So, I was reminiscing on some of the very stellar k-dramas I’ve seen in past years. And then I remembered this. And I must confess, that going down this nostalgic lane of 2022 when I watched this series was amazing. I remembered watching it because it starred two of my favourite Korean actors, and they rarely star in any productions that are less than amazing. So, I was sure to have a good time.
Bad and Crazy (2021)
This one season, twelve episode action/thriller series was released on December 17th, 2021. And the story is about a practical Detective, Sui Yeol (Lee Dong Wook) with questionable moral ethics. That is to say, that our protagonist is quite corrupt. But suddenly he manifests a split-personality. An alter-ego (Wi Ha Joon) that has a strong sense of justice and is determined to make sure the detective turns from his corrupt ways and pursues justice.
Before the involvement of the alter-ego, K, in the Detective’s life, he lived a rather ambitious life with a smooth-sailing career, constantly being promoted in his short span of time in the police force, due to his willingness to turn a blind eye to things. Few aspects of his life, like his relationship with Hui-Gyeom(Han Ji Eun), who is a lieutenant in the drug squad of the police force, suffered because of this. However, his alter-ego is poised to make everything right again. But at what cost?
My Review and Rating
Like I said before, I love the two characters in the series intensely, so I was a bit biased from the start. Having your favourite actors star in a series together can do that to you. But of course, I didn’t let it cloud my sense of judgement. So, if this was a shit production, I would have been first to point it out. Luckily for me, though, it wasn’t. Far from it.
I loved the themes discussed in the movie. It’s very realistic, in my opinion, because this is what we see every day. The police force shutting things down and sweeping issues under the carpet when they involve the “big guys” of the world. And usually, there’s this guy that just wants to earn a living. He’s not directly involved in the actual corrupt practices, and maybe in his position, he can do something about it, but he does not bring himself to care. He simply does his job and moves on with his life.
Of course, having an alter-ego in form of a conscience that physically chastises you each time you turn a blind eye is rare, but it was amazing to see how that became the basis of the plotline. A vindictive conscience that doesn’t let you get away with your evil deeds. So instead of yelling and judging you from the inside, it becomes a physical entity that whoops your ass at every point in time till you get it right. As that is the goal. For you to get it right. Simply majestic.
I loved the wit and humour. One thing you can never find lacking in K-dramas is humour. The nice, light, quirky kind. The type that makes you giggle at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. And the fact that this is an action movie makes it all better. Humour makes everything better. Because the movie was intense but still very fun and easy-going. And a scaredy cat like me didn’t scream one time. Even at the pretty brutal parts.
What I would have loved to see more, was a bit more insight into the relationship he has with Hui-Gyeom. One thing about K-dramas. If it’s meant to be an action movie, best believe that that’s mostly all you’re getting, except a light sprinkle of romance. So yeah, his love life with her which I’m not sure had too much chemistry anyway, could have been delved into more, but it still made for a satisfying film. The good thing about good film productions is that, a helpless romantic like myself may not even notice the absence of said romance if I have something else to focus on. Like brilliant storylines and even more incredible acting by all characters. Which Bad and Crazy delivered in spades.
So, that’s about it. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this series. And if I have a chance to re-watch it again like it’s the first time, I’ll most definitely jump at the opportunity. Bad and Crazy is a strong 4.7/5 stars from me. Hoping and praying for an even better season 2, if there ever is.
Jhymi🖤
Thumbnail from IMDb.
Posted using CineTV