The Scarecrow Review
Yet another drama with the Hwaseong murders portrayed in a fictional world - does it differentiate itself from the other 10 dramas and a famous film? Or is it just another way to get everyone's attention and be about nothing?
I'm sorry, but this drama needed to prove its worth for me.
What did you think about "The Scarecrow"?
After seeing the director's works, I'm not surprised Lee Min Ki had a cameo in this one too.
He is a talented director and did well with dramas like "Taxi Driver" and "Doctor Detective". "The Scarecrow" too was very nicely filmed. It had this 80s vibe and a melancholic feeling.
It almost felt like I was watching an OCN drama. (A channel that created a lot of great mystery, thriller, darker themes K-dramas)
However, this leaned too much into "who's the killer vibes" from the first episode. You want to get people on edge, but with the shots, it was too obvious who they were trying to frame.
It would have been more interesting if they had left us with fewer hints. There was no need to frame anyone else before the police did, because it was too obvious that he's actually innocent. Or maybe it would have been better if they let us know the killer straightaway.
There was definitely an atmosphere to the drama; however, some of the moments were destroyed. There was a scene where a girl was running from a killer, and you could barely see anything.
How are we supposed to feel the same anxiousness, or be scared for the girl, if we cannot see anything?
There were also irritating moments when direction would go downhill. For example, when the victim and her mother had a chat in "heaven", they used the shots to get the picture for the funerals. We are not that dumb as not to differentiate the characters, and it wasn't like a scene from the real world either!
It showed how little effort they have actually put into caring about the victims - women - and not the people that have been wrongly accused.
The only work from the screenwriter I have seen is "Taxi Driver", which in the first season had two writers, and Lee Ji Hyun finished it.
To comment specifically on "The Scarecrow", I believe he overall did a good job, letting the story come together. However, some things would have made everyone's experience a bit different.
I saw a few articles and people talking about how this was done to portray the case from the victim's perspective. However, it did not always feel that way.
There were many scenes shot for entertainment rather than to show how terribly it all went.
Directing: 6.5/10
Criminal profiler Kang Tae Joo is pulled out of retirement by a chilling summons: an imprisoned serial killer has been linked to additional unsolved deaths through DNA evidence, but he insists that Tae Joo join the investigation.
Tae Joo is brought back into a world he thought he’d left behind 33 years earlier, forcing him to face ambitious prosecutor Cha Si Yeong, with whom he shares a difficult past, as they pursue the truth. But as with many cold cases, the truth isn’t as straightforward as it seems – and Tae Joo might be more involved than even he knows.
Can Tae Joo finally close the chapter on the "Scarecrow" murders for good, or will a new twist upend his life? (MyDramaList)
Spoiler-Free Review
"The Scarecrow" had to fight a lot in my head because I have seen a lot of dramas with the same story, but it definitely has a space here.
It portrayed the wrongfully accused victims well and the corruption side of the story. However, it would have been perfect if we had focused a bit more on the victim's side of the story rather than, "let's find who the killer is".
That mystery was good, but it could have been written in a different way.
The strongest part of the drama was definitely the actors. You can see that they have thought a lot about their characters, and even the smallest roles seemed to shine.
But I can't say all of the characters were as well written.
I wanted a bit more from Seo Ji Won, the journalist, and would have loved to see more of Jung Moon Sung and the friendship between the trio.
However, I really liked the idea of Cha Si Yeong, the prosecutor, going back and forth between his role and some other characters who have shown that character development doesn't always mean becoming good. Sometimes people can change for the worse, and this series has emphasised it perfectly.
The end was touching, and hurt to watch at the same time. Knowing that some of the parts were based on real-life events makes it so much worse (to watch).
And now it's time for the spoilers!
Overall: 8/10
The start of the drama is interesting: it is the case that we have seen throughout the years, but this time this was a story with the real killer in it. We have finally found him!
The cases are no different from the others. The murders are brutal, and sometimes it might become too hard to watch.
However, I wish there were more emphasis on the victims instead of the investigation. We get only a few background stories on women who got murdered, like the one who survived and the child who was murdered, but even the 7th murder, which was the reason why Seok Man was put behind bars, was never told properly.
"The Scarecrow" is a detective drama first and foremost; it is a drama of "who did it", even if the fans are trying to say it's not.
A few things have changed since they started to focus more on the corruption side of the case. The way the police were burying everything that could instigate them and ruin their case, and the way this has ruined many lives, was something that was shown well.
This time we didn't have a "smart" lead coming from the future who knows better about the investigations. This time we had Tae Joo, who was fighting to get the truth out, which was intriguing to follow.
He has made his own mistakes during the investigation, but it was hard to understand Gi Beom's family blaming it all on him. It was even hard to understand Sun Yeong's decision to abandon her brother for 30 years.
The ending took an interesting turn. Maybe some people will disagree with me, but I loved the way it ended. Not everything has been solved, and that is all right.
As a viewer, it was a bit of a dissatisfying ending; however, it felt realistic and made (at least me) reflect more on the case.
Focusing on the people who were wrongfully accused in the case was also terrible to watch. The way Gi Beom's life came to an end, the way Seok Man suffered so many years in prison to hear the words that he is NOT guilty.
Even now, writing all of this makes me have goosebumps and saddens me, as this has been based on real-life events.
Storyline: 8/10
"The Scarecrow" had amazing character development; it wasn't always about becoming better, it was about having a higher position when the greed has reached its peak.
Tae Joo at first was shown as an eccentric character who always wanted to see justice, and it doesn't change throughout the drama. He doesn't need any development, but the way he goes through the hardship was admirable.
Even if at times I was left questioning his decisions, it made sense to his character.
Cha Si Young was also amazingly entertaining to watch. You would never guess which side he would turn to; at times, it seemed he would turn to Tae Joo, they would become friends, and everything would be fine.
To go back to being evil and corrupt because you're still scared of your father is a choice.
The way he has become such an amazing uncle, showing how the person can be so amazing to one when he's rotten inside.
It would have been nice if we had seen more of Seo Ji Won's story. She felt more like a supporting actress rather than a lead. There was no backstory for her and nothing actually happened to her character. She is there as a mother when she is needed, and she is there as a journalist when they need her to be there.
However, even supporting characters had more backstory than her.
The plot with Lee Gi Beom and Kang Sun Young let us get to know them for everything to burn away.
Characters: 9/10
Acting
I believe this was one of the strongest suits for the drama.
Park Hae Soo has won the Best Actor Award for this role, and he played so well. Going from emotional scenes to the more eccentric side of his character.
Moving on to Lee Hee Jun, who had great chemistry with Park Hae Soo. His younger counterpart (Moon Woo Jin) has done an amazing job too. They have played the younger and older versions so well!
While I was writing about the 5th Blue Dragon Awards, I mentioned that Jung Moon Sung did not make much of an impact on me, but after watching the last two episodes, I have to say that I was wrong.
The way he embodied the killer, the movement of his eyes and hands and the facial expression were amazing.
Everyone had worked so hard, and it turned out so well. So many actors have acted here that deserve praise.
Acting: 10/10
I'm surprised to see such drama only has 4 songs, but they have definitely matched the atmosphere; though, I wouldn't say they were very memorable.
My favourite is Park Hae Soo's version of "The Forgotten": the melody reminded me of those slower Korean songs from the 80s, and the voice was calming.
It's an interesting choice to perform the same song with the female voice (by Kwak Sun Young), but it didn't have the same feeling. Personally, a different song would have been better.
Music: 7.5/10
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