Film, TV + Theatre

REVIEW: ‘Sweet Home’ on Netflix—is this new horror Korean drama worth a watch?

21.12.2020

By Buro247

REVIEW: ‘Sweet Home’ on Netflix—is this new horror Korean drama worth a watch?

Spoilers ahead


Adapted from the comic of the same name by Kim Kan-bi and Kwang Young-chan, Sweet Home is everything un-clichéd you’d expect from a K-drama—thrilling, suspenseful with a pinch of comedy. The webcomic quickly became a hit amongst other well-known novels when it was released on the South Korea publishing portal, WEBTOON. When news of its TV adaptation broke, fans were concerned if it could live up to the successful graphic novel.

Ahead, we give you a brief review on the new Netflix series and whether it’s worth a watch.

Plot

Image: Netflix

To somehow cramp 140 chapters into a 10-episode series is a practically impossible feat, which is why we believe there will be a continuation to this drama (if the ending wasn’t obvious enough). If you’re an avid fan of the webcomic, the drama may come off as a disappointment—here are the reasons why:

  • Some of the bonds between the characters were not as connected as shown in the webtoon. For example, Hyun-su and Ji-su’s relationship wasn’t given a chance to grow at all unlike in the novel. The only scene that portrayed their connection was when he told her how her song made him feel at home
  • The series didn’t go into detail regarding the inner desires of the monsters—which was one of the favourite parts of the webtoon for most readers
  • Sang-wook’s character was depicted into a stereotypical gangster. Fans were appalled at the scene of him outright tormenting someone as in the comic, he was described to be a decent and morally good character

Image: Netflix

However, for people who have not read the graphic novel, this series might be a breath of fresh air. Different from the typical post-apocalyptic survival TV shows, the setting of this series is in an apartment complex called Green Home, filled with people who are escaping from something or rather desperately longing for something that’s out of reach. Instead of zombies, we have blood-thirsty monsters that will make you appreciate the undead’s decomposed look. For readers planning to binge-watch the live-action remake, we advise jumping right into it without comparing it to the original as we think it’s much better as a stand alone.

Visuals

Image: Netflix

As a whole, the show has a great look to it. The green- and red-tone palette resulted in a grungy look and feel to the series and portrayed the emotions of the characters in a bleak and draughty landscape. Visually, it was outstanding, but we wish we could say the same for the CGI. The monsters looked like it came out of a computer game made in the early 2000s. While it wasn’t overbearingly bad, it could’ve been so much more.

Acting

Image: Netflix

The cast did a superb job in portraying each of their character’s struggles, be it past trauma or the emotional baggage that’s weighing them down. Actress Lee Si-young, who played new character Yi-kyung, blended in really well with the rest. Almost overshadowing Hyun-su, she was seen to be one of the toughest (mentally and physically) people in the building.

Overall

Image: Netflix

The live-action remake is definitely worth a watch as it will have you on the edge of your seat, episode after episode. It’s got a couple of unique story elements and plot twists that will make you somehow forgive the production team for the questionable computer graphics and special effects. Get your popcorn ready as this series will bring you on an emotional roller coaster ride.

For more info on Sweet Home, click here

For more must-watch films and TV shows this December, click here

SHARE THE STORY