What Is the Story About?
Based on a webtoon of the same name, Connect is a sci-fi mystery thriller that follows a man who has been deprived of one of his body parts (eyes)by organ hunters. Once he connects with the person who has received his organ illegally, he has to handle a serial killer on the loose, the weird anomaly that his body is, escape from the organ hunters and save himself from cops.
Performances?
Jung Hae-In is terrific as Ha Dong-soo. As usual he nails the emotional scenes and scenes of confusion, frustration and anger. He pulls the show together with his charm and screen presence. But sadly, the writing doesn’t use him to his fullest. On the other hand, Ko Kyoung-pyo is a surprise as Oh Jin-Seop. He is annoying, brutal, menacing, and charming at once.
Analysis?
Takashi Miike’s genre-bending sci-fi mystery thriller ‘Connect’ on Disney+ is also a kind of body horror that’s likely to throw you off, jolt you and also hook you throughout despite an occasionally clueless pace. One could clearly see shadows of Japanese horror in Connect, despite it being a Korean Drama. Unlike most sci-fi horrors that came out from South Korea this year, Connect stands out in its tonality, dissection of morality, execution and concept.
An adaptation of a popular webtoon that goes by the same name, Connect follows Ha Dong-soo, a secluded, introvert and an an outcast who might carry within him more than what meets the eye. He gets attacked by a group of organ hunters in the pilot scene itself. We are then shown that Dong-soo is quite unlike normal humans. His body is immortal and is called a ‘connect’, an urban legend. Following his ordeal with the organ hunters, he loses one of his eyes.
Connect’s writing parallely places Dong-soo’s mystery alongside a creepy corpse art killer and an illegal organ hunting racket. This is when Dong Soo starts getting visions of the serial killer who might have the eye he lost at the organ removal clinic. Dong Soo now has to deal with the anomaly that his body is, come to terms with it, find his other eye and save potential victims from the corpse killer on the loose while being chased by the organ hunters.
One of the biggest strengths of Connect is its intriguing element of mystery and body horror. Reminiscent of the mood and setting of films like Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘Cure’, Connect deviates from template South Korean drama story-telling particularly in its direction. It also helps when the star-cast is equally talented.The VFX work is also stunning, making the horror in body-horror even more teeth-grinding. The first three episodes are quick paced and well edited, maintaining a balance of intrigue and horror.
However, once Dong-soo gets to know about the killer’s identity, the stakes do not rise as high as it should’ve. The pace also takes a backseat, dragging the proceedings in more ways than one. Absence of an origin story, or Lack thereof of Dong-soo and I-rang’s background is also a bummer. One could presume that the makers have kept it in store for a potential second season from the way the show culminates. The climax is also way too haphazard and abrupt with an open ending that leaves more questions than answers.
To conclude, Connect is an interesting watch. There’s intrigue, sci-fi, mystery, and horror, but the series could have been better with better stakes and a pacing pinch. Despite a climax that nosedives, it’s well enacted and serves sci-fi enthusiasts well. If you’re looking for a sci-fi thriller to binge, may be Connect fits the bill.
Other Artists?
Kim Hye-jun plays Choi I-rang, a smart and bold companion that Ha Dong-soo meets once he begins investigating about the reciever of his eye. Her no-nonsense attitude and chemistry with Jung Hae-in is very refreshing. Kim Roe-ha’s detective Choir is one of the strongest actors in the entire cast. He pulls off a dedicated and sometimes funny character with ease. Jang Gwang who plays the doctor deserved more screen-time for the talent that he is.
Music and Other Departments?
Sim Hyeon-jeong’s music and score is so good. Be it the titular song or the spooky end-credits song that keeps playing repeatedly throughout the film, or score, music department has done a thorough job at keeping up with the nature of the series. Kim Ji-yong and Kim Sung-jin’s combined camera work also aids the genre and mood the show was going for. Sagara Naoichiro’s editing is sometimes crisp and sometimes hasty.
Highlights?
Core Concept
Cast
Direction
Music
Drawbacks?
Slow Pace
Climax Nosedives
Several confusing loose ends
Underutilised Jung Hae-in
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes.
Will You Recommend It?
Yes.
Connect Series Review by Binged Bureau
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