What Is the Story About?
In this dissection of rage, revenge and the human angle of everything in between, Beef follows two people whose involvement in a road rage incident begins to consume their lives. Danny, a contractor struggling to maintain clients, nearly hits Amy in the parking lot of Forsters. Danny chases Amy in retaliation, only for Amy to retaliate by nearly hitting him. What follows is a series of events like that of a Pandora’s box, pretty much a case study on humans losing their cool.
Performances?
Ali Wong and Steven Yeun literally blew it out of the park with Beef. Equally petty, irritating, mad relatable and hard core real, the two bring out their bests in each other as a pair of adversaries whose cat and dog fights you root for and against. The duo comes across as annoying when they want to and equally humane otherwise. As to Steven Yeun, Danny is safe in his hands as not-yet-another-angry-incel but as someone who’s done with life but still gambles with it hoping for a ray of sunlight.
Ali Wong, makes a star-making turn easily going toe-to-toe with Yeun and making a place for herself in the show as an equal. The casting of the show couldn’t be more accurate.
Analysis
Beef, created by Lee Sung Jin and directed by Japanese director Hikari, is a mad turn of events that ensue when two equally frustrated individuals hit at each other for reasons better known to themselves. A character study on the impact, depth and dimensions of rage that spurs from the most uncontrollable realms of life of two entirely different but partly similar individuals.
The first and second episodes of Beef takes enough time and puts more effort in the world building. Both Danny and Amy’s worlds, circumstances and unhappy lives are explored in a way of explaining why they are what they are Or what they eventually become. The ground work is laid, for the beef that’s yet to worsen.
While Amy is a successful business-woman, she is done being the sole money draw of her family. She is done pretending to her stay-at-home-husband and his mother and is seeking out for validation and care. Probably, a moment to just relax and breathe rather than constantly providing. Danny, on the other hand has been contemplating suicide for a while, he’s been busting his blood, sweat and energy by trying to gain back the land his parents lost. Neither does he become successful, nor does his struggles end.
Now the world is put on a whirlpool when Danny and Amy meets. The duo picks at each other for the silliest of reasons, at the most random times. At some point it even comes across as unforgivable and annoying, but the duo sees each other as a chance to vent their frustration out. A whole spiral of events ensue when two beings who’ve literally suffered their whole lives in different ways gets violent at each other as their only means to get through the most bothering of circumstances in their life.
One of the biggest strengths of Beef is it’s pitch perfect casting. Ali Wong and Steven Yeun pulls off two of the most irritating, annoying and madly relatable characters with aplomb. They’ve also understood the mannerisms of Danny and Amy well enough to not transcend into caricature portrayal. The audience literally would feel like a third party in between their never ending ugly brawls.
The second biggest strength and albeit the only hiccup with Beef is the abrupt genre and tone shift the narrative takes at times. It’s rib-chuckling funny at one moment and shockingly violent the next moment. I for one, dug the unpredictable nature of the show, but Beef could irk some viewers with its tonality.
In short, Beef is a must watch. For the attempt, the writing, the screenplay and the performances. Also who doesn’t relate to a bursting cracker? And here we have two of them.
Other Artists?
Joseph Lee and George Nakai pulls off a nice performance. His calm demeanour as an exact opposite of what Danny is in her life, comes off genuinely easy. Young Mazino as Paul Cho, Danny’s younger brother is also a nice addition to the cast. Patti Yasutake who plays Fumi Nakai, Amy’s mother in law is a apt idiosyncratic addition in this wild ride.
Music and Other Departments?
Larkin Seiple’s cinematography for Beef is commendable. At places evoking the frustration, desperation and emptiness, and at places evoking relatable anger and egoistic brawls. The music and score also stands out, making Beef one of the unique outings out there. Harry Yoon, Nat Fuller, Laura Zempel and Jordan Kim’s editing work also deserves praise.
Highlights?
Core story
Screenplay
Treatment
Dialogues
Casting
Finale
Drawbacks?
Less is less
Rampant tonal shifts
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes. Without a doubt.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes. Definitely. Beef is the legit first best original show of the year.
Beef Series Review by Binged Bureau