Dark Hole offers a thriller story with mutants, and a deep reflection on societal values.
Fear and anger can mobilize humans, and become a point of attachment for heinous acts. Deconstructing various institutions in society, Dark Hole reflects on how humans react in a state of crisis.
- Main Cast: Kim Ok Bin | Lee Joon Hyuk
- Supporting Cast: Park Keun Rok | Oh Yu Jin | Song Sang Eun | Lee Ye Bit | Im Won Hee
- Streaming Site: iQiyi
- Thrill/Addictive Meter:
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- Kdramas of Similar Vibe: Kingdom | Save Me | Sweet Home | Hellbound
Marcie Line watched Dark Hole on iQiyi
Dark Hole Quick Plot Recap
A mysterious sinkhole in a mountain emits dark smoke, and when humans inhale the smoke, they transform into mutants. Their eyes and blood become black, and they suddenly attack humans.
Detective Lee Hwa-sun (Kim Ok Bin) has inhaled the smoke, but she is able to resist becoming fully a mutant, and return to her senses as a human. Together with Yoo Tae-han (Lee Joon Hyuk), they uncover the mystery of the smoke, and help the surviving citizens of Muji.
Dark Hole Series Peak Points
Strong & Dependable Female Lead
Lee Hwa-sun is a detective, and she holds onto her gun to combat incoming mutants. With her husband being murdered, she is also a widow who searches for the killer of her husband. Even with her past experiences, she does not hesitate in saving the people from Muji when the mysterious smoke starts to invade the area.
She is reliable and brave as she is ready to risk her safety to save people. Moreover, she has also accepted Do-yoon (Lee Ye Bit) and Dong-rim (Oh Yu Jin) with open arms, and stood like their guardians.
Depiction of Humans in Times of Crisis
Reactions of various institutions are covered in the series, and viewers can analyze its similarities with the reality of life. Authorities, like the president of Muji High School, take advantage of the situation to force people to obey through threats. They abuse their power, and manipulate the resources, blaming the people under them when something goes wrong.
In the case of other groups like the cult and the shaman featured, they also take advantage of the situation. They mask their generosity as a way to gather new members, who will believe and follow them. Even with the crisis, their power and personal interests are still their priority. In turn, people who are desperate for certainty are easily manipulated and exploited.
Doctor Han (Bae Jung Hwa) experiments on her patients in order to search for a possible cure or solution to their problem. This points out a dilemma that also resonates with the characters who choose to leave and sacrifice their companions in order to survive.
Mutants & the Sinkhole as Metaphors
Going beyond the supernatural aspects of the series, the mutants and the sinkhole have served somehow as a metaphor for fear and anger in humans. To become a mutant, one must inhale the smoke from the sinkhole. Followed by that are experiences of hallucinations, wherein the individual is clouded by one’s fears and anger.
Their fears are transformed into acts of violence, and fully become mutants who attack the people around them. Falling deeper into the sinkhole may have been symbolizing the outcome of a person who is swallowed by their fear and anger.
Dark Hole Series Musings
Mutants, blood, and violence are featured throughout the series. However, what really stuck to me while watching Dark Hole was the way it represented people during a crisis, like the pandemic.
The dilemma of citizens in saving other people who seem to be infected may be common in these types of series that feature survival. But, this series has added value to this genre as it incorporated and highlighted how various institutions in society take advantage of a crisis.
I appreciate how they inserted societal values, and demonstrated how people of authority resort to coercion and violence in order to gain obedience from people. The series can somehow serve as a mirror of society, and make its viewer reflect on their values and thoughts in life.
As it has also served an amount of gore and violence, the monster at the ending was not what I expected. Characters were almost battling the unseen, provided the hallucinations and smoke, but it turns out it was really a monster. I was looking more into whether someone else was responsible for the whole smoke and sinkhole, or whether some human was controlling it.
Monitoring One’s Fear and Anger
In its finale, the epilogue shares that another sinkhole appeared in another town, hinting at another possible crisis. Nonetheless, the story in Muji still ended with a realistic yet positive note with the survival of key characters like Detective Lee, Tae-han, and the children.
People like Detective Lee, who resisted becoming a mutant, survived, and this may have emphasized the importance of not falling too deep into one’s fear and anger. For keeping these in check, one can survive and surpass all urges to turn into what they call a “monster”.
Watch Dark Hole on iQiyi.
Photos: tvN | OCN
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