Netflix’s 'Karma' delivers ancient message through tightly woven thriller
Have you ever watched a thriller so full of twists and secrets that even revealing a character’s name would count as a spoiler?
“Karma” is exactly that kind of breakneck thriller — a series so sated with shocking turns that describing the plot in any detail would risk spoiling the entire experience.
Broadly, “Karma” centers on a web of evil characters, including a man, played by Lee Hee-jun, who instructs a colleague to murder his own father for a life insurance payout, another man, played by Park Hae-soo, who witnesses a chilling crime, and a doctor, played by Shin Min-a, who is likely the sole moral compass among the morally compromised characters, grappling with deep psychological trauma.
Propelled by relentless pacing and airtight storytelling, the series offers no chance to look away. Every character is essential, every backstory a critical piece of the puzzle in a game of deceit, murder and revenge.
Speaking at a group interview Wednesday in Jung-gu, Seoul, “Squid Game” star Park shared his thoughts on what drew him to the series.
“There’s this one character who has the power to cut off all the villains, and ironically, that person is the most fragile, trapped in trauma. Yet that person is the one who can deliver a message to all these strong, evil characters," Park explained. "I found that really compelling.”
He also pointed to an unexpected tonal layer in the show.
“(Another thing) that attracted me (to 'Karma') was the sense of comedy I felt. The characters seem foolish, almost like a fable … that gap, that contrast, gave rise to a kind of humor that I found really interesting,” Park added.
“Rather than being overly terrifying or disgusting, it’s a piece where we, as viewers, can step back and laugh at the foolish behaviors and choices of these characters,” said Park.
Reflecting on the title “Karma,” Park shared his own belief in the concept of fate.
“What’s clear to me is that fate, or some kind of connection, does seem to exist. And within that, I feel like karma, or the consequences of one’s actions, somehow find a way to come back around in one form or another,” he said.
Meanwhile, "Karma" is also a rare thriller attempt from rom-com queen Shin Min-a.
Shin, too, was captivated by the way the series, together with its adrenaline-charged plot, conveyed messages of evil and karma.
"I don’t think evil can ever truly win over good. ... In the end, (sin) always comes back, no matter when, how, or through whom. Watching this drama, I felt like it conveyed that message about evil in a way that wasn’t one-dimensional, but engaging and thought-provoking. And even though it might sound obvious, it really made me think, ‘I shouldn’t do bad things,’" laughed Shin, during a group interview held in Jung-gu, Seoul, Wednesday.
Reflecting on her role as an emotionally scarred doctor with a mysterious past, Shin recalled feeling conflicted about how to portray the character in each scene.
"I had already read through the entire script and knew how the story would unfold, including the twists, but I had to start expressing those emotions from the very beginning. What really weighed on me was how to portray the emotions that don’t come from a current trauma, but from something much deeper -- an old, profound trauma from her past," said Shin.
"I kept asking myself, if I were her, how much of that pain would show right now? I worried that if I expressed it too lightly, it wouldn’t feel real. But if I showed too much, it might seem overly deliberate, like just another part of the setup," she said. "Assuming this character, I spent a lot of time wrestling with that balance."
All six episodes of "Karma" are now available to stream on Netflix.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
