One of Netflix’s darkest thrillers,The Glory, is so disturbing that it’s difficult to finish.The Glorybecame an instant hit for the streaming platform when it debuted and became a global sensation. The Netflix TV show was so successful with audiences and critics that it brought home several awards, including the Best Drama Award at the 2023 Asian Academy Creative Awards.
The Korean series follows Moon Dong-eun, a woman who comes up with a meticulous plan to seek revenge on those who bullied her while she was in high school.The Gloryis extremely dark and deals with a subject that has already been explored inother K-dramas, but it does it in such a way that it will stay with you long after the credits roll.
The extremely talented Song Hye-kyo leads the cast ofThe Glory, and together with Lim Ji-yeon, the two actors elevate the K-drama’s story.The Gloryis gripping from start to finish and presents such an enthralling story that it’s difficult not to get pulled in. However, as interesting asthe Netflix K-dramais, it’s also not an easy show to watch.
The Glory Is One Of The Darkest Thrillers On Netflix
The Glory Has Dark Themes
Netflix is home to some dark thrillers such asYou,Mindhunter, andMy Name.The Glory, however, is on another level. From the first scene showing Dong-eun being tormented by her bullies,The Gloryestablished itself as a disturbing series. As the K-drama goes on,Don-eun’s steadfastness and determination to exact revenge on her ex-classmates add a chilland intensity to the series like no other.
It’s not just the theme of revenge in the series that makes it a dark thriller. It’s the psychological games that Dong-eun has to play in order to induce fear in those who tortured her. But perhaps the reasonThe Gloryis one ofNetflix’s darkest thrillerslies in how it depicts the lasting impact that bullying has on its victims.
Most scenes inThe Gloryare, of course, chilling,but what really remains with audiences is how Dong-eun changed from an innocent teenager to a woman with only one goal in her life: to seek vengeance. This makes the series both heartbreaking and incredibly dark at the same time, because Dong-eun truly becomes scary.
As Dong-eun slowly begins to enact her plan, the bullies also try to ensure that she doesn’t destroy everything that they had built.The psychological warfare between Dong-eun and her bullies is so dark and well-acted, and makes for a gripping series.The Gloryis an extremely intense show that will have you seeing the worst sides of humanity.
The Glory’s Physical And Psychological Violence Are Hard To Watch
The Glory Has Several Disturbing Scenes
The Glorydoesn’t shy away from depicting what Park Yeon-jin and her group of friends did to Moon Dong-eun. The first two episodes ofThe Glory, in particular, are extremely brutal as they show the disturbing ways in which Dong-eun was bullied. On several occasions, Dong-eun was kicked, burnt with a curling iron, and left to fight for her life.
The Glorywas loosely based on a true story that happened in Cheongju, South Korea.
Dong-eun wasn’t the only one that Yeon-jin and her friends bullied. Another girl, So-hee, was also a victim. While the physical violence was undoubtedly bad, the psychological torture was difficult to watch too. What makes the bullying inthe revenge K-dramaso disturbing is that Dong-eun and So-hee were not seen as humans but as something beneath the notice of Yeon-jin.
It’s this level of dismissal and lack of empathy that had the worst psychological impact on Dong-eun because she understood that her bullies didn’t even think she was human.
Yeon-jin and her friends never felt remorse for what they had put Dong-eun through, even when she had returned to seek revenge, Yeon-jin merely saw her as someone who had come to disrupt her perfect life. It’s this level of dismissal and lack of empathy that had the worst psychological impact on Dong-eun because she understood that her bullies didn’t even think she was human.
What’s worse is that Dong-eun and So-hee couldn’t have friends at school because everyone knew how bad Yeon-jin could be, and they didn’t want to get on her wrong side by befriending one of her victims. Instead of the teachers at the high school standing up for Dong-eun and So-hee, they too physically and psychologically abused them.
Netflix Has Great K-Dramas, But The Glory Is One Of The Best
The Glory Is One Of Netflix’s Most Gripping K-Dramas
Netflix has come a long way since Kingdom was released in 2019. Over the years, the streaming platform has produced K-dramas that have become global sensations and have been praised by critics. While shows likeSquid Game,All of Us Are Dead, andSweet Homeput Netflix on the map,The Gloryis also one of the streamer’s best shows.
The Gloryhas all the elements that make a K-drama great. A talented cast, a gripping storyline, and flawed characters. Everything inThe Gloryis executed perfectly, and while it’s disturbing, the K-drama still drives home a necessary message about the extreme levels that bullying can reach and how it changes the lives of victims.
The Glory
Cast
The Glory is a South Korean television series that follows the journey of Moon Dong-eun, a woman who seeks vengeance against those who tormented her during her school years. As she meticulously executes her elaborate plans, the show explores themes of bullying, revenge, and the lasting impact of trauma. Directed by Ahn Gil-ho and written by Kim Eun-sook, the series stars Song Hye-kyo in the lead role.
