It was super creepy and unsettling, but in a quiet way that built a lot of tension and didn't ruin the whole thing with unnecessary blood and gore. I think fans of horror and casual watchers alike will love that element of it.
The main actress was definitely the biggest stand out. She was insanely good and killed it throughout. And the rest of the cast was also super good, too. Even the more peripheral characters, like the FL's mom and the grandmother.
I loved the twists and turns of the story related to the ghost, it was super interesting and I was kept guessing until the very end. Having to wait between episodes was awful.
Lastly, much as it happened with Jirisan, I wonder at the choice to hint at romance (or at the very least the younger ML being very clearly romantically interested in the FL) when the writing won't really commit to it. I loved how obviously smitten Hong Sae was, but I hated how it was just left at a few teasing scenes. We all know what was being implied (as the Twitter edits abundantly evidence), so why be coy about it? I'm of the mind that a solid romance plot could have been smoothly integrated into the overall story. Romantic horror k-dramas need to become a thing (especially if they include ghost possession).
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Once again, Kim Tae Ri has proven why she's a Rank 1 actor. Special mention was her portrayal of the ghost desperate to live yet Tae Ri's character was forcing her to burn the final key object to banish the spirit.I played that scene multiple times because I can't get enough of the out of this world acting by Kim Tae Ri. I felt compassion on the ghost in that scene. She only wanted to live because she was wronged when she was still alive. And her very strong desire to live, by trying to fight back San Young (Tae Ri's character), was delivered by Tae Ri in a very powerful way. I think Tae Ri's theater acting training and exposure greatly helped her at that moment. She knew how to act the ghost's desires and desperation to live without overdoing it.
Of course, I also commend the director and the cameraman for perfectly capturing that moment, up close and personal. It magnified what Tae Ri wants the audience to feel: this ghost, she was a victim, while it doesn't justify the ghost's murders, it is us humans who turned her that way.
Which is true. Many of humans only think of their own desires and greed, and doesn't care if another human being turn evil because of their actions and words. Yes, we cannot blame others for our own actions, but we also cannot deny the fact that we are who we are because of our experiences.
For me, the moral of this story is that we should always strive to do good. If you truly want to be selfish, then keep your mouth shut instead of speaking hurtful words behind other people's backs. For example, San Young realised how she was killing herself in the final episode because of how people said hurtful words, like that scene with the convenient store manager. If one did not notice, Tae Ri showed her "evil face" at that time, and she was not yet influenced by the ghost then.
Many of us probably reacted that way too after hearing hurtful words from people. Our faces probably showed how we want "kill" them for looking down on us as if us struggling in life was our fault (when it was just what we're given). Or, like it was a sin to have been born in that situation. And that moment was when San Young, without her knowledge until the final episode, that she started to slowly kill herself.
I've been there, too, without me realising what I'm doing. You gave up. You just try to live every day, but you no longer have any desire to live. You are just waiting for death to collect you, and you'll even welcome death with open arms. And the ghost that possessed San Young, she was right. San Young was wasting her life, and she (the ghost) wants to live.
The show may have been about ghosts and suicide. But if we look deeper into it, it is sending us a message that we should strive to live no matter what. Why? Because there were people whose lives ended not out of their own will, rather, they were forced to it. They were victims.
So, to you and me, this show is a strong and powerful message. Fight to live. It is hard. I know, I am struggling myself. I want to give up. I had enough of this life. But, let's fight to live another day. Let's show this world, let's show this evil society that we have today, that we can. If we know people whose lives ended early, either through suicide or they were murdered, let's live for them. They have desires and dreams, let's live for them, and maybe, through us, our society will become better.
Thank you, Kim Tae Ri, to the cast, the staff, the director, the writer, for this very timely story and message. I hope you'll win awards for this, you 100% deserve to grab all the awards.
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crimi theme with ghosts and Kim Tae Ri
Revenant 8,5/10 -kdramaKim Tae Ri again picked good scenario and used her acting to make it into good drama[wasnt just thanks her, but if you check her works she rarely picks wrongly]
even though its not genre I usually watch I quite liked this thriller with :light: horror vibe.
Shortly whole drama goes around :catching serial murderer, which happens to be ghost:. Story got more points of views since there is more groups trying to catch murderer and each group got different investigating methods and different goals.
You will get to know little about asian folklore as well.
plot - "Revenant" is a kdrama centered around Ku San Young, a part-time worker studying to become a public officer, who becomes possessed by a demon from another world. Yeom Hae Sang, a man with the ability to see these demons, teams up with her. Together, they investigate a series of perplexing deaths linked to five sacred objects. This gripping crime thriller interweaves supernatural elements, Korean folklore, and modern investigation techniques. The acting is highly praised, particularly Kim Tae-ri and Oh Jung-se's performances. While the show's unique premise and atmosphere captivate audiences, it receives mixed reviews due to episodic plot structure, character development, and occasional plot conveniences. The ending strikes a balance between sentimentality and a slightly cartoonish feel. Despite its flaws, "Revenant" stands out for its fresh take on folklore and its impact on viewers seeking an unconventional kdrama experience.
genre - horror, thriller, crime, suppernatural
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Survival & the pursuit of happiness
For the watchers who enjoyed The Guest, this is like its younger cousin twice removed. Still very eerie at times, and gloomy in its own right, but it didn't crawl up my spine near as much as TG did.It starts off following Sanyoung, who lives a life cleaning up after her mother and never quite making ends meet despite working herself to the bone. She's tired, rarely smiles, and contemplates ending it for herself. This drama does not have much humor in it, and consistently portrays graphic suicide and violence. If you're looking for something light with ghosts in it, this is not the one.
The storyline and pacing is honestly kind of eh. I found myself bored at times, and scrolling through my phone while half listening through the more filler moments. There is a lot of running around, finding clues, and a slow reveal of the truth, that constantly backtracks with twists and turns.
Yet, despite the more dull moments, I still clicked the next episode without hesitation every single time. Why? The acting takes the whole bakery in Revenant.
By far, the acting is what got me through this. I was unsettled, jump scared, horrified, and angered through this. The first few episodes are rough going, but once the ball starts rolling, the characters were what drew me in and kept me there. They delved into the true motives of peoples actions, the meaning of happiness, and the lengths people will go to just to survive. I highly recommend for the performances alone. Just be prepared to have to push through a few of the repetitive scenes where they run around and extract information.
All in all, a great watch and I finished in three days. If you're looking for truly bad ghosties and superb performances, then definitely give this one a go.
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Don't be put off by the "horror" tag.
Revenant is an occult mystery thriller and not a horror, so don't be too scared to watch this masterpiece. There's a lot of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat, but nothing gory. It has a unique and interesting plot, which will keep you thinking and guessing, and thought-provoking themes. Above all, it features jaw-dropping acting from chameleon Kim Taeri, who has given us two more iconic characters in Sanyeong and possessed Sanyeong to join Na Heedo, Go Aeshin, Captain Jang and Sookhee. It's amazing that she transforms with each role without a trace of past characters. Revenant is thoroughly recommended and joins Mr Sunshine and Twenty-Five Twenty-One as my all-time favourite dramas.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
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It's brutal but phenomenal
I'm not surprised the theme of valuing life/family over money is coming up again and again in KDramas. I think this show hit it in a different way than say squid games, though. For that, the directors and screenwriters are brilliant, masterfully weaving a wonderfully complex and unique story from a common theme. The cast was great, the sequencing of the scenes was great, the scenery and effects were great, and the folklore was outstanding. I really appreciated the dive into shamanism and traditional folktales. I think the brutal part was the suspense, gruesomeness of the repetitive suicides, and the mental heinousness of the crimes by the family in order to maintain obscene, unnecessary wealth - all to be expected considering the theme and nature of the show. Nevertheless, I feel like I'm walking away from the show entirely brutalized lol I think a few years down the line I'd watch it again, but I think it'll be hard to forget the details and feel the same level of suspense as the first time around. It was hard not to binge this one in a day!Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
hooked me up till the last episode
the cilff hangers are what kept me hooked up.... and my god.. waiting for a week for the next episode is what killed me... but i never regretted watching this.... this was my very first time picking up this genera and truly I don't regret it at all.... everything was amazing.... the cast their acting.. music... and especially the plot.... it was absolutely insane.... and kim taeri's acting was phenomenal... the way she used to switch from herself to the evil spirit... she was perfect for the role.... gonna be one of my favorite dramas of all timeVond je deze recentie nuttig?
The last two eps and maybe the first two were really great, if this was shorter it’d have been a 10/10
But the overall pace of this was sloppy, they took many circles around one subject, maybe it’d have been better if they went after different ghosts connected to that final boss
Like she killed someone and that person turned into a neighborhood ghost..
Mainly the couple of eps before this felt really draggy
But anyway KTR and her whole embodiment of that person ghost was honestly SO ON POINT
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Blown Away. Those were my only words I can think of as the last few episodes played out. While it was a drama about a demon possession, I found myself deeply thinking about the messages they were portraying throughout. A huge one being: live life for yourself and not be envious of what others have and get. It spent a large portion of the drama speaking on the weaknesses we humans have, usually being that we want wealth, good jobs, and how some people will do anything to obtain those. Another message that was given that I really loved was how often we start feeling complete despair and how much we might not want to exist anymore, but those are just dark thoughts at that moment. We always deep down want to live and survive for ourselves.
The mystery is amazing and does a great job at keeping the flow with how all of the secrets unravel. It feels like you're also trying to solve the mystery alongside the 3 leads. I'm sure it's not an original ghost story, but I felt that it was interesting and every episode had me glued to the screen.
Another reason for that is the acting. Especially the FL. She does an incredible job of switching between the evil spirit and herself. The way you can tell with just her eyes when the spirit has taken over is amazing. I also loved seeing Oh Jung Se again. I loved him in It's Okay, and I loved his character in this drama as well. Hong Kyung also does an amazing job. I do wish we could've gotten his character doing more actual investigating or profiling. There is one scene towards the end when he joins their side and his character is so good at profiling and detecting how people are. I wish we could've gotten more of that throughout the story.
Definitely a favorite that has come out this year.
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I’d recommend
I really liked this and was invested from beginning to end. The overall story was very intriguing, the folk horror that was introduced made it richer. It might have been more interesting if they delved deeper into the folklore and traditions surrounding the mystery. The ending wrapped things up nicely though.Revenant’s horror has an arthouse feel to me. The production (which was soo good) focused a lot on atmosphere and the use of light and shadows to create a decent feeling of dread. The psychological aspect of feeling out of control and helpless hits home, too. Also, what we’re willing to do or accept in the name of survival, and what it means to live.
Heads up: suicide is heavily used throughout the series. It didn’t bother me here because it was in the context of murder and not stemming from the despair of wanting to unalive oneself.
KTR convincingly portrayed a capricious ghost and a terrified host. However, the hyperventilating and wheezing was a bit much for me.
Now, onto the not so great parts. There are two investigation teams, and it gets repetitive with the overlapping efforts. But also, at some point the information we’re being presented with becomes convoluted to the point where I wanted my own detective investigation white board.
The communication between our leads was often frustrating. There were so many instances of thoughtless exchanges that led to dire consequences. And just didn’t make sense.
All in all, a solid horror show.
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give them all the awards
This drama deserves the good reviews it has gotten because the acting is phenomenal and also the storyline is exciting.We mainly follow Sanyeong(FL) and Haesang(ML). She is a hardworking girl and seems to be unhappy.... He is a folklore professor and notices that FL has a shadow - the shadow of a ghost, she is possesed by an evil one!
They work together to get rid of it and you are going to need to click on the next episode to see what will happen.
Be aware this drama shows a lot of TRIGGER WARNING
suicide but it is no S. but murder!!
I would not say that the genre is horror but mystery and thriller! :)
9.5/10 from me
PS: the drama will show how trashy humans are wbk
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review após terminar o último episódio do dorama
que dorama meus caros! A cada fim de semana ficava ansiosa pelo próximo episódio, tomei cada susto kkkkk Teve um roteiro bem feito,te deixa com a pulga atrás da orelha e foi bem intenso, não teve um minuto de sossego.Acredito que teve uns excelente desfecho, bateu um desespero perto do final, mas psicologicamente muitas vezes é você mesmo que faz mal pra si mesmo. A forma como mostraram isso foi sensacional
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