The Guest (2018)

"Eenie, meenie, miney, mo — who’s the vessel for Park Il-do?" - Dramabeans (Recap Ep 12)
The above line perfectly captures what the drama quickly descends into after the first episode. I'll admit that the first episode was scary, and I almost wanted to stop watching because I was spooked, but by episode two's end I could tell there was going to be a pattern to this. Hwa Pyung will reunite with Kang Gil Young and Mateo, and go from case to case trying to find where Park Il Do is. The funny thing is that he has no plan whatsoever for vanquishing the stubborn, superior demon, and is aware that previous attempt of exorcising the spirit failed. His shaman friend continues to dissuade him from his mission, reminding him that no one can deal with the demon as it is extremely strong. However, Hwa Pyung refuses to heed the numerous advices given to him by various secondary and main characters over the course of the series.

I was bothered by the lack of character development in all three of the main characters. We are not told what Hwa Pyung has been up to during the time gap between his childhood and his adulthood. His bosses in the taxi service apparently allow him to wander wherever, shirk his duties, damage the taxi he drives, spend large bouts of time not doing his job, and still pay him. He remains stubborn, emotional and reckless throughout the series, at least up until where I watched. Honestly I got sick and tired of the name Park Il Do coming out of his lips every five seconds in every episode. There are no obvious traumatic signs from his childhood incidents, and he doesn't really display any guilt or internal torture after having killed his mother and grandmother while being possessed. He doesn't seem afraid that he might get possessed again and might end up killing the remainder of his family (there's no immunity against being possessed you know!).

As for Kang Gil Young, initially I disliked her character because she is equally stubborn and remarkably slow-witted in the first few episodes. Her interactions with her partner became so repetitive and cringeworthy after a while. He keeps jumping when Hwa Pyung shows up, keeps asking why Gil Young hangs out with him, and she continues to keep him in the dark. Lather, rinse and repeat. A similar pattern is seen with Hwa Pyung and the shaman, with the latter being meek and reluctant, trying to dissuade Hwa Pyung from his reckless endeavors, and essentially being used and discarded as per Hwa Pyung's needs. Shockingly I was fine with Mateo's character, perhaps because his hard-to-read physiognomy suited his job as an exorcist and his background. He displays emotion when the possessed people remind him of the horrors his big brother committed, and he starts to care for Hwa Pyung and Gil Young, while the latter two don't seem to have much attachment toward him.

The CGI was a little disappointing as well. The multiple eye stabbings and people gulping down water like crazy became overused and redundant. The background of the Park Il Do spirit was lackluster and vague. A guy goes to Japan and comes back evil, kills his wife and kid and gives himself over to the devil. That's it?

I found that clicking the next episode was becoming very difficult, and I was watching the drama at nearly 2x speed till I quit and wondered why I should continue to waste my time. The drama was not scary at all after episode 1, and I find it really odd that so many people seem to have enjoyed it.

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The drama was dopee for suree

I never wrote any review in my life but this drama damnnnnn it just made me so badly write it. Firstly if you are doubting that this drama will be any type but a timewaste NO NO NO NO this drama is just worth our damnn time its likee not a second is been wasted in it istg the bond all the 3 leads share is just indescribable its not a romance genre or anything like that but bruhhh the friendship that swear to stay together or die if can't that just caught me off gaurd .
The priest ughhh the priest is hottest ik i am being sinful but istg kim jae wook was damnn hot in priest attire as choi yoon fr.
Hwa pyung a free spirit psychic bruhhhh not a single person i saw in drama was soo willful after everything happened.
Detective kang was such a badass damnn she nailed it when 3 men were just standing in side she just caught the theif and beat him to his end.
Park il do idk how but can a spirit be this destructive? Like he just killed the damnn whole thing but istg not a single person was TOTAL FREAKING PARK IL DO but that name only caught us behind.
Yukgwang bong sang father yang these character nailed there villian attire for sure
It was surely an apolycase i wonder if something like this happen in real i will be the first one to get murdered :(

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Three different people on the same mission

I'm just finishing watching this drama once again. This is the third or fourth time in the years since it was made. What captures me the most about it is the three protagonists bonded together by a common struggle. Each of them is different, original, interesting, but they all have the same thing in common - the desire to protect the other two.
The mystery element in this drama is strong, clear, and truly mysterious. The plot twists and pressure points on the various suspects are well handled. The plot keeps you in suspense. The atmosphere has the right intensity.
I especially like the relationship between shamanism and Catholicism. They were presented in quite an interesting way. But the circumstances are also interesting.
But for me, as I mentioned before, the best and most important thing is the characters. Not just the main three. Each character is very believably drawn and portrayed. But of course the main three are the best.

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One of the best K- Drama if I Can Call even is one the best TV series

This the first time i write review in my Drama list, but The Guest deserved that, cinematography, music Scoring, and acting set up high standards for me to watch other K-Drama, back in day in when i watch it in 2018, i don't really pay attention to K-Drama because the infamous steorotype that K-Drama can't hold their quality in stable are from first episode to end episode, usually after few episode left out, their quality will go down unexpectedly, and unnecessary lovelines just for sake of fan service, but The Guest prove my judgment was wrong, i kinda feel bad there is not much hype and talking about this show that deserved to get, i will call this show was one of hidden gem of K-Drama, even now i watch many drama until 2021 yet i can't found another one that hold special place like The Guest

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HOW COULD YOU SHOT MY HEART LIKE THAT!

What I like the most is this trio's combo. The detective, the exorcist priest, and the psychic. One of a kind trio I've ever seen! The three went through a difficult battle and never failed to give in my cheer and respect.

The casts portraying the possessed people were so amazing too!

Another tricky point was the revelation of the real culprit. I meant the body the demon went it. I'd not blabber anything about it but just be prepared and try not to OH challenge.

...I hate it when the reason the culprit kills was just for fun. It could have some sort of a heavy reason to make it build a stronger plot. I don't like it to be a circus and juggles the main characters (not just them) being played while seriously fighting for their goal. It's sickening. I know it happens to almost every death or serial killing dramas and I just don't know why. Psycho things? Like seriously it affected and ruined lots of people, others died, suffering. And it happened because of a piece in a whole pizza. It wasn't that huge to make a fuss!

It affects the entire plot of the main root of a story — the reason why the antagonist does this and that — how the conflict was born. But if I generalize everything, it's merely so-so.

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Epic Drama .

##### Minor spoiler#######
Wow, am completely blown off starting from episode 1 to episode 16. This was such an amazing drama. I cant pin point anything to complain. The acting by the cast (each one of them- starting from kid to adult), OST & production was too good. This will be my my second horror/ supernatural drama that I have watched. It was mostly my curiosity on how exorcisms happened. Always a battle between good vs evil. About The Guest - the writer clearly showed us how each one of them fights their inner demons . It made me glue to my seat to find out who Park II DO was and at the end when it was revealed, my word...who knew that it would turn out like that.
Trio : Father Choi, Yoon Hwa Pyung & Kang Gil Young - How fate played in their lives for them to meet again. That scene where all 3 as kids are standing in the middle of cross roads and the music 'somewhere' being played was giving me goosebumps. Kang Gil Young, a strong FL who did not believe in these supernatural finally did accept what was happening around. The guilt she had cos of not speaking to her mom just moments before death was heartbreaking to see. The bond between Father Choi and YHP starts with a rough edge which later leads them to die for one another. Ep 16, the last 20 mins of them battling the demon at the sea was beautifully taken...I cried a lot. Since its left as an open happy ending , i hope OCN can make an another season with the same trio.
Ghost cast :D (Ya, I need to mention about them as well. Kim Yeong Soo , Choi Min Sang, Kim Ryun Hee & the cutie Jung Seo Yoon did a terrific job)
Will definitely watch it again.

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Awesome

I just finished watching and all I can say is Wow! I have never been a fan of this genre but this was without a doubt a winner. The story pulled me in from the very beginning. I’m so glad the writer stayed true to the main plot/theme. The development of the friendship between the three was superb. The acting was outstanding. Every character was essential to the story. There was not one time when I said why is that character in this story. Also, the horror was not over the top. Again whenever introduced it was within the proper context. And the music was eerily beautiful. Without giving it away I loved the ending. I would love a sequel.

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This drama is everything I want to watch this year, it is unbelievably so good I had to clap after completing it, I had tears of joy.. Man the writer was just so good, I never expected the twists, like seriously.

Story: 100% perfect. Over perfect, I love every bit of the story, no dull moments, something new everytime.. My love for the storyline is not from here... Writernim kamshamnida

Acting: 500% realistic. The acting was so good, I could understand the actors feeling, mehn. Everyone really did the best in their acting..

Music : 400% Good job. I love the music, I love it. Good feeling portrayed, you can understand it with the music.. Nice job

Re-watch value: 1000% sure I'm re-watching it. I need to re-watch it with a sound system for a good sound effect... I need a loud horror vibe.. Kikiki

Overall: 2000% Perfect performance. A round of applause for this drama.. I'm overly impressed. Good job

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SUSPENSEFUL GAME OF "WHO'S THE CULPRIT?"

«Warning : It's gonna be a long review, has some spoilers & tho little chance this got people read on this review, I'm still gonna say it "I don't know why when this drama came out it didn't blew up like any other dramas, because THE DRAMA IS LIT!!". Please watch it if you can stand with murder, suicide, horror, mystery, psychological suspense, gore & thriller!»

Story : Full 10/10. A 'chef kiss' approved. Very intense & suspenseful. This drama won't let you rest for a bit, even there are few comedy elements in every episode, I think it was just to break the ice/suspense vibe. For someone who do believe that God, Demon, Angel are real & had paranormal experiences before, I can relate to this drama very much. Maybe that's why I felt very terrified on almost every episode (esp for Father Choi scenes, it scared me like hell). I personally viewed this drama is the leading drama for any exorcism dramas & movies out there, including Hollywood. Judge/bash me if you want, this drama was scary & sometimes too disturbing for me.

Anyway, like my headline said, the main plot of this drama is like a suspenseful version of game finding who's the real culprit, aka in this case the mainleads were finding the identity of the demon-Park Il Do. The intensity came from the drama of finding & suspecting the demon. While some episodes may convinced you on which person the demon stayed, it turned out to be wrong & there's more to the story. You'll feel like investigating with the mainleads & that's also what made this drama a masterpiece. Altho no romance this drama has executed paranormal/exorcism/demonic/horror/mystery/thriller genre successfully.

But for the record I must say that this drama actually could be shortened into 12/14 episode? There are few episodes (towards the end) that doesn't actually matters & felt repetitive. The anger dialogues between the mainleads also sometimes made me annoyed. The stubborn nature of the mainleads and some stupid decisions actually could be prevented by much more decent dialogue choice.

Cast : Absolutely perfect. The chemistry are over the top. Every cast for supporting characters are perfect, I can't imagine other casts other than this one. Their visuals & skills to be immersed with their characters are 10/10. I love seeing how in time, mainleads are bonding their friendship. Broken people with same dreadful & sad past, people who were mocked, exiled & hurt by the society. Yes their road to realize that what matters the most is each other was rocky, but I love how the ending still supports their friendship as everyone is alive & it depicts that "hope & light are always there in every darkness".

Cinematography : 10/10. It has high quality shots, pacing & it really helps to build up the tense & dreadful vibes. If you're used to watch Hollywood movies, this drama will also surely raised your standards.

Music : Absolutely perfectly chose & placed. I don't quite remember the osts, but I love how they used Korean traditional ritual music & bells effect in every Hwa Pyeong's vision scenes appeared.

Leasons To Be Learned : There'll always darkness in every person. It's depend to us whether or not we let them control us, or we defeat them by forgiving ourselves & the people that we may hate. Even if in every job & society we will always encounter with beauracracy, seniority, lies & corruption, those people will eventually got their own punishments, we just have to be patient & let the nature takes over. Lastly, appreciate every moment that you had with your family/friends/loved ones. 💙

Overall conclusion : Please do watch it if you love horror movies, capable of watching thru 16 episodes of wondering, mystery & dreadful feelings. Some scenes may disturb you to the point where you felt that in real life these kind of crimes actually happened & hope seems to hard to reach. But don't worry the ride will of course worth your time & experience. This drama will also hit you differently if you also has the same believe with the presence of God, Demon, Angel, etc, even if you don't, this drama will take you to a world where possibilities of scientifically unexplained phenomenons happened. I RECOMMEND IT FOR EVERYONE!!

9,5/10💜👍🏻
(P.S. Would love to see reunion of the mainleads someday. Good job, production team & the casts! Will I watch it again in the future? Maybe, but for now most likely no. I have to rest my eyes, minds & soul after watching this exhausting, disturbing but exciting drama. Maybe in the next few years? I will miss their friendship (and Choi Yoon too🙈 damn, he really is a gorgeous & hot here even if he played a priest role-forgive my thoughts, guys😂🙏🏻)

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I must say, this is a decently unique drama. I have seen my fair share of horror dramas and this one went above and beyond. There was no cheap CGI or awkward effects, and the horror scenes had me holding my breath. The main antagonist gave me so much goosebumps, too.

The overall plot was pretty good. It's a bit typical, but at the same time, it stands out enough to draw you into the story. It's also not bad enough to drop the overall rating from a 10.

The acting was incredible and the main characters, in my opinion, were likable, although some other viewers had a dislike for the main protagonist. I guess it depends on what human qualities you dislike in real life. The side characters were amazing as well, and no one drew away from the story.

The music added to the cinematography and went well with it. At one point, I had associated the main antagonist's theme song with the fear I felt toward them that whenever the song played, I grew a little anxious, even if the antagonist was no where to be seen.

All in all, this was a really good horror drama with scenes that had me re-watching them multiple times. It's a very good watch, especially during the Halloween season. It drew me in and had me rushing to go watch it. I finished it in three days! I recommend this to anyone who loves a good horror mystery!

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This is the best horror and psychological Korean drama I have ever seen, and I've seen quite a few.

The acting in this drama is absolutely astonishing. Every actors including the side actors need an award. Especially the chemistry between two specific main actors (no romance).

The music throughout the 16 episodes are beautiful, especially the ending songs. Before something dark is about to happen there is always eerie music which makes the scare even more better.

The story itself impressed me a lot. I've never seen a Kdrama doing this kind of plot before which makes it even better. A lot of Kdrama are a bit cliché especially when it comes to the horror dramas, but this always keeps you on your toes and makes you second guess everything.

Overall, this is on my re-watch list and I'm pretty sure I am going to keep watching it due to the main actors and the plot itself.

Give this a go, you won't be disappointed!

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I’m not a big fan of horror shows nor do I watch them on usual. I often find them way too out of sync with the reality, and as a result, not that scary or even credible. (Speaking of dramas only, movies are on a total different range). From time to time I still try to give this genre a chance and that’s how I randomly started The Guest.

This horror story offers a fascinating investigation, with a dark yet captivating atmosphere, the right touch of scary and mystery, that is quickly becoming a thrill-packed adventure from episode 3 or 4. Besides its scary aspect, this drama is about human relationships, and mostly friendship. Honestly, I am glad that they didn’t incorporate some unnecessary romance in it.

It is obvious that the scenario, no matter how well written it is, wouldn’t be anything without the sublime chemistry of our main trio. Delivered by its incredible actors, the characters of The Guest are highly convincing and touching. I believe they where perfectly casted and I wouldn’t imagine anyone else playing their roles.

The excellent directing of Mister Kim Hong Seong should also be emphasized and praised, he managed to offer such a quality show... All the scenes with possessed people were perfectly done and worth the quality of a movie, no bad special effects or cringy moments. The whole atmosphere and the game of lights and sounds where really pleasant to watch. While the noises are mostly frightening, the show could make you cry in a second with its beautiful soundtracks.

About the ending, and of course without spoiling anything; while I find it overall satisfying, I believe some main questions still remain unanswered. I think a second season would be a really great idea and a logical continuation to put a definitive end to the plot. Also, it would be a great pleasure to reunite with our beloved characters for a second time.

As I’m writing this review, I already miss this drama, I became really attached to its characters and I think it won’t be easy to find something to replace it. This is why I highly recommend this drama to anyone who enjoys a quality show... and is not easily scared :)

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