The Worst Of Evil (최악의 악) Season 1 Review

The wild 90s, but not in Moscow. Criminal showdowns in Gangnam escalated to a new level when a well-known mob boss was taken out during a meeting along with his entire crew by some young thugs, who then seized control of the whole operation—so much so that the cops have been unable for years to get close to their leader, the suspicious Gi Chul, whom the police believe deals drugs and is preparing to release a new “product” to the market. The prosecutor decides to bring in a desperate detective, Jun Mo, who is married to a more successful female officer Ui Jeong. He will have to infiltrate the organization, earn the trust of its leader, and start a double game... but will he be able to complete the operation and avoid becoming too deeply immersed in the role of a cop turned wolf in sheep’s clothing? And will his wife withstand it, since she too will have to become part of a dangerous game with ever-rising stakes?

An exemplary crime drama with constantly shifting balance of power. The series is written and directed in an extremely engaging way: the story constantly places the main character in almost unsolvable situations, testing his character and willpower to the limit, but the situation only gets worse with each passing day, and over time he begins to wonder: who is he really—a criminal loyal to a charismatic friend, or a law enforcement officer betraying everyone and everything?

“The Worst of Evil” is a gripping and heavy story of moral transformation, betrayals, and self-destruction in a conflict between duty and honor, where a happy ending is impossible by definition. Jun Mo will do everything he can to do his job and save hundreds of potential lives, but what price will he pay for it...

Key figure of the ensemble cast of characters, the young gangster Gi Chul (played by Wi Ha-joon), is a former DJ, an ordinary guy without a childhood, but with a huge dream. He moves toward his goal over bodies, in order to preserve the only thing dear to him—and tries to change himself for it. Jun Mo (Ji Chang-wook) is a very different type of person. He desperately seeks validation, even though he is truly a good police officer who is denied promotion (unlike his wife). Speaking of her: Ui Jeong (Lim Se-mi) is not a passive victim of circumstances, but an active participant in events who wants to help her husband and voluntarily gets involved in a painful for her venture. Especially considering that her past hides an episode that no one suspects...

South Korea in the 1990s looks very convincing: angular cars, expensive suits, naive music, colorful interiors, cigarette smoke in almost every frame (good lord, how much they smoke...), gangsters in “Adidas” tracksuits and mafia types in suits... and the scale expands over time when an international syndicate with members from Japan and China enters the game. And this is not fiction: in the chaos of the 90s, Korea was a very profitable hub for all kinds of illegal dealings, which Japanese yakuza and Chinese smugglers happily exploited.

Technically, the series is excellently shot, like a cinematic blend of strong psychological drama and a tightly woven crime thriller. The scale is especially impressive: knife fights and occasional shootouts are staged quickly and violently—with the absolute brutality of real street clashes. The editing is sometimes overly flashy (making it hard to fully appreciate the work of stunt performers and fight choreographers), but big films often suffer from this as well.

And this is only a seasoning to the main course. The story of a tragic trio with constantly shifting relationships leads to an ending that is simultaneously logical, unpredictable, and heartbreaking. After the finale, you’ll want to stare at the fine pattern of the wallpaper, drink a couple of glasses of strong soju, and smoke quietly, thoughtfully, listening to the heavy hum of sleepless nighttime Gangnam.

Rating: 9/10, practically flawless. The 1990s, racketeering, gangsters and street showdowns, wall-to-wall fights, “codes” and revenge, honest criminals and corrupt cops gone mad. If there is a drama worth watching with your father, this is it. Highly recommended—do not miss it under any circumstances.

P.S. Russian viewers are in for an interesting Easter egg: in several episodes you can hear a funny cover... of Alla Pugacheva herself, in Korean. What are the 90s without Pugacheva?