With its unapologetic use of graphic imagery, Revenant conjures an unsettling occult-themed storyline that is not for the faint of heart.
Revenant‘s opening salvo masterfully blends various elements, such as an intriguing plot, evocative imagery, a cinematic atmosphere, and outstanding acting performances. Despite the complex nature of the first two episodes, featuring multiple plot threads, the narrative remains cohesive and consistent with the central themes of the story.
Kimley Jone watches Revenant on Disney Plus
Opening Week Rating: 
Revenant Opening Week Highlights
*Content Warning: The following text contains references to suicide.
The Eerie Presence
Folklore literature professor Gu Gang Mo (Jin Sun Kyu) returns home drenched from a heavy downpour and appears anxious as he attempts to flee from something sinister. He makes his way to his study room and immediately secures all entrances and windows. A disturbing figure that appears to be a human with tangled, unkempt hair lurks outside the room. This ominous presence foretells that something terrible is imminent.
Gang Mo begins to hear a voice that resembles that of his mother, Kim Seok Ran (Ye Soo Jung), urging him to open the door. Initially reluctant, he eventually yields and opens the door only to hang himself moments later. The evil entity has deceived him.
Arriving a little too late, his mother cries in anguish upon discovering her son’s lifeless body
The Cursed Object
Meanwhile, Gu San Yeong (Kim Tae Ri) tries her best to make ends meet. While doing some rounds of food deliveries, she receives a call from her mother, Yoon Gyeong Mun (Park Ji Young), informing her that the perpetrator behind their stolen money through voice phishing has been caught. Regrettably, they are unable to recover the funds, leaving them in dire financial straits and unable to pay their rent.
Later that day, Gyeong Mun is informed of the passing of her ex-husband, Gang Mo. She then discloses to San Yeong the truth about her father, contradicting what she had led her daughter to believe.
She confesses to fabricating stories about her ex-husband and their marriage as she wanted to sever all ties with him. Despite this, they visit Gang Mo’s house to pay their last respects where they meet San Yeong’s grandmother.
Seok Ran hands San Yeong a hair accessory—a keepsake from her father. Upon seeing the gift, Gyeong Mun is outraged and instructs San Yeong not to take it with them.
As they prepare to leave, San Yeong and her mother cross paths with Yeom Hae Sang (Oh Jung Se), another folklore literature professor, who is also there to visit the wake. In a brief conversation with San Yeong, Hae Sang notices an alarming presence latched onto her—the same ominous shadow that sneaked inside Gang Mo’s room moments before he passed away.
Hae Sang harbors suspicions that this malevolent spirit may have played a role in his own mother’s unexplained death and hopes to solve the mystery surrounding her passing.
An Uncanny Specter
In a serendipitous encounter, Hae Sang shares with San Yeong the haunting presence that has been trailing her. This ghost possesses the ability to nourish itself with her negative emotions. As a result, those she despises will be pushed to the brink of death.
Although she initially scoffs at the notion, dismissing it as implausible due to her disbelief in the existence of ghosts, her skepticism is soon challenged. Upon hearing that the thief responsible for stealing their money has taken his own life, San Yeong begins questioning her conviction about the non-existence of supernatural entities.
San Yeong starts seeing a ghost herself. She learns about the tragic death of Hyun Woo, a middle-schooler who jumped from the rooftop of a school building after suffering from physical abuse inflicted by his parents. The boy’s restless soul comes following her, and she seems to be on the receiving end of an important message.
With the help of Hae Sang, they uncover the cruelty of Hyun Woo’s parents and succeed in rescuing his younger sister from maltreatment. Eventually, Hyun Woo’s spirit vanishes peacefully after justice has been served.
Chain of Fatal Events
Subsequently, San Yeong becomes aware of the menacing shadow that seems to stalk her. She also undergoes sporadic bouts of possession and unsettling visions that are not her own. During one of these episodes, she inexplicably finds herself en route to her grandmother’s house.
When she snaps back to her own consciousness, she realizes she was being possessed. After seeing the red hair ornament through someone else’s vision, she promptly boards a bus heading to her grandmother’s house.
Meanwhile, after being informed by Gyeon Mu about the keepsake her ex-husband left San Yeong, Hae Sang makes his way to the same destination in search of the cursed object. However, a tragic turn of events unfolds as Seok Ran is about to hand him over a notebook with crucial information about the hair accessory.
In the guise of San Yeong, the evil spirit barges inside the house and leads the grandmother to hang herself while flames spread rapidly throughout the room.
Hae Sang discovers Seok Ran’s lifeless body hanging from the ceiling and attempts to rescue her, but it is too late. He implores San Yeong, who just arrived at the scene, to call for help.
However, the situation takes an unpleasant turn when the law enforcement authorities, led by Seo Mun Chu (Kim Won Hae), make her the primary target of suspicion due to her status as the sole inheritor of her grandmother.
The Shaman Connection
In a flashback scene, Hae Sang is seen living a comfortable life with his family until the death of his father. After this event, his mother takes him to what appears to be a remote location. Mysteriously, his mother keeps a piece of rock with a seemingly significant value.
Unfortunately, strange things happen—a sinister shadow appears and starts stalking Hae Sang’s mother, eventually driving her to take her own life.
Enduring a shared curse that torments their families, Hae Sang and San Yeong embark on a perilous quest to uncover the mystery behind the demonic portals that bridge the human and supernatural realms. San Yeong then confesses about coming across one of her father’s notebooks containing valuable information about the cursed object. Among the notebook’s content is a hand-drawn map that potentially leads to the hair accessory’s origin.
Adding to the story, a flashback scene in 1958 shows a seemingly wicked shaman holding the ornament.
Revenant Opening Week Musings
Through its adept storytelling, Revenant skillfully pictures the evil ghost as something that cunningly assumes the identity of a human, feeds itself with negative emotions, and drives its victims to their brutal end.
Additionally, the plot presents an enigmatic premise that revolves around a cursed object. These elements work harmoniously to strike a balance in providing viewers with ample information to stay invested while retaining enough mystery to pique their curiosity.
Character- and Plot-Driven Narrative
The story takes on added dimensions when San Yeong is thrust into a world where the supernatural and humans co-exist, and the way she grapples with her feelings is essential to drive the plot’s evolution. The interplay between San Yeong’s emotions and the events around her creates a gripping and immersive narrative that will surely draw the viewers in and keep them throughout.
Moreover, the drama creates a haunting and unsettling aura by predominantly capturing nighttime scenes and establishing a brooding, cinematic atmosphere. Through Hae Sang’s cold yet unyielding demeanor and San Yeong’s perplexed state of mind, the series evokes two major emotions that are palpable throughout the opening episodes. The juxtaposition of the dark, foreboding mood and the even darker personalities of the characters stirs curiosity for what lies ahead of the series.
Revenant‘s new episodes are aired every Friday and Saturday on SBS and can be streamed on Disney Plus.
Photos: SBS Drama
