Review – Lucifer
Recently re-watched Lucifer, one of my top 20 Korean dramas of all time, and it still holds firm in its position. This isn’t a typical story of a cop tracking down a serial killer. This is a morality play, in which the reasons behind the killings are the plot line. Much like one of my other favorite shows, I Remember You, the murderer isn’t necessarily the bad guy. Or rather, they are not the only bad guys. The people who made them, who drove them to such extremes, are equally culpable. In a fantastic twist, the cop hunting the killing has also committed a terrible crime in his youth – and now his dark past is coming to light as he races against time to save those who may not deserve saving. It’s a story of revenge, a story of guilt, and a story of the personal choices that define us. It’s a drama that asks you to ponder the hard questions, to twist around your normal definitions of right and wrong, to see multiple angles to dubious actions.
And I loved it. I loved it just as much the second time as I did the first time I watched it. It’s beautifully filmed and the story is expertly crafted. It is the second installment in a “Revenge” trilogy by director Park Chan-Hong and writer Kim Ji-Woo. The first was Resurrection, a haunting mystery, and the third was Shark, a gorgeous slow simmer show. All three films are remarkable, unique and highly recommended.
Overall Rating – 10/10. Where the Good Guy is Bad and the Bad Guy is Bad too.
More musings on the morality lessons, the plot, herpes, and spoilers follow:
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