Somebody review: Slow-paced with bizarre twists and turns

Somebody follows Kim Sum, a software developer who created a dating app that is now being used by a serial killer to find his next victims. The series is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Years after creating a one-of-a-kind AI chatbot, talented app developer Kim Sum uses the technology to create ‘Somebody’, a dating app designed to help people find their soulmates.

Kim Sum struggles to connect with others due to Asperger’s syndrome and longs for a connection with someone who truly understands her.

When she learns that a serial killer is using her dating app to target and murder women, she thrives to track him down.

Kim Sum’s search leads her to a string of accounts linked to the same user, Yun-oh, who attracts lonely matches with his nonhuman-like talk.

She meets Yun-oh on Somebody and develops a strong bond with him. Yun-oh, on the other hand, continues to lure other women he meets on the app, whom he eventually strangles.

When Kim Sum accidentally kills someone in self-defense and realizes how euphoric it made her feel, she starts to think of Yun-oh as her soul mate, and they develop an intense romantic relationship with each other.

Meanwhile, Gi-eun, Kim Sum’s best friend and a police officer, meets a man through Somebody and goes on a date with him.

That man abandons her in a remote place, and she sees him as a threat to others. Gi-eun tracks him down with her friend Mok-won and figures out that he is Kim Sum’s boyfriend, Yun-oh.

Gi-eun and Mok-won gather evidence against him and seek help from Kim Sum, who is forced to choose between her friends and Yun-oh.

Performances

Kang Hae-lim as Kim Sum showcases her dynamic abilities as she transforms from someone who appears innocent to someone cold and enamored with violence.

Kim Young-kwang delivers a chilling performance as Yun-oh. He is meticulous and insensitive, and his psychopathy extends far beyond the surface; it is woven into a trail of bodies, each of which has a distinct significance.

Yun-oh and Kim Sum are a murderous match that breaks and bends each other while the rest of the cast tries to solve the mystery.

Kim Yong-ji as Mok-won displays her distinct personality as a shaman and a lesbian, while Kim Su-yeon as Gi-eun, a police officer, gives her best performance as she attempts to track down the serial killer.

Positives

Somebody is a mysterious and difficult series, but it is never less than fascinating. The angles of the story are beyond a viewer’s grasp, but the show’s captivating ideas, as well as its aggressive and confident tone, offer their own kind of hook.

The cinematography is stunning, and the lighting is quite solid and subtle, adding a lot of atmosphere to each scene. This is especially noticeable during the show’s darkest moments when the killings take place.

Somebody is unlike any other episodic Korean drama series. It contains numerous elements such as sex, self-pleasure, horror, romance, thriller, technology, and spine-tingling violence.

Though it should have been a complete mess, it was carried out competently. You get the impression that you watched something innovative and ambitious by the end.

Negatives

A well-executed, slow-paced thriller sounds good, but the pacing of the scenes in this series feels sluggish at times.

Some scenes, such as Kim Sum’s daily monotonous life, feel repetitive and too long, while the lives of other characters that the viewers would like to know more about just end abruptly.

Even the backstories of the main characters are completely missing and unexplored.

Almost all of the characters knowingly put themselves in risky situations throughout the show, frequently in Yun-oh’s vicinity, which is just absurd and unbelievable. Especially Gi-eun, who keeps pursuing Yun-oh by herself and nearly dies twice in the process.

The series is driven by the aspect of finding someone you feel you belong with. However, after a few episodes, the story arc becomes a little tedious and boring.

Verdict

This latest Korean thriller takes a dating app murder mystery to new heights. For anyone looking for a good serial killer story that unfolds slowly, “Somebody” is a must-watch series.

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Also Read: Somebody ending explained: Does Yun-oh get caught for his crimes?