“They say something strange appears and prophesizes your death. Then it takes you to hell on the prophesized date.”
“Hellbound” (2021) is another notable Korean series set to be released on Netflix this November. The trailers connote a fantasy-horror genre revolving around death, angels, evil, and chaos.
Ahead of its release, a few episodes were screened at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival in September, attaining the first Korean series to make it to the festival. It was also screened at the 26th Busan International Film Festival and 65th BFI London Film Festival in October.
Here are three interesting facts that you should know about “Hellbound”:
1. About the Director
“I’d like to welcome you all to the new world,” the trailer states.
“Hellbound” is based on a webtoon of the same title, written and directed by Yeon Sang Ho, a well-known creator for his outstanding films such as the award-winning “Train To Busan” (2016) and “Peninsula” (2020).
As his works major on the creative portrayal of society’s injustice, suffering, and chaos, “Hellbound” is surely set to take us to another penetrating yet engaging worldview, contrasting good and evil.
“Hellbound simply depicts the hell we now live in,” reveals one of the main casts.
2. Theme, Synopsis, and Plot
“Hellbound” is a fantasy-horror genre with its plot revolving around mysterious creatures and a pseudo-religion with ominous plans, causing fears and chaos on earth.
As the trailer indicates, a cult leader directs a religious movement, manipulating people’s minds with a twisted message of heaven and hell, making people believe, “The New Truth. They say it’s some kind of warning to the people.”
A supernatural force in the form of dark monsters appear to prophesy death to certain individuals and drag them to hell on the prophesied date. “Park Jun-ga, you will die in five days,” the official trailer reveals.
Netflix describes the beasts as “unearthly beings who deliver condemnations, sending individuals to hell and giving rise to a religious group founded on the idea of divine justice.”
Anti-occultism characters will also appear to investigate the movement amid the chaos of the supernatural phenomenon. This six-part series, full of suspense and thrill, will surely keep the viewers on the edge of their seats.
3. Main Cast and Characters
“Hellbound” is star-studded with the following main casts: Yoo Ah-in, Park Jung-min, Kim Hyun-joo, Won Jin-ah, and Yang Ik-june.
Yoo Ah-in, an award-winning actor, will portray the character of the charismatic cult leader. He is known for his diverse roles in several works such as the Chicago Typewriter (2017), Burning (2018), #Alive (2019), and Voice Of Silence (2020) to name a few.
Kim Hyun-joo, known for her various appearances in television series and variety shows, will play the role of a determined lawyer who is against the cult leader and the movement.
Park Jung-min is an actor-writer who won the Best Supporting Actor at the 2020 Korean Association of Film Critics Awards and 2021 Blue Dragon Film Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in “Deliver Us From Evil” (2020). In Hellbound, he will portray the role of a producing director whose family is condemned to hell and where he begins to investigate the pseudo-religion.
Won Jin-ah will play the role of the producing director’s wife who is also a member of the cult. She was a nominee at the 2018 Baeksang Arts Awards and winner at the 2018 APAN Star Awards for Best New Actress for her role in “Rain or Shine” (2018).
Yang Ik-june is an actor-director who will portray the police detective assigned to investigate the supernatural phenomenon.
The cast shares about Hellbound, saying, “The script is so immersive. It narrates people who repeat irreversible mistakes, stick to their convictions, or sacrifice themselves. The circumstances, stories, and humanity will convey various messages depending on the perspective.”
“Hellbound” is set to premiere worldwide on November 19 through Netflix.
KORB 