in them.
I have no complaints about the acting, but I do have plenty about the protagonist. He’s whiny, stupid, and hard to sympathize with. He should have just moved out or figured something out, but he’s broke, cheap, and a loser with a girlfriend who is far too good for him.
Speaking of the girlfriend, I expected her character to develop, especially considering her colleague whom she hates, but that subplot went nowhere, which was disappointing. I guess the point is to highlight the abundance of irritating, selfish people out there. Personally, I prefer the other title of the series, Hell Is Other People.
If you’re looking for a darker South Korean series, Strangers from Hell might be worth watching. Still, I was a bit disappointed, especially after watching Save Me and my favorite South Korean drama so far, Flower of Evil. The final episode turned out to be a letdown, and I felt that the serial killers’ leader lost control of his plans once they started killing people outside the intended scope. And, once again, the South Korean police come off as incompetent, which is frustrating, even though Strangers from Hell is based on a webtoon.