Review of Netflix's In the Woods Where Nobody Is

In the Woods Where Nobody Is disappoints with slow pacing and unnecessary scenes, despite strong performances.

### In the Woods Where Nobody Is: A Disappointing Thriller with Strong Performances
* 🎬 The highly anticipated Netflix series "In the Woods Where Nobody Is" features commendable performances but suffers from **slow pacing and unnecessary scenes**, making it a **disappointing watch overall**.
* 🌲 The series, consisting of eight episodes, tells the story of Jeon Yeong-ha, a pension owner whose life **unravels due to the arrival of a suspicious guest**, leading to an engaging yet flawed narrative.
* 🔄 The dual timelines of the present and past perspectives, particularly that of Koo Sang-jun, create confusion as their **connection remains unexplained**, leaving viewers **questioning the plot's direction**.
* ⚖ The ending sees Yong-sang facing a **tragic fate** at the hands of his ex-husband, yet it concludes with a sense of **unresolved tension**, as the character Yu Sang-ah faces **legal repercussions** for her actions.
* 🌟 The actors' performances, especially by **Kim Yoon-seok and Go Min-si**, are a highlight, with Go's portrayal of the murderer standing out despite the overall narrative shortcomings.
* 🌅 Visually, the series is beautifully crafted, but this contrasts sharply with the **dark themes**, resulting in a **dissonance that diminishes the intended suspense** of the mystery thriller genre.
* 📉 Ultimately, the slow pacing and lack of plot clarity hinder the series' potential, making it **hard to recommend watching all episodes just to enjoy the latter half**.
* 💔 While there are moments of intrigue, the overall execution **leaves much to be desired**, and it is a **missed opportunity for a compelling drama**.

Finally, as one of the highly anticipated Netflix releases for the second half of the year, In the Woods Where Nobody Is was released, and I rushed to watch it from early morning. Now, let's start the review. The order of today's video will be as follows: first, I will provide an overall evaluation of the series, discussing whether it is entertaining and worth watching. Second, I will lightly summarize the story. Lastly, we will find out what the ending was like. Third, I will mention specific strengths and weaknesses before concluding.

So, let's get started. First, the overall evaluation of the drama. The actors delivered good performances, but the slow pacing and numerous unnecessary scenes make it a disappointing drama. Interestingly, the title is In the Woods Where Nobody Is, yet there are many guests at the pension, and it feels like there is always someone around. Overall, regarding the eight-episode series In the Woods, I would say it is somewhat worth watching, although it is quite long.

After a long buildup, as we finally moved towards the conclusion, the tension escalated with characters clashing and opposing each other. It felt somewhat engaging. However, the problem lies in the pacing. Honestly, it is too slow, and there are many unnecessary scenes. Initially, I found it somewhat refreshing, but that sentiment didn't last long. Earlier, I mentioned in my overall review that the slow development, coupled with the abundance of unnecessary scenes, might make some viewers feel it is dragging. Others might wonder about the direction of the plot. Particularly, the story alternates between the present perspective of the entire film and the past perspective of the character, Koo Sang-jun. I found myself questioning whether these two narratives are connected and why the past story is being introduced at all. There was no explanation provided, which felt rather unkind to the audience.

Of course, the intention was to slowly build up the story, creating a connection between the two narratives in the latter half that would explode like a bomb in the audience's hearts. However, even after watching the latter half, the scenes where the two timelines connect didn't resonate much. The past story should naturally influence the present narrative, but the actions of the former Young-ha, trying to bridge the past and present, honestly raise questions. Anyway, I think if we had completely removed the past storyline and focused on episodes 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8, it could have resulted in a rather entertaining drama. Of course, among the past stories, Jang Isu is funny. To conclude, I can't really recommend watching episodes 1 to 6 just to enjoy the latter episodes 7 and 8. So, that's my overall evaluation, and for those who dropped out midway or won't be watching further, I'll lightly summarize the story and the ending.

I will take a look. The drama begins with the story of a man who runs a pension in a quiet forest, played by actor Kim Yoon-seok, who portrays the pension owner, Jeon Yeong-ha. In the summer of 2021, he acquired the pension using his retirement pension, which is located deep in the woods. However, just as he was getting accustomed to running the pension, his daily life begins to crumble due to the sudden appearance of a suspicious woman. 

This mysterious guest, who becomes obsessed with the pension, is played by Go Min-si. She even cleans the room she stayed in thoroughly before leaving, which causes Jeon to harbor deep suspicions about her. There are guests who leave the rooms clean, but on the next day, when he tries to clean the room as usual, he discovers a pizza stain.

Although they were together, the black box showed that the child was not visible, and only the name was confirmed as they calmly left the pension. However, Young-ha decided to cover up the incident and not report it. Gradually, they became embroiled in an uncontrollable situation. Right now, there's a crazy guy here. If this house is trying to sell me, would you like to sell it? By the way, Yoon Gye-sang took over the motel that came up for auction. After the serial killer committed murder at his motel, his life began to unravel. He played the role of the motel owner, Gu Sang-jun. As you watch, it seems like these two have some relationship, but in fact, they have no connection at all. If you are expecting something like Signal, you're in for a big surprise. Gu Sang-jun's story will be wrapped up at this point. Anyway, in the end, Yoon Seong-a's daughter and her friend end up in danger, and the police officer Yoon Bo-in, who was referred to as a pilgrim, is also involved.

The joint operation of the infants gradually puts Yong-sang in a difficult situation. It seems like they are being treated as corpses. What have they done? Soon, someone might come looking for them. However, with the help of his father, Seong-ha is easily freed again. Ultimately, due to several incidents, Yong-sang earns the hatred of his father and is shot and killed by his ex-husband. The case comes to a close, and the people around them return to their daily lives. In the final scene, a call comes in from Gu Ki-ge, the son of Koo Sang-jun, saying that he would like to visit since they are no longer operating the pension. They end the conversation with the words, We have a lot to talk about. 

Looking at the conclusion, Yong-sang was killed by his ex-husband, but in fact, the character played by Yu Sang-ah gets arrested and has to face the murder cases she committed, such as dismembering a child and killing a police officer.

I wanted him to be punished, but he ended up facing death, which was a bit disappointing. Of course, from the film's perspective, it was a happy ending. Still, there was something unsettling about it. Do you know what people like us are called? Now, let's talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the drama. 

First, the strength: the actors' performances. I did watch the drama until the end to review it, and one of the two reasons that kept me engaged was the actors' performances. Actor Kim Yoon-seok made his return to drama after 17 years. Honestly, I can't say he showcased impressive acting in films, but a veteran is a veteran. The role of a typical child actor isn't one that leaves a strong impression. He plays a character that supports the overall narrative. If there's anyone who stands out, it would be the character of the murderer, Yoo Sang-ha, played by Go Min-si.

The reason why books often appear in various works, including smuggling, shows their trendiness. There was a particularly moving scene with the uncle crying. However, the actor Go Min-si struggled to make bibimbap and ultimately couldn't contain his anger, committing murder. Seojin, be careful too. It's not just the performances of these two actors; Lee Jung-eun also delivered a very stable performance. Of course, in contrast, the character Yoon Bo-min was so minor that it’s hard to tell why he was nicknamed the pilgrim. His presence was minimal, and he barely showed up in episode 16, only shining a bit in episodes 7 and 8. Oh, and when Yoon Kye-sang's character Park Ji-han went to the school, it felt like he was going to sweep everything away like Jang Chen, but that wasn't the case; instead, he ended up getting beaten himself. Now, moving on to the second advantage.

I will move on. The visual beauty of this drama is a plus. However, when considering it within the context of the drama, it could also be a downside. This is because the genre itself is a mystery thriller, and the visuals are very pretty with warm colors. When thinking about the murder that took place in the pension, one should feel chills and discomfort, but the beautiful visuals make it hard to feel that way. In fact, I even want to go there and have fun. Now, let's talk about the downsides. Earlier, I mentioned that one of the reasons I can watch the drama until the end is the actors' performances. So, what is the other reason? I believe one of the downsides is that it doesn't reveal information about the plot. So, while it keeps you watching until the end, the beginning of the drama has a very slow pace. Even in situations where there's no tension, there is ominous music.

It tries to create tension, but the story doesn't progress, which gives a loose feeling in the beginning. Of course, at first, the setting of a pension motel with two intersecting stories was refreshing, and when the protagonist's struggles were introduced, it was slightly scary. I thought it was somewhat worth watching because of that. However, as the episodes progressed, the lack of information made me feel quite frustrated about what they were trying to convey. So, I managed to finish watching it, but the fact is that there is almost no connection between the two stories. In fact, after Oh Ha, when Jeon Young-ha tries to counterattack, the pension guests rush in, but they are dealing with a murderer, and everyone just falls victim. It suddenly feels like the genre has turned into a comedy, which is amusing, especially since it's supposed to be a thriller, but the other side is too loose and lacks tension.

It would indeed be a significant drawback. As I mentioned in the overall review, the unnecessary scenes from the past are also one of the disappointing aspects that halt the flow of the story. If it had truly been created as a drama, the actors' performances were good, and it could have been a decent drama; it’s really a shame. This concludes my review. I hope you had a pleasant time, even for a moment.

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매드무비 : MadMovie

The series features good performances from the actors but suffers from slow pacing and unnecessary scenes, making it a disappointing drama.

The title's irony, with many guests present, adds to the confusion.

While the tension escalates towards the conclusion, the dual narrative structure and lack of explanation for the past storyline leave viewers questioning its relevance.

Overall, the drama is somewhat worth watching, but the first six episodes may not be necessary to enjoy the latter ones.

The drama follows Jeon Yeong-ha, the pension owner, whose life unravels after a mysterious woman, played by Go Min-si, becomes obsessed with the place.

As strange incidents occur, including a pizza stain and a suspicious departure, Jeon decides to cover up the situation.

Meanwhile, Gu Sang-jun, the motel owner played by Yoon Gye-sang, also faces his own turmoil after a murder at his motel, leading to a surprising connection between their stories.

Yong-sang finds himself in a difficult situation due to the joint operation of infants, leading to his father's hatred and eventual death at the hands of his ex-husband.

The story concludes with a call from Gu Ki-ge, hinting at unresolved issues.

The drama's strengths lie in the actors' performances, particularly Kim Yoon-seok's return and Go Min-si's standout role as the murderer, Yoo Sang-ha.

The Impact of Actors and Visuals in the Drama

Books play a trendy role in the narrative, with a moving scene of an uncle crying and Go Min-si's character struggling with anger and committing murder.

The visual beauty of the drama, with its warm colors, contrasts with the dark themes, making it hard to feel the intended discomfort.

The slow pacing and lack of plot information in the beginning keep viewers engaged, but the ominous music adds to the tension even in non-stressful situations.

The story struggles to progress, creating a loose feeling in the beginning.

The setting of a pension motel with intersecting stories is refreshing, but the lack of information and connection between the two stories leads to frustration.

The sudden shift to comedy during a serious moment undermines the thriller genre, and unnecessary past scenes disrupt the flow of the narrative.