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Scary

Although it has only six episodes, The Bequeathed is one of the better dark thriller series to come out of Korea, with an almost supernatural/horror ambience that adds to its edginess. It's also intricately written and plotted, and packs a lot of story into a short production.

Police contact college teacher Yoon Seo-ha (played by the very talented Kim Hyun-Joo) to tell her that her estranged paternal uncle has died, which makes her the sole heir to the family's burial ground (property is considered a valuable and highly desirable asset in South Korea.) At first she doesn't care, as she was abandoned as a young child by her mentally-ill father and none of his family ever cared about her. At the funeral, a semi-deranged man named Kim Young-ho claims to be Seo-ha's brother and says the land is his. This kicks off an escalating, horrific situation for Seo-ha, who ultimately learns her uncle was murdered before people around her start to die. Choi Sung-jun (brilliantly depicted by Park Hee-Soon), a very smart police detective with his own tragic backstory, begins uncovering even more ominous clues.

The entire time I watched this series I was on edge, and while the solution to the puzzle was right in front of me, I didn't figure it out. Nothing in this series happens without a reason. I think Westerners tend to be more jaded about family secrets, and might be disappointed by the big reveal in the final episode, but I thought it was very smart and well-done. Park Hee-Soon was especially deft with portraying his complex character, and didn't overdo it. Available on Netflix.

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