Lead cast: Park So-dam, Seo In-guk
A down-on-his-luck jobseeker gives up on life and climbs on to the edge of a roof. But when he jumps off, death does not provide the sweet release he expected it to. An angry Grim Reaper decides to punish him for jumping the gun by making him experience what no human has to – going through death more than once.
In addition to his own death, he must now endure death 12 more times through the bodies of different people whose time is almost up, the catch being that, should he manage to prevent one of these deaths, he may continue to live in that body.
Easier said than done. Each reincarnation tends to start with the person in a rather precarious situation: a passenger in a plane that is about to explode, a man skydiving without a parachute, a baby in the hands of its murderous parents.
10 of the best new Korean drama series to watch in December 2023
10 of the best new Korean drama series to watch in December 2023
Seven years ago, while still at university, he was well positioned to pass a job interview at the Taekang Corporation, but after seeing a man walking into traffic and staring into the eyes of the bleeding corpse that lands at his feet after ricocheting off a moving car, he is so rattled that he tanks the interview.
Nothing goes right after that and the show quickly cycles through the obvious clichés that might bring a young male character to the brink of suicide. He studies non-stop, works as a delivery driver and designated driver to make ends meet, is scammed out of all his savings by a friend, and summarily evicted from his rooftop flat.
Suicide may not be the answer, but the circumstances that drive him towards that impulse are understandable. So what is it about Yi-jae’s case that so upsets “Death”, the gatekeeper to hell played by Park?
“You are guilty of coming to find me before I came to find you.” These are the words that open the series and they align closely with the fire and brimstone style of the Bible’s Old Testament. However, it is tricky to say what, if any, religious bent the series has.
Death’s Game jumps around with such narrative abandon that the only thing that remains constant is visceral effect.
One need only look at its penchant for exaggerated violence, from its grisly first street- collision death all the way to the extreme-sports star who lands with a gigantic splat beside the net intended to catch him on live television – it is easily the show’s funniest gag so far, although also its most morbid.
The format also does not give us proper leads. Seo keeps switching with other actors, while Park is given precious little to do other than posture in silly outfits on green-screen sets brought to life through dull, digital impressions of hell.
Although she was seen earlier this year in the film Phantom, Death’s Game is actually her first project shot since 2021, when Park briefly stepped away from the industry to recover from papillary thyroid cancer.
While a mixed bag with a murky message, Death’s Game is also fast-paced and enjoyable pulp which bakes a few twisted surprises into a novel body-swap fantasy concept.
The series is split into two four-episode parts, the first of which launched all its episodes on December 15; part two is scheduled to drop on January 5. This is a similar release schedule to that of Gyeongseong Creature, the other major end-of-year Korean drama, which is also dropping in two parts in December and January.
Death’s Game is streaming on Amazon Prime.
If you have suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or +1 800 273 8255.