SBS's ambitious new Friday-Saturday drama, "The Mantis: A Killer's Outing," has captured viewers' attention from its very first broadcast with a powerful and intense impression. Unquestionably, the biggest headline was the return of actress Go Hyun-jung to the small screen. While not a prolific actress, she has built deep trust with the public by delivering unparalleled character interpretations and charismatic performances in every project she undertakes. Considering her filmography, which shows a preference for complex and three-dimensional figures over ordinary or typical roles, her casting as the serial killer Jung Yi-shin is anticipated to be the perfect stage to once again showcase her true talents. The high expectation for the chilling and intelligent aura of the murderer she will portray serves as the drama's primary point of interest.
The presence of Jang Dong-yoon, who acts opposite Go Hyun-jung, is also intriguing. Jang has been primarily known to the public for the upright and gentle image he has cultivated through numerous roles. While he has shown different facets of his acting, his clear gaze and neat demeanor have often shone brightest when playing righteous or innocent young men. In this drama, however, he takes on the role of Cha Soo-yeol, a police officer who is the son of a serial killer and must cooperate with his mother to hunt down another murderer. His portrayal of complex inner turmoil, caught between his deep-seated trauma and professional ethics, will be a new acting challenge for Jang Dong-yoon and an opportunity for viewers to discover another side of him.
However, what anchors this drama more firmly than the glittering names of its lead actors are the production team, especially director Byun Young-joo and screenwriter Lee Young-jong. First, writer Lee Young-jong is a seasoned veteran of the film industry. His prowess has been proven multiple times, from "Black House," which successfully adapted the work of horror master Yusuke Kishi to the screen, to "12.12: The Day," which drew ten million viewers by shedding light on a modern historical tragedy. Furthermore, his participation in adapting "The Roundup: No Way Out" and "Hunt" proved he possesses both a sharp sense for genre and popular appeal. The very fact that he is writing a drama for the first time elevates "The Mantis" beyond a simple crime thriller, raising expectations for a solid narrative and dense psychological portrayal.
The figure who puts the final seal on these expectations is director Byun Young-joo. Director Byun has already proven her exceptional directorial talent in the thriller genre with the film "Helpless." By delicately yet suspensefully depicting the process of uncovering a woman's mysterious past, she earned praise from both critics and audiences. Her more recent drama, "Black Out," despite facing setbacks with a delayed broadcast, gained a strong following through word-of-mouth as a well-made genre piece, captivating viewers with its high quality and immersive story. The fact that Director Byun, who has a deep understanding of the thriller and mystery genres and has established her unique style, has returned with the same genre is a declaration that "The Mantis" is a guaranteed high-quality work crafted by a "master of the genre."
Another one of Director Byun's directorial trademarks is her ability to skillfully reinterpret proven original works in her own style. "The Mantis" is also based on the 2017 six-part French drama "La Mante," which was released on Netflix. The Korean version has been expanded to eight pre-produced episodes to enhance its completeness. The basic framework of the original—a former serial killer and her police officer son collaborating to catch a copycat—naturally brings to mind the film "The Silence of the Lambs." The synergy that will be created by adding a Korean emotional context and Director Byun's signature cold and sharp direction onto this familiar yet captivating premise is a key point of anticipation.
The drama begins with the emergence of a crime that mimics the "Mantis Serial Murders," which shocked the Republic of Korea over two decades ago. The original "Mantis," Jung Yi-shin (played by Go Hyun-jung), is an incarcerated figure whose existence has been kept a closely guarded secret after she murdered only men who abused women or children and then suddenly turned herself in. However, when a series of bizarre murders occurs, seemingly copied and pasted from her past crimes, the police find themselves helpless. The copycat's methods are so elaborate and bold that the help of the original Mantis, Jung Yi-shin, becomes absolutely essential.
Ultimately, Chief Superintendent Choi Joong-ho (played by Jo Sung-ha), the original detective on the case and now a high-ranking police official, visits Jung Yi-shin in prison. He knows that the only key to catching the copycat lies within her mind, as her original crimes left no evidence and would have remained unsolved forever had she not confessed. However, Jung Yi-shin sets an unexpected condition for her cooperation. She demands that her own son, the active-duty police officer Cha Soo-yeol (played by Jang Dong-yoon), must be the one to visit her. This proposal is not just a term of cooperation but a cruel prelude that summons a past tragedy into the present.
Among the conditions Jung Yi-shin set when she surrendered in the past, the most critical were that her son, Cha Soo-yeol, be allowed to live a normal life with her assistance, and that she herself be completely isolated from the world. Cha Soo-yeol, who became a police officer with Choi Joong-ho's help, is vaguely aware of his mother's existence but views her as a shackle he has wanted to escape his entire life. Now, he finds himself in a fateful predicament where he is parachuted in as the team leader for a case related to his mother's copycat killer and must face the very person he has desperately tried to avoid. This marks the beginning of an inescapable tragedy and a brutal cooperative investigation between mother and son.
From its first episode, "The Mantis" builds intense suspense within the cold and dry visual tone characteristic of the genre. Go Hyun-jung, in particular, dominates the screen with even brief appearances, simultaneously showcasing the emptiness of a long-isolated serial killer and flashes of brilliant madness, overwhelming the viewers. The identity of the presumed copycat is also presented mysteriously without any explanation, amplifying curiosity. Furthermore, the appearance of many actors from Director Byun's previous works adds a welcome sense of familiarity and serves as a factor that reinforces trust in her creative world. As the subtitle "A Killer's Outing" suggests, scenes where Jung Yi-shin personally visits crime scenes elevate the tension to its peak.
In conclusion, "The Mantis: A Killer's Outing" is not a drama that simply relies on the names of its star actors, but rather the return of a well-made thriller born from the meeting of a top-tier production team with a deep understanding of the genre. The psychological games that will unfold within the radical setup of a serial killer mother and a police officer son, the tension of the chase for the copycat's identity, and the hidden truths within their tragic family history all heighten anticipation for what's to come. The question of what conclusion the perilous cooperation between Jung Yi-shin and Cha Soo-yeol will reach provides a powerful reason to look forward to Friday and Saturday nights.
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