Between the large library of current Korean content material obtainable on Netflix nowadays and the brand new collection vying for our consideration semi-weekly, it is simple for older tales to get misplaced within the button-pressing shuffle. 2021’s restricted collection The Silent Sea is a type of neglected gems, a harrowing conflict of dystopian dread, claustrophobic ambiance, and grotesque horror thrills — and an 80% constructive crucial rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well. Nicely price your consideration, be it by means of a binge session or at a extra sedate tempo to match the collection’ creeping menace, The Silent Sea is an particularly interesting choice for followers of director Yeon Sang-ho’s Prepare to Busan, the 2016 horror epic extensively thought-about the magnum opus of latest zombie films. Though these tasks hail from completely different creators (author Park Eun-kyo and director Choi Cling-yong helmed The Silent Sea), they share deeper similarities than you may assume. For one, each embrace an apocalyptic setting, a mutating virus, life-or-death stakes, extra ethical quandaries than you possibly can shake a stick at, and the identical main man.

What Is ‘The Silent Sea’ About?

In 2075, humanity exists a heartbeat away from extinction. Environmental modifications have contaminated nearly all of Earth’s ingesting water and sparked a planet-wide drought. Human beings cannot survive various days with out correct hydration, and regardless of how frantically our most good minds attempt to invent a viable answer, they cannot manufacture sufficient to go round; the quickly rising dying toll is already within the hundreds of thousands. Nonetheless, a Korean area company known as the SSA has one last choice up their sleeves. The SSA deploys a workforce of scientists and navy troopers to Balhae Station, a sophisticated analysis middle on the moon. Led by astrobiologist Track Ji-an (Insurgent Moon‘s Bae Doona) and Captain Han Yoon-jae (Gong Yoo), their orders are to retrieve a top-secret experimental substance that may create an limitless provide of secure water.

Balhae was deserted years earlier after a radiation accident claimed the lives of 117 personnel, one in all whom was Track’s sister. Satisfied that the SSA is withholding details about what really occurred, Track’s curiosity overcomes her preliminary reluctance. The scenario solely grows extra suspicious when their newly appointed pilot crash lands their area shuttle miles away from Balhae. And if being stranded on the moon’s floor with a damaged shuttle and an injured crew is not unhealthy sufficient, as soon as the workforce explores Balhae station, they uncover lots of of corpses that died by drowning — not a radiation leak. What’s extra, the station is not as empty as they thought. An unnaturally highly effective creature residing inside Balhae appears decided to cease their mission at any price. Oh, and people corpses? They unfold a deadly airborne virus.

‘The Silent Sea’ Is a Claustrophobic Nightmare within the Greatest Means

The Silent Sea‘s eight episodes may take a sluggish burn path to its horror vacation spot, in comparison with Prepare to Busan, however having roughly eight hours at its disposal as an alternative of two hours advantages this sort of challenge. Park and Choi weave suspense, thriller, and thriller cornerstones into their sci-fi horror, in addition to environmental, philosophical, and socioeconomic commentary, with out ever as soon as feeling slowed down. The Silent Sea‘s opening episode could be tinged with a funereal air, however the collection’ defining options would really feel missing if it did not have sufficient runtime to determine this example’s impossibly excessive stakes. The identical goes for the damaged folks pushing their manner by means of their doomed, stagnating world and towards the smallest flicker of hope. Each tasks hinge upon the alternative ways flawed people react after they’re going through down the tip of the world.

Likewise, when The Silent Sea‘s tone shifts from a pensive sci-fi thriller to a nail-biting thriller, it runs headfirst into its grim last stretch with out passing Go or gathering $200. If Prepare to Busan traps people and zombies collectively on a cramped transferring practice, then The Silent Sea crushes its ensemble into one location with an intimidating foe and a virus that brutally warps the human physique. Track, Han, and the remainder of their group are always weak, attempting to outrun their pursuers, discover and safe the liquid pattern, and repair the station’s damaged communications community. Worse nonetheless, sure characters cannot be trusted. There’s greater than a touch of Ridley Scott‘s Alien in each the Balhae setting and the way its terrors unfold by means of always escalating apprehension and a restrictive ambiance. The collection seems like a metaphorical noose tightening round your neck.

Each Gong Yoo Efficiency Is Value Watching

It will be fairly remiss to match Prepare to Busan and The Silent Sea with out mentioning their most blatant connection: Gong Yoo, a star of Korean movie and tv who virtually doubles as a residing legend at this level. Additionally recognized to worldwide audiences for his memorably short-and-sweet position because the Recruiter in Squid Recreation, The Silent Sea provides viewers who’re much less conversant in his physique of labor a distinct viewing expertise. Han is a stoic, agency chief who prioritizes the mission above anybody else’s private issues. That mentioned, and with out going into specific spoiler territory, his motivations for accepting the SSA’s supply are simply as private and profound as Track’s motive; they only take a distinct familial form. Due to his underlying compassion, Han shortly transforms right into a self-sacrificial hero.

Any Gong efficiency is just too good to overlook, even when a sure story would not match his different profession heights. Fortunately, The Silent Sea backs up his presence with a forged of different business veterans (Bae Doona and Kim Solar-young are simply as iconic, if no more so) and the excessive manufacturing normal we have come to count on from Korea’s Netflix collaborations.

The Silent Sea is obtainable to stream on Netflix within the U.S.

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