Netflix noir series 'My Name' reminiscent of 2013 film 'New World'

Han So-hee in a still of Netflix original series “My Name” / Courtesy of Netflix

By Kang Hyun-kyung

“Two lives. Two names. That's why he looked like he was on the edge of a cliff.”

Actress Han So-hee plays a revenge-driven woman named Jiwoo in the hit Netflix series, “My Name.” She is hell-bent on chasing down the person who murdered her father, an undercover cop who infiltrated a criminal organization responsible for selling and distributing 90 percent of the crystal methamphetamines sold on the streets of Korea.

Constantly reminded of the gun shots that killed her father in front of their home, Jiwoo vows to take revenge and silently begins to track down the murderer.

For noir film fans, the popular Netflix series is reminiscent of the 2013 crime action movie, “New World,” which is also about a showdown between cops and a criminal gang in the guise of a corporation. The showdown occurs after the sudden death of its boss in a dubious car accident, resulting in a leadership vacuum.

Both “My Name” and “New World” deal with betrayal and revenge and how they reshape the balance of power between the police and a criminal organization.

The Netflix series and “New World,” directed by Park Hoong-jung, also share one more characteristic in common: they are both worth watching more than once. A second viewing of the two fast-paced works reveals more hidden meanings.

In “My Name,” Jiwoo embodies revenge. Determined to find and avenge the murderer of her father, she is ready to accept all of the consequences of her actions. She chooses to work for a gang boss, played by Park Hee-soon, and betrays him later after learning about the truth surrounding her father's death.

The gang boss lies to Jiwoo, increasing her anger toward the hooded man who killed her father, and grooms her after she drops out of high school. He transforms Jiwoo into a killer and plants her inside the narcotics division of the police in order to gain access to classified information.

“I've never betrayed anyone that I trusted. Yet, why have I always been betrayed by them?” the gang boss asks himself near the end of the eight-episode series.

His remarks explain where his anger came from. But what he said is self-contradictory, too. He himself is a liar and blames others for betrayal, which is another form of a lie.

In the Netflix noir series, betrayal has a chain reaction. Hatred brews in Jiwoo's mind after she witnesses the murder of her father, which triggers her to seek revenge. Revenge leads to her desperate search for the truth, which in turn prompts her to betray her boss, who has been controlling her.

Han's transformation into a revenge-driven gang member who is planted inside the police is stunning. Born again as a bloody, revenge-seeking character in the Netflix series, Han successfully portrays her character and her performance is impressive enough to make viewers forget about her previous role as a young, seductive mistress in an affair with a married man in JTBC's 2019 drama “The World of the Married.”

Actor Park Hee-soon plays a gang boos in Netflix original series “My Name.” Courtesy of Netflix

Co-star Park Hee-soon (playing the gang boss) is charismatic. “My Name” will certainly be a turning point in the success of his acting career. He took advantage of the Netflix series to prove himself to be a versatile actor capable of playing a lead role.

In “My Name,” the two co-stars both stand out.

Meanwhile, in the 2013 crime action film, “New World,” Hwang Jung-min, who plays a Chinese-Korean underboss competing with others for the leadership succession following the mysterious death of their boss, steals the show.

Hwang outshines co-star Lee Jung-jae, an undercover cop named Ja-sung, who infiltrates the criminal organization. Viewers find it difficult to sympathize with Ja-sung about the extreme level of anxiety and insecurity that haunts him, as he risks his life living a dangerous double life as a cop and a gangster.

The imbalance in the stage presence of the two co-stars makes the 2012 film less convincing, despite the strong cinematic details that director Park tried to put into the movie.

Hwang Jung-min in a still of 2013 crime action film “New World” / Korea Times file