The Bequeathed

''The Bequeathed'' () is a 2024 South Korean occult thriller television series created by Yeon Sang-ho, written by Yeon, Min Hong-nam, and Hwang Eun-young, directed by Min, and starring Kim Hyun-joo, Park Hee-soon, Park Byung-eun, and Ryu Kyung-soo. Based on the webtoon of the same name by Kang Tae-kyung. It was released on Netflix on January 19, 2024.

Synopsis

Yoon Seo-ha (Kim Hyun-joo), a college lecturer, is surprised to learn that her long-forgotten paternal uncle has died, leaving her as the sole heir to the family's burial ground. This news brings back painful memories of her father who abandoned her and her mother. At the uncle's funeral, Seo-ha's half-brother, Kim Young-ho (Ryu Kyung-soo), demands inclusion in the inheritance. The situation triggers a series of ominous events, causing her immense unease. Meanwhile, police detective Choi Sung-jun (Park Hee-soon) discovers that the murder case is not a simple manslaughter case. He investigates the case, which is elusive and leads to many dead ends. Park Sang-min (Park Byung-eun), the chief inspector, disapproves of Sung-jun and excludes him from the case. However, his investigation, which focused on key persons surrounding the burial ground, leads nowhere. Another murder occurs, and the village is turned upside down.

Cast

Main

* Kim Hyun-joo as Yoon Seo-ha: a college instructor who hopes to upgrade her hourly status to a faculty position as an appointed professor.
** as teenage Yoon Seo-ha
** Kim Min-chae as young Yoon Seo-ha
* Park Hee-soon as Choi Sung-jun: a detective with a keen sense of investigation from Namil Police Station's homicide team.
* Park Byung-eun as Park Sang-min: a chief inspector of homicide team at Namil Police Station.
* Ryu Kyung-soo as Kim Young-ho: Seo-ha's half-brother who wants to inherit their family's burial ground.
** as young Kim Young-ho

Supporting

* Cha Mi-kyung as Yoon Myung-hee: a grandmother from Jinseong-ri village and Young-ho's biological mother.
* as Choi Tae-song: a building owner who tries to convince Seo-ha to buy his building.
* as President Kang Hong-sik: a private detective hired by Seo-ha to catch her husband's affair.
* as Yuk Sung-soo: the chief of Jinseong-ri village.
* as Jin Dae-su: a detective at Namil Police Station.
* as Kim Jung-hyun: a detective at Namil Police Station.
* Jung In-gi as Professor Kim Chang-seok
* Choi Yu-hwa as Professor Han Na-rae
* as Yoon Myung-ho: Seo-ha and Young-ho's father.
* as Choi Joon-hyung: Sung-jun's son.
* as Yoon Myung-gil: the owner of the burial ground and Seo-ha's uncle.
* as Seo-ha's grandfather
* as a detective
* as a detective
* as an old man working in kiln
* as a buddhist nun's teacher
* as a buddhist nun
* as Kim Kwang-soo: a development team leader at Jijo Construction.
* Lee Yoon-hee as a chief of police
* Hong Suk-bin as a medical examiner
* as a tavern owner's older sister
* Lee Soo-mi as a tavern owner
* as Kim Jung-tae
* as Seo Ha-mo
* as a shaman

Special appearance

* Park Sung-hoon as Yang Jae-seok: Seo-ha's husband (episode 1–2)

Production

In October 2022, Kim Hyun-joo, Park Hee-soon, Park Byung-eun, and Ryu Kyung-soo were cast to play various roles for the Netflix series ''The Bequeathed'' which is created and written by director Yeon Sang-ho, and the production is managed by Wow Point, a global content production company and RedPeter Films, a film company that created movies such as ''Peninsula'' (2020), ''Another Child'' (2019), ''Birthday'' (2019), ''Psychokinesis'' (2018) and ''Train to Busan'' (2016).

In December 2023, it was announced that director Min Hong-nam who assisted Yeon in the film ''Train to Busan'' is set to debut his directorial work, co-written by Yeon together with Min and Hwang Eun-young.

Release

The series was released exclusively on Netflix on January 19, 2024.

Reception

Critical response

Jonathan Wilson of ''Ready Steady Cut'' said that "it's too short and inconsistent to set the K-Drama world alight, with a saggy middle stretch and a sense of familiarity to its plotting that even the lingering atmosphere can't account for as things stretch on", but "the payoff is worth the time investment". ''Outlook India'' rated it a 2.5/5 and writer Pushpangi Raina called that "the show stings so much after much-anticipation because the plot was there, the story was there, actors were decent, but the ending really made me get up and think 'Is that it?'" and "leaves you with only questions, with no scope for answers". ''NME''s Rhian Daly proclaimed "the main focus of the show, meanwhile, is let down by muddy and convoluted storytelling that rips away the power from the eerie scene-setting", continuing that "everything is largely predictable, which leaves the horror being played out on screen feeling more like a balloon slowly, sadly leaking out air than one commanding your attention (and fear) with a sudden pop", and "despite some strong performances from the actors, though, 'The Bequeathed''doesn't come close to living up to the expectations around it". ''South China Morning Post'' rated it a 3/5 and critic Pierce Conrad stated that it "draws us in quickly with its atmosphere but the mystery of its central premise soon loses its lustre", and also "loses its way around the halfway point, when the action slows down and the reveals don't offer the most exciting new nuggets of information", but "given the short episodes and the meandering midsection, one wonders if the story would have been better suited to being a feature film". In ''But Why Tho?'', Kate Sánchez wrote that " 'The Bequeathed''blends shamanism with a supernatural edge and classic detective noir storytelling to craft something unique" and overall it "expertly uses genre storytelling and a deep human focus to thrill its audience both in flashbacks and in the present-day timeline". Nandini Iyengar wrote in ''Bollywood Hungama'', "there was a lot of potential that went unchecked as the makers tried to fit in more stories in a limited time".

Viewership

''The Bequeathed'' ranked fourth in Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category after three days of its release and received a warm response in 10 countries being listed in the Top 10 including South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, Qatar, and Singapore.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bequeathed, The
2024 South Korean television series debuts
2024 web series debuts
Korean-language television shows
Netflix original programming
South Korean suspense television series
South Korean thriller television series
South Korean horror fiction television series
South Korean web series