In Disney+’s new K-drama The Worst of Evil, Squid Game’s Wi Ha-joon plays DJ-turned-gangster Jung Gi-cheol. He had been lured into gang activity with the promise of getting a club of his own, but quickly finds out that promises mean jack in this new cutthroat world. When his suggestions for peddling drugs in high-profile clubs in Seoul are violently rejected, he overthrows his boss and soon installs himself as the head honcho of the largest drug crime in the history of South Korea.
To bring Gi-cheol down, the police turn to Park Jun-mo (played by Ji Chang-wook of The Sound of Magic fame). While a capable officer on his own, the shadow of his criminal, drug-addict father looms over his career as a small-time detective. It is amplified by constant comparison to his wife Yoo Eui-jeong (Im Se-mi), who is a high-ranking officer herself. By taking up the undercover role, Jun-mo hopes to finally redeem himself and stand side-by-side with his wife, but an unexpected connection between her and Gi-cheol makes him wonder if he’s out of his depth.
Wi Ha-joon, who has steadily and diligently been expanding his repertoire of roles over the years, is clearly the star of The Worst of Evil. The best part of watching him on-screen is that he doesn’t give an inch of himself away, save for his expressive eyes. It makes Wi Ha-joon a highly entertaining watch here, since you’re left wondering whether Gi-cheol truly is far removed from his humanity or whether he does have some emotional ties left to his younger self.
Meanwhile, it’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen Ji Chang-wook in a role like this – after a string of, frankly, forgettable rom-coms K-dramas. The Worst of Evil is far less sanitised than we’ve seen from him, but Ji seems to be enjoying throwing around curse words. His is perhaps the most precarious role in the show – Jun-mo is balancing the innate morality of being an upstanding officer with the complexes of his past and the desperate need to save his skin from constant danger. One thing we can never fault Ji Chang-wook on, however, is juggling the layers of his characters like a master.
However, if you’re looking for something other than drugs, guns and violence, you’re going to be sorely disappointed – at least in the first three episodes. The Worst Of Evil is a very traditional “man’s man” kind of K-drama so far, with countless dime a dozen tropes in this undercover cop thriller. You’d struggle to find the layers of complexity that differentiates the good from the great in this genre.
Despite a strong start – the story takes ample time setting up Gi-cheol’s rise to power and the incidents leading to Jun-mo’s decision – we start losing momentum by the third episode amidst a minefield of characters who are introduced only to be ruthlessly killed by either Gi-cheol or some other goon. The show seems to be grappling at the tendrils of the plot, instead favouring what is shaping out to be an unnecessary love triangle between Gi-cheol, Jun-mo and Eui-jeong.
Still, it shouldn’t deter one from coming along for the ride. Is it conventional? Sure. But it’s also mindless fun. Despite the relatively one-dimensional plot so far, this K-drama hints at a more robust story to come – but as to whether the show will be able to stick the landing, only time will tell.
The Worst of Evil is available to stream on Disney+