K-Drama Flashback: ‘Save Me’

There’s something unique about Save Me‘s approach to the mystery thriller genre that I like. You just can’t sleep on this 2017 K-drama drawing from the popular Daum webcomic Out of the World whose steady build of anxiety keeps you interested throughout, as much as its unknowns keep you from finding answers too soon.

Coming from the house of Studio Dragon, written by Jung Shin-kyoo and directed by Kim Sung-soo, Save Me thrusts a cast of characters into hot water as they navigate deception. In an exploration of the psychological depth of human experience, the story explores the extremist views of pseudoreligion, themes of identity, faith, and fragility of the self, and constantly questions the validity of truth and perception. Amidst its dark recesses, Save Me illuminates that sometimes good might not be true and that you may be barking up the wrong tree when you believe it is.

The narrative goes over Im Sang-mi (Seo Yea-ji), who uproots her life from Seoul to a hamlet in Muji County in the wake of her father’s business setback. Compelled to make peace with her predicament as she settles in, she and her family get caught up in a religious cult that poses as a regular church but has ill intent to manipulate its followers.

A severe case of bullying drives Sang-min’s brother to suicide, leaving her mother in a state of madness. Blinded by the thought of salvation, her father begins a life immersed in the cult. For three years, Sand-mi bids in vain to claw herself free of this nightmare, until she sees Han Sang-hwan (Ok Taec-yeon of 2PM), the son of a shady politician, and pleads, “Save me.”

An ex-convict, Seok Dong-chul (Woo Do-hwan), joins Sang-hwan alongside Woo Jung-hoon (Lee David) and Choi Man-hee (Ha Hwa-jung) to help Sang-mi, but they look to outsmart each other for her. However, in doing so, they hit on the cult’s dark secrets.

Save Me‘s adept use of ideas, offering insight into the events taking place, stimulates its sense of secrecy and one’s enthusiasm for learning what’s real. This is especially true when it comes to Baek Jung-ki (Jo Sung-ha), the cult’s magnetic leader and spiritual father, whose compassion is belied by brutal and abusive conduct. His enigma and the unsettling vibe are potent means of luring you into his realm of darkness.

At the heart of Save Me are stellar performances, let alone Seo Yea-ji’s exquisitely nuanced portrayal that draws from her experience with demanding storylines, allowing her to easily handle myriad themes and character types. With each scene, she smoothly melds her charisma with the essence of who she is playing onscreen, resulting in a flawless act. In Save Me, her sublime run brings Sang-min’s situation—her vulnerability and despair—to life.

The drama grows on tenterhooks thanks to its nonlinear narrative structure and gloomy scheme of colors. They foster a sense of unease and uncertainty. Its staying power is compounded by shadowing and light, causing us to think through the more sinister facets of the cult. A lack of brightness only highlights its complex details.

In summary, Save Me is a fantastic theatrical experience; despite its somewhat slow pacing, its mind-bending psychological thrills are spot on and never give you a dull moment. It’s one of those exciting, high-quality Korean dramas that you can’t get enough of after watching. That’s how it is for me. Save Me is a one-of-a-kind rescue tale resisting deceit, silence, and tragedies, yet most of all, it’s a glimpse into bogus beliefs propagated in the name of a cult, a faith that frequently blinds us and confines us.