The Heart Killers (2024)

Silly, stupid, and I'm having a great time

I had very low expectations going into this show. Seeing how GMMTV struggles to pull off even the most simple campus BLs, I had absolutely no faith regarding a show about two killers. Because doing this right would mean exploring and really diving into the psyche of morally grey characters, which definitely isn’t GMM’s strong suit. Therefore, I’m not one bit surprised that the writing in this is pretty weak. What I am surprised by, though, is just how entertaining this silly ass show is. So, let’s talk about it.

First and Khaotung are, in my opinion, GMM’s strongest actors. I just knew they’d kill their roles here, and I was right. I am absolutely amazed at how they make each character they play so distinct from all others. I was wholeheartedly convinced that Khaotung had peaked as Ray in Only Friends, but I think he might be outdoing himself with Bison here. The final verdict on that is still out, but either way, he’s absolutely nailing the part. First as Kant is great too. The show isn’t exactly giving him a lot to work with, but he’s doing incredibly well with what's there. FirstKhaotung’s chemistry has always been on fire, but it is absolutely electric here. They can do romantic tension, they can do sexual tension, they can do it all by simply looking at each other. Their love story here is incredibly insta-lovey and I struggle to understand why either Kant or Bison developed feelings for a person they barely know, but because of the amazing chemistry, I totally buy that they’re head over heels for each other. Both of them are a pleasure to watch individually, but everything great gets enhanced even more when they are together. Once again, bravo!

Joong is probably delivering his best ever performance here. He embodies Fadel incredibly well. I was really worried that Joong will fall victim to the whole 'playing a character who’s hardened by life means just not moving any facial muscles,‘ but he’s not doing that, luckily. His eyes are very expressive, and he’s not shy of emoting when it fits the moment. I really, really like him in this role, and I think his acting has improved quite a bit. It's a very nice surprise. Fadel is also my favorite character, so that might play into my judgment, but I think it’s fair to say that Joong is doing a pretty solid job. Dunk is… Well, Dunk is Dunk. Whoever chose to cast him in the same show with powerhouses like First and Khaotung really did my boy dirty. I like Dunk a lot, but I don’t think he was born to act, sadly. He’s beautiful to look at, but he’s reeeeeally struggling. Funnily enough, though, it works in some moments, but not as intended. That might sound confusing, but hear me out. Clearly, Style was written to be this flirtatious, smooth player who can get pretty much any guy he wants, right? Because Dunk lacks the talent to play him that way, though, he comes across incredibly stiff and awkward. Kinda like your 52 year old uncle who’s out clubbing with "the boys“ and thinks he’s the absolute shit when in reality, he has the rizz of a piece of cardboard. That's Stlye in a nutshell, and I find that hilarious. In my head canon, Style just thinks he’s this smooth guy when in reality he has no rizz at all, and it’s incredibly amusing if you watch the show that way. Is it hard to watch his performance at times? Yes. But I think Dunk’s strange acting choices have never worked better for me. This is his worst performance yet, I think, probably because Style is the most demanding character he's ever had to play. Or maybe he just seems extraordinarily bad because he has to keep up with First and Khaotung. Either way, it kind of works for me. It’s objectively terrible, but subjectively hilarious. JoongDunk’s chemistry remains pretty solid. I’ve always liked them together and I think they could do great things if Dunk’s acting improved by miles. They do have the sparks, which are sadly often dimmed by the awkward delivery. Still, I do buy into their chemistry in most moments. Not quite FirstKhaotung levels of electric, but their little fire is enough to keep me warm during this winter.

In terms of characters, the show isn’t giving much. Which pains me a little because they could've done so much with this premise. Kant is probably the best character so far. I like his criminal background and the devotion to keep his brother safe. I wish we dived deeper into his conflicting feelings about being a police informant while his feelings for Bison grow. Still, I think the guy has potential, and he feels different enough from your standard BL boy. Bison is a lot of fun to watch. His hot-headedness and impulsivity make him interesting enough. I wish they leaned into that even more, making him more unhinged. Him pulling a gun on Kant’s ex is what I need more of. I think the fact that he looks so cute but is a murderer underneath all the puppy eyes and general cuteness is a fun twist. I just wish his motivation and moral compass were explored in any way. I like the fact that he’s so desperate to leave the killer life behind, but I wish we got to know more about his feelings about the murders he’s committed thus far. Fadel is my favorite, but I think he’s a pretty weak character. I guess I just like emotionally constipated characters who have their walls up (if portrayed the right way). He’s a pretty standard BL stereotype, just with a fun little murderous twist. Nothing about him is explored thus far, and I think Joong’s acting is doing a lot in terms of him being likeable despite his attitude. I really liked how he was the only voice of reason for the first few episodes. My boy was right about everything, but he had to put up with a heart-eyed brother and a stalker, and nobody believed him. Speaking of stalker… Style is as flat as a piece of paper. A dead mother does not give you personality, sorry to break it to you. He’s persistent and unintentionally awkward, but other than that, he has yet to develop any sort of personality.

The storylines and overall writing in this show pain me a little bit. This was originally promoted as a show revolving around two killers, but it really isn’t that at all (luckily the final trailer suggested as much, so I could adjust my expectation). The whole murder business takes the backseat to a laughable degree. We only get a few moments of that whole plot line each episode, and it’s pretty frustrating. But maybe it’s better that way because the little glimpses we do get are incredibly stupid. I struggle to fathom how Bison and Fadel aren’t behind bars yet, because they’re the world’s worst criminals. They regularly talk about their killing business in places where people could easily eavesdrop, and apparently they’ve never heard of gloves and masks (or sunglasses at the very least). Their fingerprints would be all over the damn place, and their faces are just out in the open. I have no clue how they haven’t gotten caught yet. They also gush about their boyfriends on the job, instead of getting stuff done quickly. The murder in episode one was just laughable. There were a whole lot of people witnessing that Bison was the last person to see the rich old dude who got killed at a hotel room. A hotel room he assumably checked into with Bison at his arm. Yet somehow, the police doesn’t even question Bison. Maybe they were clever about it, but it’s not like the show actually shows anything about their murders, so I just assume the police in this universe is as bad as the criminals are.
None of that is why this pains me, though. The reason this pains me is because of the endless possibilities they had to explore morality and what makes a "good" or "bad" person, yet they haven't done any exploration so far. I really hope we'll get at least something by the end of the show, or else this interesting and unique premise is just one big waste.

Bison and Fadel are as bad at running a burger joint as they are at murder. I have no idea how this shop is even running with Bison never showing up for work. And if a health inspector ever came round, surely they’d be put out of business. Fadel seems to not understand the purpose of gloves. He doesn’t wear them for committing crimes, but he wears them in the kitchen. There’s no point, though, because he just runs his gloved hands through his hair and all over Style’s body, then continues to make burgers without washing his hand. My guy, there’s no point in wearing gloves if you just touch anything. Might as well just give up on them entirely at this point.

As for the romance plots, they’re unconvincing at best and incredibly stupid at worst. If it weren’t for the solid chemistry, neither of these ships would have me convinced they’re actually in love.
Kant and Bison are the lesser of the two evils. Bison seems gullible and like the kind to fall hard and fast, so I guess it’s believable that Kant would have him wrapped around his finger so quickly. Kant on the other hand… No idea why he likes Bison. Sure, he’s adorable, but he’s also a killer, which Kant knows. And by now, Kant isn’t aware that the murder bros only take out bad guys. So you’re telling me he’s falling for a known killer? Alright, Bella Swan. The two of them never really have any conversations beyond the superficial. I don’t think they even really know each other. Their chemistry saves a lot, but it doesn’t change the fact that this seems entirely unbelievable. Also, Bison gaining pleasure from inflicting pain was just kind of forgotten about? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad about it because those scenes were so cringe that it actually made me shudder But it’s just kind of lazy writing. All in all, this show isn't nearly as steamy as the trailer made it out to be, which is to my benefit, but I assume some people feel tricked.
Fadel and Style start out problematic as hell. I understand that having an attractive guy following you around and not taking no for an answer sounds hot to some people, but to me it sounds like a nightmare. I know that the story needs Style to be persistent, but it’s just giving me major creep vibes. I do like the set-up in some ways, though. Kant asking Style to go after Fadel so he has free rein with Bison is a fresh premise. But the way Style went about it (aka by literally stalking Fadel) just gave me the major ick. Luckily, Style comes across as this cringe weirdo, but just imagine how all this would look if he looked more intimidating, or if he wasn't attractive. What if Fadel was a girl and Style was doing the same thing to her? Would that still be hot, or would that be a police case? I just get frustrated how so many BLs portray overly persistent characters as desirable if they're the love interests while villains doing the exact same thing is portrayed as wrong or creepy. But that's a rant for another day. I also struggle to understand how Fadel did a complete one-eighty in the span of two episodes. It sort of ruined his character. I’m glad he said he only trusts Style 80%, but even that seems entirely too much for a guy with walls so high. I think it would’ve been best for them to just be fuck-buddies, and have Fadel fall in love veeeery slowly. Like first-admission-of-feelings-in-the-last-episode kind of slowly. At first, I was hoping that Fadel agreeing to date Style was just him playing tricks, trying to get closer in order to find out whether Style actually had ulterior motives. Sadly, though, that didn’t happen. Also, I have to say that using a support group as the setting for jokes and flirting between Style and Fadel was in very poor taste.

In terms of the romance plots in general, I think they made a mistake when they had Kant tell Style about the whole police informant thing. I understand that Kant wanted to be a good friend and not let Style fall in love with a murderer without him at least knowing. But now you have two very similar storylines when you could've easily left Style in the dark. That way he could've grappled with finding out later, after he's already head over heels in love. Imagine you unknowingly fall for a murderer and your best friend knew the entire time. The fall-out. The possibilities of exploring emotional depth. The drama. Though this is GMM we're talking about, so they probably would've just resolved it all within half an episode anyway, so maybe this is for the best.

Another thing that was in very poor taste was the whole pedophile storyline. You should not include such a massive thing if you’re not going to discuss and deal with it thoroughly. Kant and Bison just let the guy run instead of calling to the police. The kids at this school might be safe now, but who’s to say that teacher won’t go to a different school and pull the same stuff. That really takes away from both of their characters and it just made me furious that they used such a real issue in a meaningless way to create some silly conflict. They even made the whole thing borderline comedic in some moments. Not cool.

I know most of my review sounds rather negative, but I really am enjoying this show so far. I know judging by how nit-picky I can be, it doesn't seem like it, but I can enjoy a show that isn't very well-written. The problem with all the issues is that while I enjoy the show and am super entertained, I am not invested. I don’t really care what happens to any of these characters because they’re not giving me enough to get attached to. Okay, Fadel might be the exception. I really do feel sorry for him getting betrayed after lowering his walls. Happiness looks good on him, so him finding out about Style did make me feel for the guy.

I will say, for all its flaws, this series is a much needed breath of fresh air. It’s very camp and not afraid to lean into that. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s not as cliché as most other BLs, and the characters aren’t just walking stereotypes for the most part. The show is also beautifully shot, with immaculate styling and a very unique vibe. Whoever chose to put Dunk in crop-tops deserves a raise (I think Joong would agree), as does whoever put those cunty, bedazzled glasses on First. Bison’s shirts are a crime against humanity, but they fit the vibe so well that I can’t even be mad. The soundtrack is also perfect and nails the feeling of the series to a T. Also, Khaotung’s pouty 'Faaadeeellllll‘ is about as iconic as Aou’s 'teeeeeraaaaak.‘ I will never be able to read that name without hearing it in Khaotung’s voice ever again, and I love that.

All in all, this is incredibly silly and kind of stupid, and I’m having a great time.

Lees verder