"There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me. Only an entity. Something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours, and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable, I simply am not there." -from the opening monologue of "American Psycho"

While no one in "Romance in the House" is chopping unsuspecting victims to bits with an axe while jamming to Huey Lewis and the News, this drama is not hip nor square nor a shape of really any kind. It's an amalgamation of scenes and characters and workplaces and drinking scenes and backstories that not merely don't add up, but don't make any semblance of an impression at any point.

No actor and character, whether lead or supporting or guest, connects convincingly with any other. Perhaps it's a function of how stock the roles are - the driven, young, humorless corporate salarywoman, her flippant younger brother, the cute boyfriend that's both connected to power & money and with a tragic family backstory, the collection of stereotypically nosy supporting characters, the office gossipers and the former hero athlete. To his credit, Ji Jin Hee goes full tilt to bringing Mu Jin to life, but there's nothing to connect him to. Kim Jee Soo's Ae Yeon is so busy being resigned to her fate that their rekindling romance never feels credible. Meanwhile, Son Na Eun thankfully gets a role that isn't the petulant pretty girl but she overcompensates by being so grim and cranky that she comes across as an unpleasant scold. And Choi Min Ho is simply not a lead actor. He's a cute and chipper supporting gem, but he simply can't express any emotion other than wide-eyed aw shucks surprise. Even when he's acting out a scene where he's supposed to be in a rage or inconsolably sad, he looks like, on the inside, he's just jazzed about the mint chocolate chip ice cream cone with extra sprinkles on top that he'll get as soon as the director yells "CUT!"

The plot attempts to gin up tension by concealing the mystery of Mu Jin's whereabouts for years, his reason for suddenly returning and how he acquired new wealthy status during his absence. The issue is that the tone of the production makes it impossible to imagine that all the hints and speculation of possible illicit means being involved could be true. With no believable mystery of whether Mu Jin has a dark side, there's just a lot of aimless and circular meanderings until the inevitable pairings and reunifications conclude.

The result is much like Patrick Bateman's description of himself - an empty shell - only without the catchy 80's pop tunes and exquisitely crafted business cards.

Not recommended.