Why Korean mystery thriller Connect will be a hit
Connect follows the story of Ha Dong-soo, who has the ability to immediately heal from any injury, no matter how serious.
Following In The Soop: Friendcation, Adamas, and Big Mouth, another Korean series is coming to Disney+ — Connect.
Connect follows the story of Ha Dong-soo, who has the ability to immediately heal from any injury, no matter how serious. While amazing, this ability has led those who have discovered it to label Dong-soo as a “monster”.
One day, Dong-soo is kidnapped by a gang of organ harvesters, who are determined to take his eyes. After awakening on the operating table, he manages to escape. But he later discovers that he can still see out of his missing eye, which is now being used by a serial killer. Determined to get back what was taken, Dong-soo pursues the serial killer, taking whatever steps necessary to make himself whole again.
If the plot isn’t already enticing to you, here are four reasons why you should not miss this Korean mystery thriller. This review covers the first two episodes of Connect.
1. It is directed by Japanese director Takashi Miike.
Connect is based on a webtoon of the same name and is the first K-drama produced by a Japanese director, Takashi Miike. Miike is known for depicting extreme violence and for pushing censorship boundaries in his works. Some of his notable productions include Japanese supernatural horror film As The Gods Will (2014) and Japanese sci-fi film Terra Formars (2016).
The same kind of spine-chilling eeriness in those two films can also be felt in Connect. The realistic gory scenes are no stranger as well, which will undoubtedly please Miike’s fans. Despite the revolting bloody violence, the quality visual effects and the engaging story will keep you hooked and eager to find out more.
2. Jung Hae-in stars as Ha Dong-soo, an immortal who lost his right eye.
Known for his performances in D.P. (2021) and Snowdrop (2021), Jung Hae-in takes on the lead role Ha Dong-soo in Connect. While wearing an eye patch affected his spatial awareness, he pulled off the scenes with seemingly no difficulty at all.
As a character who cannot possibly die, Jung is faced with most scenes that use computer-generated imagery. As these scenes are very different in the post-production as compared to during the filming, he managed to make his acting believable and showed no awkwardness.
3. Go Kyung-pyo plays the serial killer Oh Jin-seok.
Go Kyung-pyo loses his cute smile and puts on a stern and cool look as Oh Jin-seok in Connect. Jin-seok’s public persona is a quiet salaryman, who seems to lead a boring life. But behind closed doors, he keeps a sketchbook of his art creations filled with cryptic notes, which show exactly the “artworks” of a perverse serial killer who has been on the news.
Go has been busy with various works recently, such as the currently airing Love In Contract with Park Min-young. His chilling performance as Jin-seok may just take his career to another level, making him a highly versatile actor.
4. It is a bingeable blend of fantasy and violence.
It has been a while since we saw some controversial and dark Korean dramas — think Squid Game (2021) and Hellbound (2021). Given these predecessors’ successes, it is likely that the equally disturbing Connect will follow in their footsteps. Maintaining a balance of fantasy and violence, the suspense in the story will attract the audience’s attention and immerse them in this mysterious world. Who can resist another bingeable K-drama anyway?
Connect premiered on Disney+ on 7 December.
