New Netflix original ‘A Killer Paradox’ to bring popular webtoon to life

Netflix\'s Korean original series “A Killer Paradox”

The title of Netflix's Korean original series “A Killer Paradox” is read as “a murderer’s toy” or “a murderer’s helplessness” in Korean. The former can be interpreted as someone does murder like a play and the latter can be interpreted as a helpless situation experienced by a murderer. “A Killer Paradox” is an eight-part Netflix series based on the webtoon of the same name. The first four episodes were released first at a press event in Seoul on February 1.

It tells the story of Lee Tang (played by Choi Woo-shik), a man who accidentally starts killing, and Jang Nan-gam (played by Son Suk-ku), a detective who relentlessly pursues Lee. Lee is an ordinary college student and his future is not so bright. He thinks it will be difficult to find a job and is only thinking about leaving Korea to go on a working holiday in other countries. And one day, while working part-time at a convenience store, he meets a group of rude customers. He puts up with their bad manners but he meets them again on his way home from work. And he unintentionally commits murder. Even though he doesn't seem to have any intention of doing so, there is a sense of catharsis in his murder.

In a deserted alley, people walk as if nothing is wrong. The rain pours down. Lee returns home. He is tormented by the guilt of killing a person. He has visions of dead people and tries to kill himself in agony. However, for some reason, all the evidence pointing to Lee as the killer disappears, and a police investigation reveals that the dead man was a serial killer.

Lee commits another unintended murder. The person he killed this time was also a man who committed an unpardonable crime, and again there is no evidence. The world seems to be rooting for Lee’s murder. The deaths of the seemingly good man, Lee, and that of the criminals will remind viewers of a phrase in the series’ poster, "Is it a hero from God or a villain to be judged?"

Even if Lee’s murder leaves no trace, there is someone who tracks him down. He is detective Jang Nan-gam. Jang became a detective not to be teased by his name, and he is sensibly convinced that Lee is committing a series of murders. And a hacker named Novin (played by Kim Yo-han) appears in the siege. He thinks of himself as Robin in the film “Batman & Robin." Since he cannot become a hero, he helps Lee by saying that he will take on the role of “side kick,” which is the assistant role. Novin says Lee has the ability to recognize evil people.

The series raises the question of “Can a private judgment against evil people be justified?” It's not a new question, but the series attracts viewers' interest with its unconventional presentation. Some murder scenes are treated brightly and cheerfully, which also neutralizes the viewers’ attempt to make a moral judgment about the act of murder.

Choi Woo-shik's performance is also impressive, as he portrays the character of Lee Tang, a seemingly ordinary man who, prior to his murder, was not guilty of stealing stuff from his friends and cheating on his girlfriend. An accidental murder turns into an intentional murder, and the changes the character undergoes are depicted in detail in Choi’s performance. There is also a high level of "synchronization" with the original characters in the webtoon of Kim Yo-han and Son Suk-ku, who played Novin and Jang Nan-gam, respectively. Song Chon (played by Lee Hee-joon), a new character who appears as the episode progresses, is expected to play a role in raising the dramatic tension of the series.

“A Killer Paradox” is directed by Lee Chang-hee, who also directed the thriller series "Strangers from Hell" and the film "The Vanished.” The upcoming series is rated R as there are quite a few brutal scenes and some sudden flesh-baring scenes. The first episode is scheduled to premiere on the streaming platform on February 9.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.