Paramount+ 'Bargain' series: Dystopian South Korean thriller is a crazy, addictive ride
Writer-director Jeon Woo-sung succeeds in creating a rich and uncomfortable show for a global audience
South Korean drama series Bargain (streaming on Paramount+), helmed by writer-director Jeon Woo-sung, takes the dystopian thriller genre into unexpected territory in this clever, crazy, but binge-worthy show.
Watch Bargain with a 7-day free trial of Paramount+, then $9.99/month
What is 'Bargain' about
Bargain tells the story of men who are lured to a hotel by a trafficking ring, with their organs being auctioned off to the highest bidder (hence giving the story the "crazy" description).
We first see a man show up for what he believes is a paid sexual encounter with a high price tag because the woman was identified as a virgin. It turns out she actually works for this operation and he's about to unwillingly lose an organ.
But after an earthquake, everyone in trapped inside the crumbling hotel building, trying to stay alive.
How to watch 'Bargain'
All six episodes of Bargain are currently available to stream on Paramount+.
Chaos, confusion and claustrophobia
The Bargain series has the same production team of the original short film, but Jeon highlighted that it was attractive to be able to expand the space for the series. The short film took place on just one floor, while the new Paramount+ series allowed the director to explore the whole building.
"We had every floor to explore and also giving different metaphors to each different space and different floors," Jeon told Yahoo Canada during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), through a translator. "I think that was the big part."
"There was limited space to work with, so we definitely knew that we wanted every floor to have a different look. Obviously because of the earthquake, the building has to be dark, we have to find ways to incorporate light. So for example in the basement scene we just came up with the concept that, oh there's an emergency light going up."
Watch Bargain with a 7-day free trial of Paramount+, then $9.99/month
Coming from the space of making films, not necessarily TV or streaming shows, Jeon had a very cinematic approach to the whole look and feel of Bargain, while still being "very aware" that the audience would be watching this story unfold on a smaller screen.
Using impressive longer shots, really creating this feeling of chaos and confusion, initially feeling like a very claustrophobic viewing experience for the audience, makes the audience uncomfortable in a way that also makes you feel like you can't stop watching. Admittedly, sometimes the series does feel a bit too chaotic, but it's truly a visual spectacle.
Of course, there'a also a healthy amount of dark humour to really check off all the boxes for the series.
There's also something particularly unique and attractive about a story where everyone is a bit of a villain, everyone has a dark side, which is very much the case in Bargain.
Ultimately, it's also great to see a story like this reach such a global audience.
"I'm very nervous about it but at the same time, it's very rare for a TV series to be seen by such a big international audience," Jeon said. "I hope that the international audience will pick up on some things, ... like certain metaphors and elements that I put into the show."
