[TF Review] 'Honey Job,' a Taste of Unique Charm... Expected to be Lee Jae-wook's New Masterpiece

A Suspicious Manpower Agency Offering 50 Times the Minimum Wage... A Unique Taste of HorrorLee Jae-wook's Familiar Charm&Choi Hyun-wook's Intense PresenceNetflix's new original series 'Honey Job' will be released in its entirety on the 30th at 5 PM. /Netflix[THE FACT|Reporter Kim Saet-byeol] Familiar part-time jobs are turned into bizarre nightmares. The danger lurking behind the sweet offer of 50 times the minimum wage, and a worldview mixed with moderate humor and brutality, are certainly unfamiliar and intriguing. In particular, 'Honey Job' brings back the strong impression Lee Jae-wook made in his rookie days, hinting at the birth of his new representative work.Netflix's new original series 'Honey Job' (written by Kyung Min-sun&Lee Shin-ji, directed by Kim Da-min) will be released worldwide in its entirety at 5 PM on the 30th. Prior to this, Netflix provided reporters with a preview of 5 out of the 8 episodes through a press screening.'Honey Job' tells the story of a young man, Hyunjun (played by Lee Jae-wook), struggling with debt, who visits a suspicious manpower agency called 'Spider Manpower' that offers 50 times the minimum wage.The work begins with Hyunjun, desperate with debt, visiting the manpower agency as a last resort. At the shabby manpower agency, Hyunjun is offered a part-time job paying 50 times the minimum wage. As he hesitates, tempted yet suspicious, the boss (played by Lee Hee-joon) tempts him sweetly, saying, "What could be a better job than this?"Ultimately, Hyunjun accepts the high-paying job and is repeatedly confronted with nightmarish situations, from an attack by a swarm of moths to a confrontation with a bizarre entity. With each successful completion of a dangerous task, his daily wage increases, and Hyunjun ventures into greater peril.The pacing in the early part is good. The story moves forward without any unnecessary details, from Hyunjun's desperate situation due to debt to his acceptance of the suspicious offer and his deployment to his first job. Instead of elaborating on the worldview with complex explanations, the protagonist is immediately thrown into a bizarre situation. A new part-time job begins each episode, and once the tension there is resolved, another threat emerges. This creates a compelling hook for the next episode.The charm of the work is also evident in its approach to horror. Instead of being gratuitously violent or heavy, it creates a peculiar atmosphere by mixing in moderate humor. The direction, which transforms familiar part-time job settings into spaces governed by different rules and atmospheres each episode, is particularly interesting. Even everyday locations like convenience stores and movie theaters are rendered as unfamiliar spaces through different color schemes, lighting, and art direction, primarily using blue and red, respectively.The changing concepts in each episode also catch the eye. With each new workplace and character, the nature of the events and the visual spectacle change, providing a sense of fun akin to clearing a new stage in a game. Various expressions are used, from realistic survival action to imaginative visual effects (VFX), to highlight the individuality of each episode.The words director Han Jun-hee used to describe director Kim Da-min as "unique" at the 30th Busan International Film Festival come to mind throughout the viewing of the work. The direction, which twists familiar spaces to impose unfamiliar rules and changes the atmosphere in each episode, adds a vibrant rhythm to the work. While the sometimes absurd situations and even the vomiting scenes, with their unsparing detailed descriptions, might be divisive, they clearly possess a unique character in making viewers curious about what world each new part-time job will transform into.Lee Jae-wook leaves a strong impression in Netflix's new original series 'Honey Job,' reminiscent of his rookie days. /NetflixAt the center of it all is Lee Jae-wook. Hyunjun is an ordinary young man, driven by debt rather than any special abilities, who dives into a high-paying part-time job. While the situations he faces are unrealistic, his reactions and acceptance of them are imbued with a sense of everyday life. Lee Jae-wook uses his characteristic expressions and reactions to portray a character in turmoil. While his sometimes exaggerated expressions might feel unfamiliar, his strengths shine through when he employs his natural acting style.Viewers who remember Lee Jae-wook's debut work, tvN's 'Memories of the Alhambra,' will find it even more welcome. As a rookie actor at the time, he left a strong impression despite his limited screen time. He then grew into a leading actor through 'Search: WWW' and 'Extraordinary You,' and solidified his position as an actor with 'Alchemy of Souls.' Although he has showcased various genres of romance in diverse works, the disappointing performance of his recent projects remains a regret.In this context, 'Honey Job,' released now, brings back the intense impression he made when he first caught the eye with 'Memories of the Alhambra,' making us anticipate Lee Jae-wook's next move. In particular, he naturally portrays the bewilderment and survival instincts of a young man caught in an unrealistic series of events, showcasing a tone of acting that suits him well. It makes us reconfirm why Lee Jae-wook left such a strong impression with his acting in the first place.Choi Hyun-wook, who makes a special appearance, also cannot be overlooked. Appearing with a new styling, he leaves a strong presence despite his short screen time and shows great chemistry with Lee Jae-wook. Especially, once you know the character's identity, his initially peculiar styling and his gum-chewing actions are reinterpreted. It is impressive that he added detailed settings through character interpretation, even though he is a character appearing in only one episode.Yoon Kyung-ho's performance also draws attention. The actors' seasoned ability to maintain horror tension while eliciting laughter at unexpected moments balances the work.Netflix's new original series 'Honey Job' loses some of its immersion with each subsequent episode compared to the first, but it sparks curiosity about how the story will conclude. /NetflixThe disappointment lies in the lingering questions as the episodes progress. While the first episode piqued curiosity with its rapid development and bizarre situations, later episodes present moments where the meaning of the events and the characters' choices are difficult to understand. New part-time job settings and characters appear, but some events seem to move on to the next story without sufficient explanation as to why they led to those outcomes.However, this is a sentiment from the point where only 5 out of the total 8 episodes have been released. There is a possibility that unrevealed settings and character relationships will be explained in the latter half. For now, it is too early to determine whether the development that leaves questions is a device to stimulate curiosity or an element that weakens the narrative's plausibility. The evaluation of the work may change depending on how the remaining episodes connect and explain the preceding events.Nevertheless, 'Honey Job' is a work that stands out for its concept of transforming the familiar landscape of labor into a vibrant and bizarre survival game, its stylish direction, and the distinctive performances of its actors. The structure of presenting completely different concepts and spectacles in each episode is a clear strength.Whether the unique directorial sense can continue to be the driving force of the story until the end is a challenge for the remaining episodes to tackle, but it is clear that it will at least leave another strong impression on Lee Jae-wook's filmography.sstar1204@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Desk | ssent@tf.co.kr]