Sweet Home: Why The Netflix Apocalyptic Horror Series Is A Must-Watch

K-dramas aren’t just about romance and love stories. If you’re looking for some riveting thrills, monsters, gore, and a bit of the apocalyptic, Netflix developed a series that ticks all the boxes. The streaming platform dropped an apocalyptic horror in 2020 that had fans clamoring to watch. Sweet Home was originally a popular webtoon of the same name by Kim Kan-bi and Hwang Young-chan.

The show stars some of South Korea’s prominent actors, like Song Kang in the lead, along with Lee Si-young. The K-drama adopted the concepts that made the webtoon so popular. But this isn’t just any apocalyptic monster horror and it will take fans on a journey of self-preservation, humanity, and some spine-chilling feats necessary to escape death.

10 The Horror Suspense

What will keep viewers watching the show until the end is its ability to keep viewers on their toes. The show does use many common tropes seen in this genre. There are the ugly and heinous monsters that pop up wanting to kill the human survivors. as well as the impressive and life-threatening efforts of the humans to escape.

There’s the drama of the characters realizing certain monsters’ weaknesses and using them to survive. There’s also the constant possibility of someone getting killed out of the blue. Above all, there’s the suspense of who will become a monster next and if they’ll ever make it out alive.

9 The Unique Twist On Monsters

Movies and television have, for years, used various renditions of grotesque monsters. There are the zombies who become infected by outside elements or the monsters created by a secret organization that went rogue. Viewers will be pleasantly surprised to learn about the origin of the monsters in Sweet Home.

First of all, the residents are able to get notifications and updates for a short period of time that explains this. The monsters weren’t really infected by an outside source. They come to be by one’s own desire. Symptoms include severe nosebleeds that then lead to the infected transforming into a bizarre and scary monster based on their desire. For example, one character sprouts hair all over like Cousin It from The Addams Family. The monsters then eat humans for the protein. The show describes it as a curse, not an infection.

8 Tension Of A Confined Space

Viewers will find it intriguing that almost the entire storyline of Sweet Home takes place within one residential building. At first, characters find themselves barricaded inside, unaware of what’s really going on. As the story progresses, the horror of their new reality comes to light and they must not only deal with the monsters already inside but with each other.

The confinement of space only adds to the horror. The characters can either try to withstand days in the lower level of the building until rations end or try to risk the outside. There eventually comes a point when the characters become wary of the outside government and its tactics.

7 The Detailed & Gory Monsters

If there’s one thing to truly admire about Sweet Home, it’s the attention to detail in regards to the monsters. They come in all shapes, deformities, and sizes that would have any survivor scared. Each monster is unique depending on the original victim’s desire. For example, the one that takes the cake is a seven-foot behemoth that’s pure muscle.

There’s also a whispy and tall monster that gets his head sliced off but is still alive. Viewers can see right into his head. There are many times that viewers will get up close and personal with the monsters, and the first to appear will chill anyone to the bone, as it resembles a more grotesque version of Slender Man.

6 The Action & Story Starts Right Away

Viewers who start watching the show will find that it gets into the main story right away. The show begins at the end, with Hyun-Su (Song Kang) as a monster, walking through the snow towards some soldiers. There’s a small storyline to set things up, like the main character moving in and the introduction of the other characters. These introductions will later serve as a necessary backstory to multiple subplots, but it quickly shifts to the crux of the matter.

One day, as the building tenants are ready to start their day, they find themselves locked inside. The first killing happens rather fast and viewers are introduced to their first monster. Viewers go along on the journey with the characters as they uncover what’s really going on.

5 Multiple Subplots

The show isn’t solely focused on the monsters and the apocalypse outside the building. Instead, it takes a deeper look into the backstory of each main character and how it will later serve its own purpose. Viewers are first introduced to the main character, Hyun-Su, a suicidal teen who lost his family. But his real story starts to be revealed that will lead to his story arc.

The same goes for the other characters, like a loner gangster who is introduced whilst they’re holding another person hostage. That subplot gets dark as it reveals the true nature of the hostage situation. Viewers also meet a former firefighter who lost her fiancé, but in reality, it holds the key to connecting the bigger story of the apocalypse.

4  The Title Song

Out of all the monsters, thrills, and drama, viewers will appreciate one fun aspect of the show. While watching, some may find the show’s choice of its title song surprising. It’s seemingly absurd but it works incredibly well. The show uses “Warriors” by Imagine Dragons throughout. Viewers might do a double-take once hearing it, but each time it’s used, it makes more sense.

As the tenants of the building encounter their first monster, the song plays in the background. It adds a level of tension and drama as the song’s lyrics talk about being warriors. As they try to fight off the monster, the firefighter comes to the rescue and propels herself and the monster outside, as the music rises in volume and she tries to get back inside.

3 Epic Action Sequences

No apocalyptic horror would be without its action scenes. Sweet Home has many that do the genre justice and have viewers giving a firm nod of approval. And there are so many to pick from. Like Hyun-Su fighting off a one-eyed monster that is trying to eat the kids in the apartment below. Almost every encounter with a monster leads to a good display of action.

Seo Yi‑Kyeong (Lee Si-Young) is sent to the basement to check on the building’s utilities and encounters a spider-like creature. Her years as a firefighter and impressive strength come in handy when hoisting herself up into the vents to try and escape.

2 The Cliffhanger

Without giving too much away, viewers will be either distraught or impressed with how the show ends. It leaves room for a continuation that will have viewers asking “What now?” “What will happen to those who survived or to the main character?” The show takes viewers on a whirlwind journey between the truth behind the curse and the monsters to what lies ahead for Hyun-Su.

The cliffhanger scene at the very end will boggle the minds of viewers but it soon makes sense and is sure to cause some gasps of realization. And there is a different type of monsters that are more dangerous than the ones the characters encountered.

1 The Main Character’s Story

While the show focuses on the monster apocalypse and the other characters, Hyun-Su’s story plays a bigger role. Viewers get an inside look into his mind and his real backstory as to why he became suicidal and closed off. His story soon changes when he gets a nosebleed. But unlike the others, he doesn’t turn into a grotesque monster.

He’s a new form that possesses all their capabilities but stays human. Hyun-Su has a dark side to him and the monster urges him to feed into it and become one. Viewers will feel emotionally gutted over his constant battle between his will to stay good and his troublesome past.

About The Author

Gabriela Silva
(478 Articles Published)

Gabriela Silva is a List writer for Screen Rant with experience in all things television, film and pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University with previous years experience interning for Cliché Magazine.

With her passion for movies, television and entertainment, she’s interviewed some great actors from Cress Williams of ‘Black Lightning’ to Tati Gabrielle from ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.’

Her love for entertainment reaches a broad range of interests from 90s thriller movies, guilty pleasure teen dramas, action-packed MCU movies to popular K-dramas. You’ll most likely find her binge-watching a new television show or movies on Netflix into the early morning.

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