One of the many reasons I look forward to the weekend is because I get to catch up on newly-released shows and movies. This weekend’s latest watch was The Tyrant, a new Korean-drama series on Hulu/Disney+, which is super intense and jam-packed with action.
This Korean Action-Thriller Mini-Series Is a Must-Watch
A fun, fast watch
•
Published Sep 1, 2024
Hulu/Disney+
Directed and written by Park Hoon-jung, the four-part mini-series tells the heart-pumping story of the race to find a coveted bioweapon that is stolen during a secret handover between Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies. Along the way, there is tons of action, lots of blood, a little betrayal and some suspect characters that have to be dealt with.
The trouble at hand? The South Korean government has developed an extensive plan known as The Tyrant Project, which consists of a bioweapon with the power to enhance human abilities. At first glance, the bioweapon seems like it could be a good idea (superhuman abilities don't exactly sound terrible), but as with all inventions of this nature, the weapon was developed for nefarious reasons, which means it has to be destroyed.
Needless to say, I was thoroughly entertained by The Tyrant.
Hulu/Disney+
That bioweapon I just mentioned? Well, South Korea was supposed to turn that over to the United States so that all samples could be destroyed. During that exchange, an assailant known as Director Choi (Kim Seon Ho) takes over and ruins that plan by stealing the sample. Now, I’m not somebody who is typically into shows and movies with loads of blood and killing (and this show has a lot of it), but I couldn’t keep my eyes away (even if I had to cover them at times).
The performances of Kim Seon Ho, Cha Seung-won, Kim Kang-woo and Jo Yoon-and Jo Yoon-so are also noteworthy as their characters are riveting, while also matching the dark neo-noir tone of the series. The visuals are stunning, and so is the camera work—particularly during the action scenes, with the first episode laying the groundwork for the remaining three episodes.
Hulu/Disney+
Episode two is the fallout from the events of the first episode, with a call-to-action to eliminate the two main perpetrators of the operation.
While things end after four episodes here with The Tyrant, I’d say there’s definitely an opportunity to expand upon the final events in the form of another season. If not, you get your answer as to which party is the “winner” of The Tyrant Project so to speak, leaving you more-than-satisfied with a short-but-sweet watch.
You can stream The Tyrant on Hulu and Disney+.
Want all the latest entertainment news sent right to your inbox? Subscribe here.
