and its Unflinching 'Stance' on Domestic Violence

The original series Netflix has been releasing recently seem to have eased up on the throttle. They no longer feel like they're waging an all-out offensive with massive budgets and spectacular scale. On the contrary, this shift seems to be giving rise to excellent works, which is all the more welcome. Just as the recently released <Eun-joong and Sang-yeon> became more immersive as it progressed and left a deep, lingering impression, this new series, <I Killed Him>, also commands one's full attention.

When I first saw the trailer, I thought it was a movie, not a drama. That's how condensed and intense the impending story felt. However, after its release on Netflix, it turned out to be an 8-episode series, allowing for a deeper and more meticulous exploration of the characters' emotions. This show was originally slated to be released on SBS, and it was produced by Studio S, which specializes in SBS dramas.

Ultimately, the fact that <I Killed Him> chose Netflix over a public broadcast network seems like an inevitable decision. The drama squarely confronts the heavy subject of domestic violence, and in doing so, it unflinchingly exposes the harsh profanity, graphic depictions of violence, and extreme subjects like suicide that accompany it. Even considering the current relationship between SBS and Netflix, the high-intensity content, which would have been difficult to air under public broadcasting standards, seems to have found the right platform in Netflix to unleash its raw power.

The title, <I Killed Him>, sounds less like a question and more like an accusation or a declaration. Just like this provocative title, the drama is by no means a calm ride. It approaches the truth by alternating between the perspectives of two women, Eun-soo and Hee-soo, who have each endured the hell of domestic violence in different ways. The first episode unfolds from the viewpoint of Jo Eun-soo (played by Jeon So-ni), who appears to have built a solid life for herself as a department store associate. The second episode is shown from the perspective of Jo Hee-soo (played by Lee Yoo-mi), who lives a married life that everyone envies. This unique structure three-dimensionally illuminates their respective realities and hidden scars, maximizing viewer immersion.

The drama opens with a scene of the two women driving down a precarious road. It's a narrow, dangerous path, barely wide enough for one car to pass. This scene functions as a powerful metaphor, symbolizing the reality they face and the perilous journey they are about to embark upon. It implies that while their lives may look fine on the surface, they are actually standing on a cliff's edge, where one misstep could send them plunging into an abyss.

Jo Eun-soo is a career woman recognized for her competence in managing VVIP clients at a department store. However, behind this facade lies the shadow of a horrific family history. As a child, she had to endure her father's violence against her mother by playing 'hide-and-seek' with her younger sibling. Because her father's violence was directed only at her mother, she rationalized that she and her sibling weren't 'victims' and remained silent. Even after becoming an independent adult, this silence remains a heavy burden of guilt, acting as a shackle that binds her life.

A decisive crack forms in Eun-soo's life when she witnesses the suicide of one of her VVIP clients—a woman who, like herself, was a victim of domestic violence. This shocking event forces Eun-soo to confront her own past. She has a painful realization that her childhood 'silence' was tantamount to abandoning her mother and that this silence ultimately led to another tragedy. This realization becomes the catalyst for her resolve to no longer be a bystander.

Meanwhile, Jo Hee-soo, Eun-soo's high school best friend, appears to be living a perfect life. She seems to be enjoying a happy marriage in a wealthy home with her husband, Noh Jin-pyo (played by Jang Seung-jo), a capable and seemingly affectionate financier. However, a hideous truth is hidden behind this perfect picture. Noh Jin-pyo is a brutal abuser who uses verbal and physical violence to 'tame' Hee-soo whenever things don't go his way. Hee-soo's life is nothing more than a gilded cage.

Eun-soo learns that her best friend, Hee-soo, is also a victim of domestic violence—the same hell she experienced. Overwhelmed by the guilt of having ignored her mother's pain and the fresh trauma of her client's death, Eun-soo makes a proposal to Hee-soo that is completely different from any choice she's made before. It is not a suggestion to report him or to run away. It is the terrifying and resolute proposal: "Let's kill him." At this point, the drama indicts the powerlessness of the system and highlights the most extreme form of solidarity between victims as its "stance on domestic violence."

From here, the drama shifts its focus from 'why' to 'how'. It's likely no coincidence that in the first episode, Eun-soo meets a mysterious man named Jin So-baek (played by Lee Moo-saeng) at a luxury watch event, and that one of his employees bears a striking resemblance to Hee-soo's husband, Noh Jin-pyo. It appears Eun-soo and Hee-soo plan to use this 'lookalike' to eliminate Noh Jin-pyo and commit the perfect crime. This plot point gains further credibility from the fact that the drama is based on Hideo Okuda's Japanese novel, Naomi and Kanako. One cannot help but watch until the very end, wondering if these two women will be able to save their own lives at the end of this treacherous cliff path, and what conclusion their dangerous conspiracy will meet.