Choi Woo-shik's gradual transformation from a timid college student into a ruthless murderer in the series is convincing and chilling. Photo: Handout
The eight-part drama series, A Killer Paradox streaming on Netflix, revolves around Lee Tang (Choi Woo-shik), a college student who, under extreme stress, murders those who antagonise him.
After discovering that all his victims were serious evildoers “worth killing”, Lee comes to believe that he has a supernatural ability to identify evildoers. Detective Jang Nan-gam (Son Suk-ku), suspecting Lee to be behind the murders, pursues him.
Lee Chang-hee, who has directed South Korean thrillers such as the hit series Strangers From Hell (2019) and film The Vanished (2018), said A Killer Paradox deviates from conventional shows centred on characters who operate outside the boundaries of the law to eliminate evil.
According to the South Korean filmmaker, the protagonist is constantly asking himself whether he actually possesses the supernatural ability to identify evildoers, or whether he happens to be killing people that turn out to be evildoers.
“Lee Tang is a highly passive character. The situations he finds himself in just happened to him, and such factors make it difficult for the audience to predict or imagine what choices Lee will make in the future,” said Lee Chang-hee during a recent press conference held in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
In order to play the complex character, Choi said he focused on portraying the storm of emotions that Lee Tang experiences as the story progresses.
“There are moments when Lee grapples with guilt, being haunted by illusions or becoming ensnared in fantasies,” said Choi, who starred in the hit films Train To Busan (2016) and Parasite (2019).
“He goes through a slew of emotional and psychological changes. I focused on portraying those aspects, and I hope the viewers can catch those nuances,” added the 33-year-old.
Son, 41, focused on portraying the psychological dilemmas Jang grapples with throughout A Killer Paradox.
“He is a detective who mainly conducts investigations based on intuition. Consequently, he experiences significant conflicts between his sense of professional responsibility, occupational ethics and personal emotions,” said Son.
“I paid careful attention to Jang’s transformation, and tried to convey that he could become someone who harbours even more dangerous thoughts than the criminals he pursues.”
More K-titles are set to join A Killer Paradox on Netflix, with the company recently unveiling its sprawling TV and film line-up.
Squid Game, the award-winning South Korean Netflix original drama series that took the world by storm in 2021, will return with a second season in 2024, although no specific release date has been set.
South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae reprises his role of Seong Gi-hun, the winner of the Squid Game contest. Gi-hun gives up his flight to the United States after discovering that the organisers of the deadly game are continuing to recruit participants.
Season 2 will also feature stories of various contestants who risk their lives to become the new winner of the 45.6 billion won prize. Lee Byung-hun’s Front Man and Gong Yoo’s Recruiter are set to return, alongside new cast members Yim Si-wan, Lee Jin-wook, Choi Seung-hyun and Park Gyu-young.
Other star-studded films set to stream on Netflix in 2024 include Song Joong-ki’s My Name Is Loh Kiwan, which tells the story of a North Korean defector who struggles to obtain refugee status in Belgium. It premieres on March 1.
Officer Black Belt, an action-comedy film starring Kim Woo-bin and Kim Sung-kyun, and The Great Flood, a sci-fi disaster film starring Kim Da-mi and Park Hae-soo, will be released sometime in 2024.
Other K-dramas returning for new seasons include Gyeongseong Creature, starring Park Seo-jun and Han So-hee, and Sweet Home, featuring fan favourites Song Kang, Go Min-si and Lee Do-hyun. Release dates will be announced later.
Popular South Korean reality shows such as Physical: 100 Season 2 – Underground will air in the first quarter of 2024, while the fourth quarter will see Zombieverse and Single’s Inferno return with their second and fourth season, respectively. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
