Hometown (2021)

Homecoming

Hometown is a psychological thriller that revolves around three main characters; police detective Choi Hyung In, convicted mass murderer Jo Kyung Ho, and his estranged sister Jo Jyung Hun. The premise is based on the preliminary investigation of a murder case which escalates into the search for a missing schoolgirl and subsequently the mystery surrounding the abduction of her classmate. Both events spark an explosive chain of events with wide-reaching implications for their family, friends and the community they belong to.

Originally an OCN production, it was eventually broadcast by sister channel, TVN. Directed by Park Hyun Suk (Stranger 2) based on the screenplay by Cho Hyun Hoon. Initially credited via his pseudonym of Joojin, the screenwriter was removed from the production credits altogether once his real identity had surfaced which resulted in controversy and public backlash due to his past sexual harrasment case. Choi Seong Gwon is engaged as the composer for the drama.

What to watch out for

The story is set in 2000 with a re-telling of events taking place in 1999 and frequent flashbacks to multiple timelines in the 1980s, particularly to a terror attack on a bus terminal in 1987. The storytelling is non-linear for the most part, which utilises parallel and converging plots based on the shared narrative of the three POV characters.

The eponymous hometown refers to the fictional town of Saju which is located in Gyeongsangnam or South Gyeongsang province. Nearly all characters in this drama speak the distinctive Gyeongsang dialect, as opposed to the central dialects (Seoul or Gyeonggi) that most viewers are perhaps used to.

Elements of mystery and horror are present throughout but, rather than outright terror and fright, the drama projects an overall eerie, ominous and psychologically disturbing aura. By the time the halfway point is reached, if not earlier, viewers should be quite aware of the direction of the story.

Expect trigger warnings in the form of drug references, abuse and bullying, as well as some violence resulting in depictions of blood and gore in certain scenes.

What I Liked

I enjoyed the storytelling approach which feels distinctively neo noir in terms of the visual language, compelling dialogue and the variety of complex characters written in the screenplay. We have the hard-boiled detective who does the nitty gritty legwork, the charismatic yet sinister psychopathic mass murderer and the frantic family member of the victim. Add to that an extremely detailed worldbuilding and a whole host of intriguing side characters ranging from the questionably dubious to the downright bizarre that make their truly disquieting presence felt.

The first 8 episodes of the drama felt the most captivating for me. This is largely because of the mystery surrounding the events at play and the infusion of a rather horrific scene that reeled me in right from the start. It is also during this stage that I found myself still able to sufficiently keep track of the happenings which connect the dots to the grand scheme of things.

The cast is, without question, absolutely outstanding. Yoo Jae Myung’s portrayal of Regional Investigation Unit’s Detective Choi Hyung In is utterly convincing. He made me believe that he truly is a seasoned yet somewhat traumatised cop, in a gripping performance that is reflective of his experience in the industry.

Likewise Uhm Tae Goo delivers a compelling depiction of convicted killer Jo Kyung Ho. This is my first time watching him and what a talent he is. The most nuanced of the main leads, his subtle interpretation of the intricately written role and the delicate articulation of his lines through a deceptively calm demeanour and soothing voice literally enthralled me into a false sense of security.

The drama also features the award-winning Han Ye Ri, fresh from making her Hollywood debut with the critically acclaimed Minari for which she garnered 4 nominations. She provides another fine performance through her captivating portrayal of Jo Jung Hyun, a woman struggling to break free from the burden of truth and her tormented past that threatens to overcome her seemingly bleak and hopeless existence.

I truly enjoyed the brilliant original score composed by Choi Seong Gwon. This is not easy listening music for relaxing with a glass of wine but the kind that elevates the sense of foreboding and completely immerses the mind into the dark and ominous atmospherics throughout. The soundtrack also features two OSTs performed in English that actually sounds more contemporary than the retro settings of the drama.

유라 Youra - Remember
문수진 Moon Sujin - Hide and Seek

What I Didn’t Appreciate As Much

As riveting and morbidly entertaining as this drama was, I would have preferred for the “supernatural” aspects to be the main focus and potential for driving the story development. This would have provided a different spin and a breath of fresh air to the genre. However, although the story takes a more familiar course, the sense of unpredictability still remains and even culminates in a rather surprising and unexpected outcome.

Speaking of unpredictability, either the rationale behind certain plot points or much-needed connecting scenes were sacrificed as part of efforts to induce viewers’ intrigue and suspense as well as, in my case, confusion. Perhaps this was also attributed to the shorter duration of the drama, at 12 episodes. A number of key events shown, particularly from episode 9 onwards, were never fully or properly explained. Without giving spoilers, let’s just say that viewers will have to formulate their own hypotheses as the story unfolds because ultimately the ending does not provide clarity for all the questions asked.

Adding to the air of uncertainty is the countless switching of timelines, sometimes captioned for viewers’ benefit but at times they occur unannounced. It certainly doesn’t help when the disparate scenes are acted by different sets of actors that I end up having to pause and rewind simply to ascertain who exactly these characters are.

Conclusion

On the whole, Hometown is a very good drama with high production quality and a top tier cast whose performances are deserving of praise. The slightly over complicated narrative, uneven storytelling, somewhat surrealistic setting and arguably lack of logical clarification particularly during the final quarter may give rise to bewilderment for some viewers, as it did for me. This perhaps hints at the drama's selective appeal, particularly for those who are fans of the genre rather than the casual watcher. Notwithstanding the issues, I still had an enjoyable (and moderately spine-chilling) time watching this absolutely binge-worthy drama.

Lire davantage

10/10 for creepiness

Trigger Warning: Immense Cult Practice, Killings, Gore, Brainwashing, Terribly Scary and awfully creepy.

Cult thriller trope is not very new for Kdramas and has it's own separate fanbase but what makes HOMETOWN different is the execution and portrayal of real cult shits that might take a toll on your mind, so be careful in case you're sensitive.

HOMETOWN is set up in the fictional small rural town namely Saju (somewhere in Busan irl) in the year of 1999 with a major past of the year 1987 connected to it. Everything starts from a welfare centre that existed years ago, then a series of tragic incidents in 1987 and then in 1999 where a number of serial killings take place, all rooting to a mixtape cassette with mysterious creepy sounds.

It involves MIU Detective Choi Hyung In (Yoo Jae Myung), who has been connected to the entire event all along in his subconscious. He discovers astonishing facts related to his life while trying to get to the root of it, simultaneously dealing with his deteriorating mental health. Jo Jung Hyun (Han Ye Ri) is determined to find his lost niece who is already staged to be dead. In her journey with his old friend, she discovers horrifying truth about her past and finds herself in terrifying situations that might eat her up to the core. Uhm Tae Goo (Jo Kyung Ho) is Jung Hyun's brother and a terrorist who is prisoned for life for killing a number of people at Saju Station in 1987 by releasing toxic Sarin gas. (These ain't spoilers bcs you'll find them in the synopsis.)

These 3 actors are indeed seasoned artists with main acclaimed works & recognitions and their performance surely will surpass your standard, no doubt. Especially, Uhm Tae Goo as a psychopath,who can control mind, served his role so well that you might wish to kill him, every time he comes into the frame. Him sighing is one of the creepiest things I have ever experienced, eww.

Other than them there are also some other good actors in the major role. Choi Kwang Il as Im In Gwan is deeply involved with the cult group. Cha Rae Hyung as Kang Young Taek, Jung Hyun's highschool friend and a part of the magazine club. Jo Bok Rae as Lee Si Jung is a Sergeant and Det. Hyung In's partner. The 4 teen actress were also good; Lee Re as Jo Jae Young and Heo Jung Eun as Kim Moon Suk are major parts of the story.

I must say that this drama needs a lot of patience, even when you're an avid thriller fan, because till the last 2 episodes of this 12 ep drama, the ultimate reason of the entire event is very very confusing. The way everything is unfolded one by one, in an intricate way will make you go crazy to a great deal. For viewers, it's like solving a puzzle to reach the answer whose fragmented pieces are scattered in a disorganized way. It's like you'll have to analyze, compare and relate the information you have and group them in an order first, before you set everything into their rightful places and finally get the biggest picture on the board.

You'll have new information revealed at each episode and there are lots of flashbacks to reminisce and extract out the tiniest of detail from what you've seen till the moment. The plot development is not steady, rather scattered with many flashbacks and revelations, which are not entirely revealed at once. For a 12 episode short drama, the progression along with plot-twists and mystery divulgence is drawn very well by the writer. The writer has done a good job in presenting the character arcs of all the 3 main characters well.

I somehow felt the 6th episode was kinda slow and nothing that interesting of sort took place in there except the ending, though that episode was also filled with revelations and realizations. After binging 10 episodes in 2 goes, I was concerned how they'll wrap it up in the finale week because there were still so many things to be revealed along with the primary force behind everything. Again after the 11th episode revelation, it was a tragic feeling but also gave rise to more anxiety as to what's next but glad they wrapped uo everything without any issue. Also, the seemingly intertwined story and it's details were still to be revealed in the finale, which were surprising ngl. However, it felt a bit slow and was a lil uninteresting in the 1st half. What was more worrisome that the script might have some potholes left but glad it was all fine.

Hometown also stands out for using a different approach in cult thrillers that's Hinduism. Most of the cult dramas rely on Christianity and Shamanism to showcase cult behaviour but for the first time the makers of Hometown has dared to go for Hinduism and has even executed it very well. The ancient tradition of guru-sishya (teacher-student) was basically incorporated with pseudo-religious practises with immense brainwashing and drug abuse. Only thing that seemed funny was the symbolism of that "crossing-hand" mudra, it wasn't well explained I felt. It felt like they were trynna make a scary gesture but it was in fact very funny. Otherwise, they were able to keep up the intense and thrill till the end and I liked it.

Note: This is not insulting to neither Hinduism or the Indian tradition, rather a fictional portrayal involving pseudo-religious practices which give out alternative interpretations of any particular belief. If other religions could be used then why not this. It's not my pov as an atheist rather as a avid stan of dramas & movies and their values.

The sound production is top notch. They knew very well how to make the mood creepy with the accurate use of background scores and the cult mantras. What also accompanied in grace was the rainy weather scenario. The sound of heavy rain was a perfect feather to the thriller cap. Cinematography is also appropriately handled. Since it's a thriller that too investigative mystery and cult group story, the frame is mostly dark and shady. The camera movement focusing the objects and zooming sequences are well edited. The main prop used in here is the mixtape cassettes with creepy and chilling sounds which was the cause of all the tragedy.

The finishing sequences of the story that summed up the entire event was good enough for a decent thriller. There was no philosophy or justification to the acts done but there sure was learning. Ain't gonna say the actual reason but sure only word to describe the force behind it is an action that can be simply described by 2 words, one starting with 'r' and the other with 'v'.

Overally, Hometown surely is a thrilling and catchy watch which will keep you up till the very end. Starting from it's biggest advantage, i. e. to direction, script, production value, etc. have been taken care of well with a lot of effort. Can't say it's amazing though it's one of the creepiest but it sure is a good one in terms of cult thriller mystery. I made sure not to talk about the story a lot because idk to how to explain things without spoiling. Just make sure to remain sane throughout, haha.

Lire davantage

Take a walk and look around, there’s something wrong in my Hometown

A few minutes of the first episode are enough to make you realize that a veil of mystery covers this small rural town. This mystery is going to stick up until the very end and that’s what makes Hometown special.


Watching Hometown is like walking in a fog, you walk around the Hometown without seeing anything. You’re searching and trying to understand your surroundings, the truth behind everything, only by touching and hearing. After feeling parts of the truth, you think you have understood what’s going on, but you haven’t. You can’t see the whole picture, because everything is blurred. Even the area between supernatural and realistic is grey. Before you realize it, you find yourself lost wandering through the episodes like the residents are wandering around like lost souls in Hometown.


You have to be patient; the fog can’t be dissolved right away. Hometown is a slow-burn drama and it takes time for the story to build up. Many things happen in the episodes but the main plot does not escalate quickly. The storytelling consists of many timelines that in due course of time meet and become one. It can be a little confusing at first so you have to pay attention, but the moment all the timelines are joined you will feel a sense of satisfaction and everything will be more understandable.


Watching Hometown while it was ongoing helped a lot to process the events, make theories and, of course, to not get bored because of its slow-paced rhythm. Thus, I don’t really recommend binge-watching this drama, take your time.


As the story leaves many things in the dark until the end, the main concern is whether the story will lead somewhere eventually or not. All I can say without spoilers is that Hometown has a decent closure but not the grand finale I personally expected it to have. My feelings are mixed towards its ending so I believe everyone will have different impressions about it depending on what they expect to see.


The production

What makes this drama glow is the production. The directing is meticulous with almost excellent shots, beautiful scenery and on point scene transitions. The color palette that has been used in the drama consists of mainly dark and moody colors that fit perfectly with the mysterious vibes of the drama. The music is remarkable and definitely gives the right atmosphere and tension to the drama.


The acting of this drama made me feel something very rare, almost unprecedented. The character portrayal from all the actors was so convincing that during the episodes, I didn’t see actors on the screen, I only saw characters. Even the younger selves of the main characters didn’t seem to be different actors, but the same person. This left me actually pretty impressed and was one of the reasons I really enjoyed this drama.


Overall, Hometown is a very well executed drama from all the perspectives. The only thing that lags a little, is the story towards the ending. For someone who likes thrillers and mysteries, Hometown is going to be a thrilling but weird ride at the same time.

Lire davantage

Drop Everything and Watch this

You know what i literally re rated everything i have watched till date cuz after watching this series my standards have gone so high that i don't think any drama or atleast any mystery thriller would get close easily.

I am the type of person who focuses on two things : the story and the characters. Even if one is done right and is consistent, i am generally satisfied. Here, the story is the hero. The direction is brilliant but definitely the story carries everything on its back. I love creepy stuff, and i have watched a hell lot of things so nothing creeped me out, nothing scared me but based on my experience ppl who don't watch stuff like that will definitely be uncomfortable.

Now, another word i write and it will be a spoiler and i don't want to ruin anyone's journey to watch this masterpiece. Go watch it and if you don't understand something after finishing it, we can discuss or even in the mid but don't drop it just bcuz it might weigh down on your brain. I mean seriously dropping it would be disrespectful to art.

Lire davantage

Gripping but with an unnecessarily convoluted plot

I have always been interested in dramas with cult and serial killer elements so I was immediately drawn to this title. The first few episodes did not disappoint but in the middle and towards the end, the show seemed to get too ahead of itself with the constant flashbacks/time skips and constant complications. I was concerned when only 2 episodes were left but closure was nowhere to be seen. The writer/director seemed to realise this as well and certain plot developments were hastily explained/not explained at all. Unfortunately the ending fell short of what I had hoped for and I still have many unanswered questions. Uhm Tae Goo's character had many long, circular monologues which I felt were unnecessary and did not do much to advance the plot other than to continuously highlight the fact that he was a total nutcase. The ending fell short of all the various events that they were trying to set it up for at the start. I wished they had decreased the number of monologues and provided some answers instead but this is just my preference for more "closed" endings. Also, there are a few "jumpscares" so take note if you have a weak heart. Other than that, the cinematography, acting and production value are excellent.

The reason why I rated it so low in rewatch value is because this is a show that mainly hinges on the suspense and finding the reasons/motives behind the various happenings. In my opinion, these questions were not sufficiently answered hence I would not rewatch it (despite the high production value).

Conclusion: watch this show if you like cults, strange murders and The Ring.

Lire davantage

first of all I want to say there's horror in here. I hv a scaredy ass and I did not know about it and I'm traumatized :') it was so scary and creepy

okay for the review, it started off reallyy freakin good, it's dark and super mysterious and somewhat disturbing. but honestly i can't remember the storyline that much. for about 9 or 10 episodes everything was still a mystery or idk maybe I'm just so dumb to get if there's hint in it. and I actually don't know whats going on. but because of that, it was interesting and I really wanted to know the whole truth. but the wrapped up was blurry and there are still things that I question. so umm idk it's good in terms of making me intrigue, but prolly cz im dumb and it was scary i can't enjoy it to the fullest. and btw this drama is an acting powerhouse!! lahv that

Lire davantage

Amazing buildup with blurry conclusion.

I did not have such a level of mind-f**k in a long time. Half way through the show I stopped making any theories, because it was just impossible to predict and evaluate anything. The only thing I knew was - anything can happen.

The events present in the show happen in 4 different timelines, and like puzzle pieces put together, slowly showcase the whole picture. Sadly, along the way some pieces have been lost, and the answers were not fully delivered, leaving me with my own interpretations and theories.

The story follows quite a number of characters, with their own back stories and plot lines, that are all connected in a convoluted way. The moment you might think you start to see the whole picture, they do 180 on you, and you are back to the beginning - confused and frustrated.

Without the doubt Uhm Tae Goo was the star of the show. Jo Kyung Ho was such a glooming and enigmatic presence throughout the drama, I could do nothing, but get intrigued and drawn to him. The calmness, confidence and the assured tone with which he delivered the lines made it that much more terrifying.

On the other side of the events we had Choi Hyung In - emotional and driven detective, and Jo Jung Hyun, who failed to run away from her fast and was forced to face it. With each episode we see the paths of the three characters getting closer, leading to an inevitable clash.

From my perspective, the show tells the story of the different ways people deal with trauma, grief, anger and fear. Some give up, some fight till the end, some run away and some dive into a revenge fueled path. Hometown presents how turning a blind eye to suffering can lead to more pain and more victims. Facing your past, working through the pain, accepting the responsibility, regretting the mistakes and working to fix them, even if it seems too late to take any actions - it’s worth living even if we suffer.

The acting from the main cast was a top level of awesomeness. I felt sad and defeated thanks to Yoo Jae Myung, confused and trapped thanks to Han Ye Ri’s performance, and uncomfortable with, but enchanted by Kyung Ho’s character, thanks to Uhm Tae Goo’s skills.

Some of the teens' performances were questionable - the characters did not feel quite real and the emotions did not reach me. Luckily, it only happened during a few scenes, and overall, all of them did a fairly good job.

The production quality could not be better. The mix of horror elements perfectly elevated the thrills, blurring the lines between the reality and creations of one's mind. For a show that is not mainly a horror, it delivers the tense atmosphere in a skillful way, giving the viewers goosebumps during a number of scenes.

Are there any complaints? Yes.

Set up that is not explained well. Till the end, even after the credit rolls on the screen, you won’t get all the answers of “how” and “why”. If we limit the story to what’s possible in reality - this makes little sense. Me and many other viewers voiced how the presence of supernatural elements could elevate the show to a new level, explaining some plotlines and character’s choices and skills.

By the end of the last episode, I was still confused about what exactly started the whole plot - what made Jo Kyung Ho what he was, why he did what he did, when he started and what exactly was his desired outcome. I have my theories, but the point is - I don’t think the show did enough in explaining what drives the villain - they fail to explain his motives properly.

Confusion surrounding some plotlines, especially circumstances around Im Se Yoon and the timeline of her death. The last two episodes confused the heck out of me. I tried to sum up all the information I’ve got since episode one, but it just does not work in my brain. I might have missed something, they might have made it far more convoluted than needed, or it might be both.

Overall, it was an extremely intense ride. The journey was so entertaining, even with the disappointing conclusion, I can’t help, but love the show. Hometown ends with a question mark rather than a full stop, but for me, sometimes it’s better to not give the answers than give the ones that are not satisfying.

Lire davantage

Hot confusing mess

This show had a lot of promise but turned out to be a hot confusing mess. With the jumps between the time periods to show what happened in the past, it was very confusing to watch, and painfully slow. Thankfully the show was only 12 episodes and after the first messy 5 episodes, things sped up quite a fair bit.

The best thing about the show were the stellar actors, Every single actor, main cast as well as supporting, were fantastic, including the children/teenage actors.

In short, this is show is like The Ring mixed with a cult. I'd rather re-watch the original Japanese Ring (the movie, not the drama which also sucked big time). Watch it only if you have nothing better to do or like me, I already have Netflix.

Lire davantage

Good thriller but it didnot need to be Hinduphobic

Okay I genuinely liked this psychological thriller drama pot, acting, cinematography
But there is one thing that irked me in every single episode.....I understand they had to show some evil cult practice but they didn't have to associate hindu practices, indian language and yoga with the drug-addicted-cult members!
Just got a a very strong hinduphobic vibe
Not cool :(
....
That's all I got to say as I am still reeling from it. I understand Korea is a Christian majority country but you don't have to bash other religions like this.
Not cool whoever wrote the script and allowed this portrayal!
Stopped me from appreciating this to the fullest

Lire davantage

A cheap flick

Went from promising to disappointing real quick. Cults and hypnosis/mind-control is the worst combination to make a mystery/thriller/horror drama. It gives the writer an unlimited pass for a lazy writing and this is what we got here. The cast was alright tho.

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Humans are the most fearful beings.

Humans are the most fearful beings.

It's not easy to complete this series without feeling queasy, anxious and angry all at once.

It’s worth watching, but frankly speaking, is just overall, above average.

Its strong point is the tension built and maintained through misdirection and the manipulation of the twists, keeping the viewer guessing, uncertain about what's actually going on and where the story is headed.

The drama is often very slow and has an unnecessary, and overcomplicated (you need to rearrange the whole timeline on your own for a deeper understanding of the current events) storytelling.

However, the fun of this drama is not in figuring anything out, but in watching it unfold in its absolutely messy pacing; one of those white-knuckle, edge of your seat watch, where the story is broken up between the past and the present, as the time between those periods narrows, bringing them together.

Although its content is crawling with extremely twisted and bizarre insinuations, this story isn't the least bit graphic in what it reveals. It displays more mind-control and fear than anything else.

The sickening element is certainly present, but applied with a gentle hand and refrains from growing too dark or heavy.

It has a decent closure, but not the grand finale I, personally, expected it to have, specially considering the grand scheme of things.

I really enjoyed the series until the end, although it did have many flaws and plot holes, more so in the last episodes.

The music scores fit perfectly, and the acting was absolutely stellar.

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