'The Bequeathed' On Netflix Review: 'Train To Busan' Creator's Slow Paced Solid Crime Thriller Doesn't Leave A Mark

Based on the webtoon of the same name written by Kang Tae-kyung, the announcement of 'The Bequeathed' last year ended up making it one of the many highly-anticipated K-Dramas slated for a release in 2024. The credit for it has to be given to the show's affiliation with Yeon Sang-ho, who directed the highly-acclaimed hit film 'Train to Busan,' and of course, the stellar cast, which boasts all big names in the industry. 

'The Bequeathed': Story

The official synopsis of the show reads: “After the death of an unknown uncle, a woman inherits a burial ground and finds herself in the center of a string of murders and dark secrets.”

The storyline follows Yoon Seon-ha (Kim Hyun-joo), who is professionally, an assistant instructor at a university, who is taken advantage of by her senior, and personally, an unhappy wife, struggling with the infidelity of her husband, Yang Jae-seok (Park Sung-hoon). Just when you think things can’t become worse for her, life takes an unexpected turn when she inherits a family burial ground from her uncle, who she didn’t even know existed. Two detectives, who are not always on the same page about this case, Choi Seong-joon (played by Park Hee-soon) and Park Sang-min (played by Park Byung-eun), inform her that her uncle might have been murdered. As if an unknown uncle wasn’t enough, she learns that she has a half-brother Kim Yeong-ho (played by Ryu Kyung-soo), with their dads being the same, who has popped out of nowhere to claim his share of the familial ground. As she unravels family secrets, the plot thickens into a serial killing spree, with Seon-ha becoming the final target, and the means to end all the killings.

'The Bequeathed': Performances

The series successfully seems to have brought back Park Hee-soon in a lead role, thrusting him into a mysterious role where he embodies the unequivocal hero. Displaying his strong acting prowess, the accomplished star delivered a nuanced performance, and acting it out with such brilliance. His character is shrouded by mystery, constantly making you wander about his next move.

Kim Hyun-joo’s character left me consistently oscillating between ‘do something extremely unpredictable’ and ‘please don’t do this anymore.’ For a show that’s deemed to be a mystery, there was nothing mysterious about her character. Her actions, which you could call out from miles away after a few scenes, just left me with a certain sense of dissatisfaction. There are various scenes throughout where her body language and her expressions don’t match the narrative. As someone who has watched some of her previous works, I truly expected more out of her character.

On the other hand, Park Sung-hoon has proved that if in any show there has to be an irritating character, he would do a good job at it. Though he had a small screen time, it was fairly decent. Unfortunately, his role felt so forced. I believe every character, who contributes to the narrative, should at least get a small backstory to them. It felt like he only exists in the show to elicit an emotional response from Hyun-joo's character, which left loopholes and could have been improvised upon to enhance the overall storyline.

The two characters who put forth questions in the viewer’s mind are Park Byung-eun and Ryu Kyung-soo. You’ll throughout the series question whether you like them or just dislike them – no in between. However, the former’s character honestly wasn’t done justice to. He was shown as this lonely, desperate, sad detective, but there was, visibly, so much room for a character development for him. And as for the latter, his performance is a nuanced display and he has wonderfully navigated through a spectrum of emotions, which is undoubtedly challenging. He has adeptly made the most of the given opportunity to deliver a compelling portrayal.

Overall, though the actors were balanced, it’s only Kyung-soo’s character that makes you feel unsettled in the crime series (in a good way).

'The Bequeathed': Script, Direction & Technical Aspects

To be fair, this show has left me with mixed reactions, that are only extreme. ‘The Bequeathed’ successfully captivated viewers with its atmosphere, but the allure of its mystery begins to fade somewhere midway. 

Though Yeon Sang-ho is not the director, you can tell his influence is there: the dark locations, desperate, hopeless characters, earthy tones, and inhumane society. I mean, that’s all Sang-ho. With this series, he’s created a dark, eerie atmosphere which surrounds characters that already have enough on their plate, alongside a turbulent past. Sang-ho has taken his sweet time to build up each character but it’s not all interesting. Though this show has been categorized under the genre of thriller, it lacks action. Those scenes in the last episode don’t really classify as action. Instead, there has been much emphasis given on death. Yes, there are certain surprising elements, but that’s not enough to make you go ‘wow.’

Additionally, the script by Sang-ho, Min Hong-nam, and Hwang Eun-young falls short in certain aspects. It feels loose-ended in certain places. There were many scenarios playing out at the same time that the switches between them felt too fast. Some flaws seemed to have been masked with dialogue, but it falls behind. The show loses its momentum around the end of the second episode. However, it picks up pace towards the finale when the biggest secret is revealed, bringing together all the characters in the most twisted way possible. While the story is solid, it needed a bit more to really bring it to the next level.

The camera work in the show is excellent. The surroundings and the landscapes have been captured beautifully, using lots of cool drone shots that make everything look really visually aesthetic. Even the shots with people in them are done really well and add to the suspense. The editing, despite its slow pacing, is average, at best. There were certain scenes that occasionally tested my patience. I would find myself fast-forwarding a few seconds in each episode. The transitions between certain scenes felt abrupt and lacked the dynamic flair seen otherwise. But on the other hand, some scenes really have stood out, and made me hit rewind. The eerie music composed by Chae Min-joo and Kim Dong-wook does play a crucial role in enhancing certain scenes, effectively immersing the viewer in the atmospheric tension and suspense of the narrative unfolding. 

'The Bequeathed': Cast & Crew

Director: Min Hong-nam

Cast: Kim Hyun-joo, Park Hee-soon, Park Byung-eun, Ryu Kyung-soo, Park Sung-hoon

Available On: Netflix

Premiere Date: January 19, 2024

Episodes: 6

Genre: Occult, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Suspense 

Language: Korean

Duration: 39-56 minutes

'The Bequeathed': Can Kids Watch It?

No.

Outlook's Verdict 

Honestly, the show stings so much after much-anticipation because the plot was there, the story was there, actors were decent, but the ending really made me get up and think 'Is that it?' I started to question why I was so hyped for it, because the narrative was there but the execution just didn't pour through the screens. The series leaves you with only questions, with no scope for answers. I expected it to be fantastic because I went with the intention of expecting something as great as 'Train to Busan.' The entire show was so bittersweet that it really made me think that instead of making a series out of it, it would have really shone as a film. Nonetheless, post watching all the 6 episodes in one-go, I'd categorize it under a one-time watch.