They Were There (2020)

Compelling, grounded in substance, and gratifyingly true-to-life. With a wonderful basic premise

"Missing: The Other Side" seems a bit like a KDrama with a magic hat. The story has the similar effect as the theme of the production: it sort of cavorts in a veiled intermediate world. It could simply be missed out. If you are looking for something in the field of fantasy, the KDrama does not impose itself. It's not fantastic or psychic enough. If you're looking for a thriller, you're more likely to scroll past it. It's not a psychological thriller. It's also not a classic crime thriller. So it seems ... And yet. "Missing: The Other Side" is extremely well done and definitely recommendable. I wouldn´t call the KDrama fantasy or mystery, but rather solid crime genre, in which actually time and space become relative... If only I had known earlier...

The KDrama is like an insider tip - although it´s success is not a secret. On the contrary. A second season will come out soon. The story is compelling, grounded in substance, and gratifyingly true-to-life beyond the basic premise. "Missing: The Other Side" doesn't entice viewers with a cast full of dazzling names, but with a fascinating, extraordinary production. A class of its own. The concept thrives on straight simplicity.

There is the radiant simplicity of the brilliant underlying idea: a tribute to the missing. There are actually too many missing people in South Korea - children and women in particular. In more than half of the cases, the missing person is at some point found dead - most of the time several years later. The idea of ​​the KDrama particularly honors those victims by creating a kind of dignified in-between-world for the time during investigation, how long it may ever take. Only then, as their corpse is found, they will part in peace. In the meantime, from the minute the missing person dies until the moment the corpse is found, those souls linger in a beautiful and (mainly) peaceful village among other fellows with similar history. There is a certain charm to respectfully giving such unsolved cases some faces, individual stories, soul, hope & heart - some friendly, reminding space. Even though many missing people´s cases get closed and quite a few may remain unsolved, the KDrama respectfully opens a door to connecting to them.

Granted, the living and the dead share the stage equally. Yet there are no mouldering, half-decayed or slightly moldy ghosts buzzing around. If you like, the idea of ​​"Hotel del Luna" is varied in a less exalted ambience, a little more down-to-earth and less spooky. However, if "Hotel del Luna" was cast with dazzling superstars, "Missing: The Other Side" consistently maintains the simplicity of its concept. Very few KFans will end up following in the footsteps of their 'stars' in this KDrama, they aren't so well known enough outside of South Korea for that. Nevertheless, they all do a splendid job.

Finding the corpses of the missing however requires the living and their down-to-earth investigative work. The knowledge of the deceased can be used. Eventually, there is a catch: it requires living people who happen to be able to SEE and communicate with the dead. The worlds 'here' and 'in between' do overlap in the village of Duon, but only for those with the special gift of perception. A loose team sort of gets thrown together by fate and begins to work more or less jointly to solve some cases that are apparently related in some way. Everyone has to carry some personal luggage, in which missing people play a significant role. One is a crook, his colleague is a hacker, another protagonist works as a detective, another is a widower and father who, even after many years, has not given up the search for his missing daughter.

If you can/want to accept the basic premise of that in-between world, then "Missing: The Other Side" offers an all-round gripping crime thriller. Without any ribbons, but with warm heart. Not highly polished, but atmospheric and impressive. The protagonists are quite three dimensional - no superheroes, but rather ordinary, authentic, tangible. It could be anyone. Lastly, this story would especially happen in South Korea, because in this KDrama the ever so characteristic orphanages and Jaebeol once again got leading roles within the dramaturgical structure.

In case you are not sure, if you should watch, here my advice: Don´t miss "Missing: The Other Side".

Lees verder