Through the Darkness
Through the Darkness
Now Showing

Through the Darkness

7.8
Yr 2022
Rt 67m
Status Ended
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

A team of tenacious detectives study the minds of murderers at a time when Korea's first serial murders terrorized the nation. Based on true events.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 88 /100

Through the Darkness received high praise from critics and K-drama reviewers, who commended its realistic, unhurried depiction of early criminal profiling in South Korea. Several commentators drew comparisons to Netflix's Mindhunter, noting that the series eschews standard whodunit tropes in favor of exploring how police forces delve into the psychological minds of serial killers.

Reviewers also highlighted the drama's chilling atmosphere and exceptional production quality. Special acclaim was given to the cast, particularly lead actor Kim Nam-gil and co-star Jin Seon-kyu, whose performances were described as incredible and worthy of their real-world award wins.

“These chilling, cold-blooded characters set the tone for this shockingly realistic series.”

“The acting is incredible and Kim Nam Gil receiving the Daesang at the SBS Drama Awards and Seon Kyu winning two excellence awards is definitely well deserved.”

“The different cases are unnerving, dark, at times disturbing... The drama might remind you of Netflix series Mindhunter.”

“A Crime Drama That Truly Explores the Desperate Struggles”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Kocowa
UK • US • CA
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Why fans love it

Through the Darkness shifts the procedural focus from physical evidence to the psychological landscape of the criminal mind. Set during a volatile period when South Korea faced its first wave of serial murders, the series prioritizes the slow, methodical observation required to understand unpredictable violence. It treats the act of profiling as a cerebral challenge, emphasizing the mental toll of immersion into dark motives.

Kim Nam-gil anchors the tension by portraying the grueling development of investigative techniques during an era without established precedents or protocols. The script relies on suspense built through quiet deduction rather than typical high-octane action. By framing crime through the lens of early behavioral analysis, the mystery remains focused on the patient reconstruction of a killer's logic. It operates as a grounded thriller that finds its stakes in the internal pressure of modern policing.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 74
Regulars 12
Longest run 12 eps
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Jo Young-jin as Lee Jin-chul 12 episodes Lee Haney as Im Moo-sik 12 episodes Kim Hye-ok as Park Young-shin 12 episodes Seo Dong-gab as Kim Bong-shik 12 episodes Kong Seong-ha as Choi Yoon-ji 12 episodes Oh Seung-hoon as Jo Kang-moo 2 episodes Kim Yun-seul as Cotton candy girl 1 episode Kim Kwan-mo as Undercover cop in drag 1 episode Choi Da-young as Nurse 1 episode Hwang Jeong-min as 'Turtle' supermarket owner 1 episode Heo Seon-haeng as Medical examiner 1 episode Kim Deok-ju as Hwa-yeon's landlord 1 episode Lee Si-young as Neighborhood single mother 1 episode Bang Jung-hyun as Detective 1 episode Park Jin-young as Doctor 1 episode Yoon Hye-ree as Choi Hwa-yeon 2 episodes Oh Kyung-joo as Bang Ki-hoon 2 episodes Oh Hee-jun as Kang Yoo-min 2 episodes Ko Gun-han as Yang Yong-chul 2 episodes Lee Cheon-mu as Song Ha-young (young) 2 episodes Moon Dong-hyeok as Moon Tae-soo 3 episodes Kim Hyun as Hwa-yeon's mother 3 episodes Jeong Man-sik as Park Dae-woong 4 episodes Cheon Dong-been as Deliveryman 1 episode Noh Ha-yeon as Lee Soo-hyun 2 episodes Lee Ki-seop as Kang Jin-goo 1 episode Lee Jong-yoon as Jang Deuk-hok 1 episode Bae Seong-il as Detective 1 episode Jung Chung-gu as Film developer 1 episode Park Yu-mil as Lim Hyun-joo 1 episode Lee Jae-eun as Mrs. Kim 1 episode Ki Hwan as Soo-hyun's father 2 episodes Lee Hun-joo as Soo-hyun's mother 2 episodes Kwon Eun-seong as Lee Ji-wook 2 episodes Son Young-soon as Lee Chun-young 2 episodes Woo Jung-kook as Cho Hyun-gil 3 episodes Jung Young-keum as Hyun-gil's landlord 1 episode Choi Nam-wook as Convenience store owner 1 episode Han Jun-woo as Gu Young-chun 5 episodes Ku Sung-hwan as Hwang Dae-sun 1 episode Seo Myung-chan as Han Seok-hoon 1 episode Hwang In-jun as Detective 1 episode Oh Kyu-taek as Man drinking with prosecutor 1 episode Sun Yul-woo as Detective 5 episodes Hong Ye-ji as Bookstore employee 1 episode Kim Joong-hee as Nam Ki-tae 5 episodes Lee Geun-hoo as Kwak Man-hyun 1 episode Lee Jae-woo as Detective Kim 1 episode Kim Bum-joon as Witness 1 episode Yoo Yong as Detective 1 episode Lee Dong-kyu as Anchorman 1 episode Kim Gyeong-min as Professor An 2 episodes Seong No-jin as Forensics examiner 2 episodes Kim Joo-ah as Columbarium employee 1 episode Choi Min-hyeok as Victim 1 episode Han Dae-gwan as Victim's father 1 episode Kim Nak-kyun as Detective 1 episode Choi Sol-hee as Yang Ji-sook 2 episodes Na Chul as Woo Ho-sung 3 episodes Hong Eun-jeong as Manyeon bus stop woman 1 episode Lee Ye-joo as Christmas tree girl 1 episode Yoon Ga-i as Lee Cho-won 1 episode Noh Eun-ha as ATM woman 1 episode Kim Borana as Massage parlor owner 1 episode Kim Bong-soo as Ji-sook's father 1 episode Kim Bong-hee as Ji-sook's mother 1 episode
Production Board

Crew

Original Music Composer
Director
Writer
Signal Match

Similarity

Where Through the Darkness overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

based on novel or book police profiling police procedural cerebral suspenseful thriller
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
January 14, 2022
Status
Ended
Episode Runtime
67 minutes
Origin
KR
TMDB Votes
51