The Korean Shows on Netflix are Killing it

My relationship with Netflix has been hit and miss — with more misses than hits. I’ve had a subscription to the provider since waaaay back in the day, when they offered DVDs through the mail (if that doesn’t date me, not much does).

The appeal of getting DVDs in the mail meant not having to go to the store to pick out a movie and then drop it off when I was done. There also weren’t any late fees, which meant I could keep a movie for as long as I wanted. 

Netflix was supposed to make it easy and convenient to watch films at home, and it did — for a while. Lack of selection and having to get the DVD to the mailbox made this option less than ideal for me. So, I cancelled my subscription.

I tried Netflix again when it focused more on streaming movies than DVDs. It was nice to have movies at the touch of a button without having to pay extra for them, but the selection was still quite lacking at this point. I didn’t watch shows as often as I could. It made it difficult to justify paying a monthly fee when I wasn’t accessing movies on a monthly basis.

Netflix Changes the Scene

Again, I cancelled my subscription and moved on with my life. Netflix continued to evolve and change. Not only did they offer movies that other people had made, but they got into the production business. They started making their own.

This really changed things. No longer was Netflix beholden to others and only allowed to show movies that studios allowed them to display. They could create their own content, which opened up new revenue streams and broadened their offerings to audiences.

This became especially beneficial during the first year of the pandemic when people were trapped inside and looking for new shows to watch. Netflix delivered during this time.

What’s nice about Netflix creating their own shows and movies is that they don’t have to abide by the rules of Hollywood. They take chances and look for stories that mainstream doesn’t find commercial.

They don’t have to worry as much about how much money the show or movie will make because they don’t rely on ticket sales. They rely on views, so if it turns out a show or movie isn’t doing well, they’ll cancel it.

The point is that they can take chances that Hollywood refuses to take. They can offer audiences something new and different.

They offer a lot of the same things that you can find on other streaming services, but that’s to be expected. Netflix still wants to make money, and having shows that they know will do that keeps them in business and gives them revenue to be more experimental.

I’m Impressed with What I Find

I had been away from Netflix for a while, so I didn’t really know what they had to offer. When I started browsing, I was impressed with what I found. Not only could I find TV shows that I had watched in my younger days, but there were also new selections to choose from.

One of the options I’ve been super impressed with is the Korean TV shows and movies Netflix has to offer. I’ve watched quite a few, and I have to say: I’m hooked.

Sweet Home

I found this series while searching for “horror” on Netflix. I knew from the moment I read the description that I wanted to watch this show.

Sweet Home follows a group of survivors who are trapped in an apartment building after monsters rise up and start killing.

Visually, it’s a bit bizarre — but in a wonderful way! Every monster is different, and instead of being computer generated (although I’m sure they are), they almost look like Claymation. They are relentless and incredibly hard to kill, so many of the same monsters keep coming back.

As you can imagine, there is an “us vs. them” theme that runs throughout the show. Monsters vs. humans. But that gets blurred. I’m not going to tell you how because that gives the show away, but know that it was done well.

Not only are the monsters weird and wonderful, but the way they humans are portrayed is phenomenal. I cried many times throughout the series because it gave me the feels.

Overall, Sweet Home was a great mix of horror and gore and humanity. I totally recommend it. There’s only one season right now, which is a total bummer. I want to know what happens…yesterday!

Kingdom

I started watching this show after it was recommended by several different people. It’s about zombies, so I wasn’t opposed to watching it.

The great thing about Kingdome is that it’s a period piece. It takes place in Korea’s medieval Joseon era, which apparently spans from 1392-1910. The show takes place in the earlier part of that era, and the lack of technology is incredibly apparent and works to create tension.

I mean, can you imagine trying to fight zombies when the only guns you own have to be reloaded after every shot? And they aren’t slow zombies — they run. I don’t care how fast you are, get into a horde and that gun ain’t helpin’ you at all.

Thankfully, most of the characters were skilled with swords, but that still puts them much too close to the snapping jaws of the undead. And the zombies don’t get tired and usually occur in far greater numbers than the survivors. You know the odds are stacked against humanity (which, of course, is the point — it’s a zombie show!).

Throughout the show, the zombies were used for many different reasons, including destroying the Japanese threat that was attempting to overtake Korean lands, and to make the population believe the King was still alive.

There were lies and intrigue throughout, and the story was incredibly interesting. There are two seasons of this show on Netflix, and both of them kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the costumes and other visuals.

Of course, as is typical of zombie shows, the question of who the real monster is always arises, and that’s no different in Kingdom. The bad guys get their come uppins in spectacular fashion, and there are enough sympathetic characters to pull you through each episode and keep you interested to find out what happens to them.

There’s also quite a bit of zombie gore, so you always remember you’re watching a zombie show.

One thing that always made me chuckle was when the zombies ran and attacked, a lot of the time they didn’t use their arms. If you watch it, see if you notice that and let me know what you think.

I also watched the special episode of Kingdom that was made: Ashin of the North. That one is about 90 minutes long, and it proposes another reason why the zombies are overtaking the land. It was good. It seems like Ashin will find her way into season 3 of Kingdom, so it will be interesting to see how those story lines come together.

Again, this is another one I recommend. Not only is it an excellent addition to the zombie genre, but it does a great job of showing the struggle of humanity.

Hellbound

I had no intention of watching this show. It popped up on my recommended list because of the other shows I was watching, and after reading the description, I was like, “Yeah. Not into overly religious stuff, thanks.”

I put it off and put it off, then one weekend, I had nothing else to watch, so I gave it a try.

I have no regrets.

It has the typical good vs. evil tropes you expect to find. Hellbound focuses on people’s unquestioning faith of religious doctrine and how they use it to structure their lives or gain control over others. I expected to find that in the show, but the way it was handled was intriguing.

I’m a big fan of creature features, and the creatures they have within this show are brutal and unstoppable. We don’t know where they come from either, and that mystery keeps the show interesting and the audience wanting to find out exactly what is going on.

There’s only one season so far, and after doing some research, I’m not sure if there’s going to be a live-action season 2. I hope there is because there was a doozy of a cliffhanger. I’m not going to spoil it. You’ll have to watch it yourself.

Whether you are religious or not, there’s enough in Hellbound to have you questioning humanity and society’s rules. I’m naturally cynical, so this show reinforced a lot of my ideas about people. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to others.

More Options to Choose From

The three Korean shows I’ve listed here just scratch the surface of what’s currently available on Netflix, but they are killing it. I’ll more than likely check out the others that are offered.

Have any of you seen these shows? What did you think?

Any recommendations for what I should watch next?

Why I Like Horror

I live with anxiety. In a nutshell, that means that randomly my brain decides I need to get anxious about something. It can be the most mundane thing in the world (for example, I’ve had panic attacks while standing in line at Walmart to pay for my groceries), but my brain turns it into a crisis. There are varying degrees of anxiousness, from an electric feeling to nervousness to full-blown panic.  And I have no control over when these feelings hit.

Here are some examples of my anxiety:

My family and I used to live in a house on a fairly busy street. The boys’ bedrooms were at the front of the house, and every winter I had visions of someone losing control on the icy streets and slamming into the front of the house while my boys slept.

My friend and I had the opportunity to go to the AWP conference a few years ago when it was in Seattle. We were sharing a hotel room, and it was on the 27th floor. When we entered, my friend went to look out the window, and I told her to get away from it. I had visions of the glass falling out and her being sucked to her death. (For some reason, in my anxiety-induced fantasy, there was a pressure difference between the hotel room and outside.)

I never go into any building without knowing where the exits and bathrooms are—you just never know when you’re going to need one or the other.

I also have anxiety dreams.

One time, I had a dream that my youngest son had been bitten by a zombie. Before he turned, we decided to give him the best day ever—whatever he wanted to do, he could do. When his time was up, I had to take him out into the yard to deal with him. I’m sure you can imagine the anguish I was going through.

When the boys were still babies, I had a dream that I had taken them to Walmart. I set the carrier on the ground next to my car while I loaded the groceries in the back, and my oldest decided he was going to take that moment to run around the parking lot. I chased after him, and while I was trying to catch him, a monster truck pulled into the parking space next to my car and ran over my other son.

These few examples just scratch the surface of what my brain comes up with. Sure, I can tell myself that everything is going to be all right and that it’s only in my brain, but when my body releases the adrenaline and other chemicals, all I can do is ride the wave until they subside.

Anxiety isn’t logical, and I spend a lot of my day having a horror movie play inside my head. It’s stressful to think that I have little control over what my own brain does. So, with all of this happening, why in the world would I want to be a horror author or watch horror movies? You’d think I got enough scary stuff on my own.

The answer to that is actually quite simple: control.

While I can’t control my brain going to the worst-case scenario in most situations, I can control what I watch. I know that a horror movie is supposed to be scary. I know that there are going to be jumps and scary creatures. I know that what I see on the screen is fake.

When it comes to horror, I get to pick what I watch. I’m a huge fan of creature features, slasher films, and zombie flicks, so they’re top on my list. There’s a comfort in knowing that these movies are predictable. Even though they still might cause me to jump, I know it’s coming. I can’t say the same about my anxiety. I have no idea when it’s going to strike.

Horror movies help me deal with my emotions. They don’t stop the anxiety from happening, but if I’m going to be anxious, I at least want to have some control over it. That’s also why I write horror. It gives me a chance to project my unnatural and illogical fears onto the page and have someone overcome the ordeal.

Anxiety is hard to live with. It can be debilitating. It can make me feel out of control—especially of my own mind. But when I get the chance, I like to take that control back and be anxious, panicky, and afraid on my terms.

Crypticon in Seattle

For those of you who read my blog, you know that last year was a challenging year for me. Anxiety and depression pretty much took over my life. I'm still working my way out of the funk, but things are definitely getting better.

Because I was so far into the rabbit hole, I didn't partake in promotion like I normally do. I only went to one convention last year. It was a lot of fun. It reminded me how much I miss doing those things.

This year, I decided I need to get back on the horse. Thus, I put in some proposals for other conventions around the country, and--so far--I have an appearance set at Crypticon in Seattle.

Friends, I can't tell you how excited I am! Not only do I really enjoy going to conventions and conferences, I love Seattle. It's such an amazing city! I can't wait to get back and enjoy.

If you're wondering, I will be doing a workshop, presentation, and be on a couple panels. The links to the information is below. If anyone will be at Crypticon, I would love for you to come say hello!

Surviving Zombies (workshop)

Undead Obsessed (presentation)

Bad Seeds: Introducing Your Children to Horror (panel)

Slasher Films: A Debate on the Problematic Nature of Our Favorite Sub-genre (panel)

Movie Review Monday

It (2017)

Since the moment I heard this movie was being remade, I knew I wanted to watch it. I kept up with the news and got butterflies in my stomach when they released the first images of Pennywise. I watched the trailers. I was ready.

The first time I watched the original It movie (1990), I was a freshman in college. The film had been out for 6 years, but it still scared the hell out of me. Tim Curry was amazing as Pennywise (but he’s amazing at whatever character he plays), and I jumped so many times throughout the film.

Then, came the end. I won’t lie: I was disappointed. I had expected so much more, especially after the build up and tension throughout the rest of the film. I laughed at myself for getting so worked up. I rolled my eyes at the silliness that was the ending. (I’m purposely not telling you exactly what happened at the end because I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. I highly suggest you experience it for yourself).

Despite my disappointment with the original film, I was excited to see how the new film would be updated and how they would handle the end. I had hoped to see the new It in the theater, but it didn’t happen. Even when it was available for rent, I had to wait weeks to see it. I watch movies on the weekends, and the boys wouldn’t go to bed so I could watch the film. Finally, one night, they were distracted playing video games, so I rented the film.

I was not disappointed. There’s always a risk when doing a remake that it won’t live up to the original’s expectations and that the original fans will be upset. It’s quite possible fans were upset with the film, but I wasn’t. I thought the new It did the story justice and modernized it for a whole new audience.

Bill Skarsgård was absolutely amazing as Pennywise. He brought just the right amount of creep, full-blown scary, and not-so-scary to the role. My spouse really liked Pennywise, and I think the Bill Skarsgård’s version ranks as one of his favorite villains. He’s definitely in my top 10.

If there was a downside to the film, it would be that there is going to be another one. I’m fully aware that the goal is to make as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is to drag the story out as long as possible. I hope that it works and that the story doesn’t get stale.

The plus side to there being another film is that it can take its time to build more tension and scares and reconfigure the ending so it won’t be as disappointing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t roll my eyes at the end of the next film.

For me, there wasn’t a lot of jump scares in this film. As a horror connoisseur, I know to expect them, but there are times I’m still taken by surprise. That didn’t happen this time, but that doesn’t mean the film failed to create tension.

What I think the film did really well was focus on fears, especially the fears of kids. It had irrational ones, such as being afraid of the abandoned house at the end of the block, but then it added another layer of real fears that the kids had to face. There were bullies, parents dying tragically, abuse, younger siblings disappearing mysteriously, and racism.

The play between the real fears and the irrational fears was done with brilliance, and having kids as the main characters made them mesh together well. The film does an amazing job of capturing childhood fears and how kids react to them. It also does a great job of showing that at some point in time, the irrational fears have to be put to rest and the real fears have to be faced. If the characters can’t do that, they won’t make it.

Pennywise becomes the embodiment of both the irrational and the real fears. If the kids can defeat him, they can be free. But the question remains as to whether or not they are successful in conquering him.

It’s been a long time since I’ve watched the original It film, but I have plans to rewatch it. I just have to find some time when the boys are distracted. I really enjoyed the remake and felt it added to the story instead of taking away from it.

If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it.  If you have seen it, what did you think?

Movie Review Monday

Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 2

Last Monday, I reviewed season 1 of Ash vs Evil Dead. If you read it, you’ll recall that I really enjoyed the first season. Of course, I’m a huge fan of the Evil Dead films, so I knew I was going to like this show.

Season 2 expands on the story and even takes us back in time—much like Army of Darkness did. This time, however, it was Ash’s choice to go back. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know that he was sucked into a portal against his will. I won’t give away why he goes back if you haven’t seen the series because I want you to experience it in all its glory.

Like season 1, season 2 is full of demons, humor, and horror. There’s tons of gore, and the characters get developed further. I really enjoyed season 2, and I was super sad when it ended. I’m going to have to wait a long time now to watch season 3.

If you have Netflix and some extra time on your hands, I recommend checking out Ash vs Evil Dead. It’s a lot of fun with traditional horror tropes and lots of gore. Ash vs Evil Dead is a great way to unwind after a long day.

Has anyone else watched this show? What are your thoughts?

Movie Review Monday

Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 1

I love the Evil Dead trilogy. When I was pregnant with my first child and told I should take a movie with me to the hospital, I took Army of Darkness with me. When I heard that Starz was going to make a series based on Ash’s adventures, I was excited and bummed—mainly because we didn’t have the Starz channel.

I did, however, have the opportunity to watch a few episodes when Starz had a free preview weekend, and I wasn’t disappointed—until later, when I couldn’t finish watching the series because I still didn’t have Starz.

And then Netflix stepped in and made everything all right.

I’m pretty sure I squealed when I discovered that Ash vs Evil Dead was available for streaming. I instantly started watching, thrilled that I was able to see it from the beginning in all of it’s glory (and gory!). Once again, I wasn’t disappointed.

The story takes place 30 years after the original films were made, and they continue the narrative of how Ash finds himself plagued by demons and having to save the world from evil. They introduce some new characters, Kelly and Pablo, who help him in his mission. To hinder him in his mission is Ruby, played by Lucy Lawless, who turns out to be a complicated character.

As expected, there is action, demons, some scares, and a lot of gore—and I mean a lot of gore. I don’t think there was one episode where one character didn’t get completely covered in red goo. I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew they would get covered before they started filming or if it was a surprise. There’s also humor, which makes the movies and the TV show so enjoyable.

Ash vs Evil Dead, like the Evil Dead films, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It knows it’s over the top and ridiculous, and it will point that out—just in case you miss it—but that only adds to its charm. Adding humor to horror isn’t anything new, and it helps balance out the audiences’ emotions. Everyone needs a moment to relax and breathe before the next big scare finds its way onto the screen.

I was not disappointed by the Ash vs Evil Dead rehashing of the Evil Dead trilogy. I think each episode added to the story and fleshes out the characters in a variety of ways. Season 1 was fun, funny, full of gore, and had some scares. There are currently two seasons on Netflix (season 2 review coming next week), with a third in the making, which probably won’t be available on Netflix for a while.

If you haven’t seen the Evil Dead trilogy, I highly recommend watching those movies first before watching the series. It references them a lot, so you might be a little lost if you don’t have the background. Plus, they’re great movies. Then, sit back and enjoy the Ash vs Evil Dead series.

Strange Occurrence…?

I watch Netflix when I work out. It gets super boring on the elliptical, and I can only listen to music for so long. Watching shows helps alleviate the boredom and makes the workout go so much faster.

Some of the shows I’ve enjoyed include Z Nation, Frontier, Tales of Halloween, and Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer.

Weird things always seem to happen to me and/or my spouse after watching certain horror movies. One time, after watching a possession film (I can’t remember which one, sorry!) an alarm woke us up at 3:33, which is supposedly the time demons are out because it’s half of 666.

Another time, after going to see a horror film at the theater (I think it was The Ring, but I’m not positive!), we came home to the door leading from the garage into our house being open. In addition, there’s also been some weird occurrences involving ghosts.

After watching a particular episode of Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer—the one about Michel Fourniret and Monique Olivier (a couple who worked together to find their victims)—I was downstairs working on my computer when my youngest told me there was someone at the door for me. I got up to see who it was, and it was an older couple who were looking for a house on 5th St.

At first, I didn’t think anything of it. They seemed lost, so I did my best to help them—which wasn’t much. We live on 4th St., so I told them they needed to go a block over, but I had no idea which house they were looking for or who the people were who lived in it.

After they left, it occurred to me that this encounter happened after watching that particular serial killer episode. My mind started turning, and I wondered if they were really looking for victims but decided not to kill me because my kids were home. Of course, I laughed this off because it was absurd, and I’ve never seen the couple again.

It amuses me that these strange occurrences happen after watching certain horror films or shows. I know there’s a reasonable and plausible explanation for all of it, but sometimes it’s fun to focus on the strangeness.

Influential Movies

The other night, while my husband and I were surfing the channels looking for something to watch, we came across the Sony Movie Channel, and it happened to be playing Krull.  I really like this movie, despite it's faults, and I used to watch it when I was a kid.



After that particular film was Yor, The Hunter from the Future, and that made me laugh out loud.   I recently bought the DVD from Amazon, and my boys and I watched it on one of our vacation days.  It was not good.  It's pretty freaking terrible, but it's another movie I watched as a child.  (I picked this particular clip so you could experience the bitchin' title track.)


I've been nostalgic lately.  Over the weekend, my sister and her kids came over so we could watch Ewoks: The Battle for Endor.  Man oh man, talk about a terrible film.  If you want, you can watch the entire movie on YouTube.  The whole time, all my sister and I could wonder was what was up with Wicket's eyes?  They didn't blink, and although they were supposed to give him a teddy bear look, they were kind of creepy.  But, again, this is a movie I watched as a kid.

I don't know why I have such a drive at the moment to revisit childhood movies.  Perhaps it's because I actually have some time on my hands to do so.  Whatever it is, it's been a lot of fun.  I'd forgotten about a lot of these films, and a lot of them should have remained forgotten.  But at the same time, they have reminded me why I fell in love with sci fi, fantasy, and horror in the first place.  And it's rekindled my creative desire.

As far back as I can remember, I've always watched these kind of films.  My dad would record them off TV and put them onto VHS for our viewing pleasure.  We also watched B horror movies on TNT and Monstervision.  I absolutely loved it!  To this day, I still enjoy a good creature feature and cheesy science fiction.  They made me what I am.