Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
Occult drama 'Revenant' ends with its highest rating
A scene from SBS drama “Revenant” / Courtesy of SBS
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
“Revenant,” an occult drama written by acclaimed screenwriter Kim Eun-hee of Netflix's apocalyptic series “Kingdom,” ended with its highest rating.
The final episode of the 12-part series, starring Kim Tae-ri as the protagonist who is possessed by a demonic spirit, recorded a viewership rating of 11.2 percent nationwide, according to Nielsen Ratings Korea.
This marks a successful comeback for screenwriter Kim, who failed to attract fans with her previous work “Jirisan” which aired on tvN in 2021.
“Revenant” revolves around Gu San-yeong (Kim), a woman who gets possessed by an evil spirit and gets embroiled in mysterious deaths. Actor Oh Jung-se plays Yeom Hae-sang, a folklore professor who can see demons, seeks the truth behind the mysterious deaths.
Actress Kim talked about portraying a demonic-possessed woman as well as the fragile and vulnerable Gu, in the darkly gripping thriller. The character required her to switch between two different characters with completely different demands on her acting skills.
“The script was like an instruction manual on how to create Gu's character. Almost everything I did was in the script. To portray the contrasting personalities of San-yeong and Hyangyi, I focused on their circumstances and desires,” she said through broadcaster SBS.
Kim is set to appear in TV series “Jeong-nyeon” (working title) based on a popular webtoon of the same name. Set in the 1950s, the coming-of-age drama follows the story of Jeong-nyeon who joins a traditional theater troupe with a dream of becoming a big star.
Actor Oh thanked viewers for their unwavering support, adding that “Revenant” made him a better actor. “I realized that helping others and wishing someone good luck adds value to our lives,” he said through his agency Prain TPC.
Oh will next appear in director Kim Jee-woon's new film “Cobweb,” which was invited to this year's Cannes Film Festival, and Netflix series “Mr. Plankton.”
Hong Kyung, who starred as police detective Lee Hong-sae in the drama, shared his experience of working with co-stars Kim and Oh.
“For about eight months while shooting the series, I have learned so much from Kim and Oh in terms of how they connect the stories in each scene and create suspense. There were times when I became frustrated at myself, but overall, it was a precious experience” he said.