Stranger
2017
Original language: Korean
- crime
- drama
- mystery
The story
Hwang Shi Mok underwent brain surgery as a child to curb his violent temper, which left him devoid of emotions. Hwang becomes a prosecutor known for his piercing intelligence and logic, but he is ostracized because he lacks empathy and social skills. He is also one of only a handful of upright prosecutors who have refused to take bribes. One day, he encounters a stabbing victim while investigating corruption. He meets Lieutenant Han Yeo Jin at the crime scene. They join forces to root out corruption at the prosecutors’ office and solve a serial murder case.
What it’s like
Cool, desaturated Seoul interiors dominate this Korean crime drama: fluorescent-lit corridors, rain-streaked windows, dim courtrooms and cramped interrogation rooms where tension hangs in the stillness. The camera tends to hold on faces, often in tight close-up or at a patient distance, and the palette shifts from grey office blues to warmer, sodden night streets. Scoring is sparse and restrained, with low strings and quiet piano swelling only at key reveals, leaving long gaps of ambient room tone. The pace is methodical, built on interviews, document-checking and quiet confrontations rather than action, though violence does occur: a stabbing and a serial killer's crimes are shown with brief, sharp impact and some bloody crime-scene detail, and tension rises through dread more than gore. Its emotional register is cool and cerebral with a current of melancholy, following a rigid, socially awkward prosecutor slowly forced into connection with a colleague who sees past his detachment. Best suited to viewers who enjoy slow-burn procedurals, morally grey institutions and character-driven mysteries on a late, quiet night, and less suited to anyone wanting something gentle or wholly light.
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