A Killer Paradox (Korean: 살인자ㅇ난감) is a 2024 South Korean crime thrillerdark comedy television series written by Kim Da-min, directed by Lee Chang-hee, and starring Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, and Lee Hee-joon. Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Kkomabi, it tells the story of a man who accidentally murders a serial killer, and a detective who pursues him relentlessly. It was released on Netflix on February 9, 2024, and received generally positive reviews.
Lee Tang, who was discharged from the army six months ago, struggles with his life and dreams of visiting Canada. He works at a convenience store and relies heavily on his parents for support. One night, he is assaulted by a customer, leading to a violent confrontation and the subsequent murder of the customer. Tang is guilt-ridden and prepares to turn himself in but discovers his victim was a serial killer. Dutiful detective Jang Nan-gam remains uncooperative and keeps investigating. It is unclear if Nan-gam is onto him, but Tang continues to kill, revealing his hidden talent for detecting and killing previously unpunished evildoers without leaving any traceable evidence. The story explores the question of whether Tang is serving justice or evading it.
A woman living a hard life after being betrayed by her trusted lover. She changed her name and face after her private video was distributed by her ex-lover.
The series was directed by Lee Chang-hee, who previously worked on the film The Vanished (2018) and the series Hell Is Other People (2019). It was written by Kim Da-min, who won the grand prize in the 2019 Gyeonggi Scenario Planning and Development Feature Category. Showbox and Let's Film managed the production.[14] Filming began in the second half of 2022 and took place in Daejeon.[15][10]Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, and Lee Hee-joon were cast for the series.[16]
Netflix confirmed that the show would be released on February 9, 2024.[17][18]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10.[19] Pierce Conran of the South China Morning Post rated it 3/5 and wrote that it "eschews moral introspection in favour of something more troubling".[20] Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? rated it 9.5/10 and wrote that it is "darkly humorous, violent, and never boring, A Killer Paradox is a morality thriller like no other", adding, "what begins as a comedy of errors and morphs into a deep detective thriller, it's one of the finest series on Netflix".[21] Joel Keller of Decider wrote that "while A Killer Paradox seems like a pretty straightforward show, it should have a lot of tense moments", adding that it may have twists along the way.[22] Jonathan Wilson of Ready Steady Cut rated it 3/5 and wrote that "some will think it's great" and "others will find the conceit too trying" but "both will be right in about equal measure".[23] David Opie of Radio Times rated it 3/5 and wrote that "tighter focus and keener sense of the message behind this conceit could have elevated the series more" but that "there's still tons of fun to be had when it comes to Killer's sheer ambition, not to mention the wish fulfilment of it all".[24] Rhian Daly of NME rated it 4/5 and described the series as "far from a typical offering in the genre [that] adds flashes of other styles, like fantasy, into the mix" and "worlds apart from the usual murder and retribution fare", calling Choi Woo-shik, in particular, "phenomenal as the unlikely avenger".[25] Pallavi Keswani of The Hindu wrote that "a product of smart writing, supported by some stellar performances, [it] emerges as slightly disturbing yet deeply intriguing watch".[26] Melissa Camacho of Common Sense Media wrote that "overall, A Killer Paradox is an interesting thriller that requires close attention to fully understand what's happening".[27]
A Killer Paradox ranked second in Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category after three days of its release and received a warm response in 19 countries, being listed in the top 10, including in South Korea, Bolivia, India, Qatar, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam.[28] The following week, the series topped the chart with 39.5 million hours watched by 5.5 million viewers,[29] and remained on the chart for the next two consecutive weeks.[30]
^ abYoon, Hyo-jung (May 25, 2022). 최우식·손석구 대세배우들 만날까...'살인자ㅇ난감' 출연 검토 [Will we meet the mainstream actors Choi Woo-sik and Son Suk-ku...'Murder DIEary' Appearance Review] (in Korean). News1. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Hye-sun (May 10, 2023). 그렸다 하면 영상화... 웹툰작가 '꼬마비'의 심오한 세계 [If you draw, they become videos... The profound world of webtoon artist 'Kkomabi'] (in Korean). Ilgan Sports. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abcMoon, Ji-yeon (August 19, 2022). [공식] 최우식·이희준→손석구..'살인자ㅇ난감' 제작 학정 [[Official] Choi Woo-shik, Lee Hee-joon→Son Suk-ku..'Murder DIEary' Production Confirmed] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2022 – via Naver.
^Kim, Hyung-joo (February 12, 2024). 지루한 일상...악인 처단할 능력 생긴다면 [A boring daily life... If you have the ability to punish evil people] (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Bo-ra (February 15, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감', 손석구 후배 권다함 눈길 끄네 ['A Killer Paradox', Son Suk-ku junior Kwon Da-ham draws attention] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abJang, Pil-gu (January 27, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감' 최우식X손석구 "처음엔 우발적이었지만..." 넷플릭스 드라마, 내달 9일 공개 '영화가 좋다' ['A Killer Paradox' Choi Woo-sik X Son Suk-gu "At first, it was accidental, but..." Netflix drama to be released on the 9th of next month, 'The movie is good'] (in Korean). Top Star News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Nate.
^Ahn, Byung-gil (February 13, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감' 섬뜩·섬세, 정이서가 떴다 ['A Killer Parodox' Creepy and delicate, Jung Yi-seo appears] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lee, Yoo-min (February 14, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감' 재활용 불가! 나쁜 남자, 노재원 ['A Killer Paradox' Cannot be recycled! Bad boy, Roh Jae-won] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^ abcNam, Hye-yeon (February 10, 2024). "손석구와 최우식만 보인다고? NO!" 알고보면 더 깊이빠지는 인물열전[살인자ㅇ난감] ["You only see Son Suk-ku and Choi Woo-shik? NO!" The more you know, the deeper you will fall in love with the characters [A Killer Paradox]] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^Park, Jung-sun (February 13, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감' 신예 이소원, 차태현 소속사와 전속계약 ['Murderer's Difficulty' newcomer Lee So-won signs exclusive contract with Cha Tae-hyun's agency] (in Korean). JTBC News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^Hwang, Jeong (October 25, 2022). 최우식·손석구·이희준, 넷플릭스 '살인자 O난감' 확정 [Choi Woo-shik, Son Seok-gu, and Lee Hee-jun confirmed for Netflix's 'Killer O Toy']. Star News. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022 – via Naver.
^Moon, Ji-yeon (May 26, 2022). [단독] 최우식·손석구 '살인자o난감'에서 만난다..연기 대결(종합) [[Exclusive] Choi Woo-sik and Son Seok-gu meet in 'Murderer: Confusing'...Acting showdown (Comprehensive)]. Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Naver.
^Yoon, Hyo-jung (August 19, 2022). 넷플릭스 '살인자ㅇ난감' 제작 확정...최우식·손석구·이희준 주연 [Netflix's 'Murder DIEary' production confirmed...Starring Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, Lee Hee-joon] (in Korean). News1. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
^Yoon, Hyun-ji (January 11, 2024). 최우식X손석구, 기묘한 추격전...'살인자ㅇ난감' 2월 9일 공개 [Choi Woo-sik 'Murderer's Puzzle' to be released on February 9th] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kang, Sun-ae (February 14, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감', 공개 3일만에 글로벌 2위...19개국 TOP10 등극 ['The Murderer's Toy' ranks 2nd globally within 3 days of release...Ranked in TOP10 in 19 countries] (in Korean). SBS Entertainment News. Archived from the original on June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2024 – via Naver.
^Jang Da-hee (August 30, 2024). 변우석→김혜윤…2024 아시아콘텐츠어워즈 배우상 누구에게? [Byun Woo-seok → Kim Hye-yoon… Who will win the 2024 Asia Contents Awards Best Actor Award?]. MBC Entertainment (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
^Hwang, So-young (April 8, 2024). 60회 맞은 '백상예술대상' TV·영화·연극 후보 공개 [60th 'Baeksang Arts Awards' TV, Film and Theater Candidates Revealed] (in Korean). JTBC News. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024 – via Naver.
^Moon, Ji-yeon (June 24, 2024). [공식] '무빙'·'SNL코리아' 최다 노미..제3회 청룡시리즈어워즈 후보 격돌 [[Official] 'Moving' and 'SNL Korea' most nominated..Candidates clash for the 3rd Blue Dragon Series Awards]. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 26, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024 – via Naver.
^Lim Jae-seong (May 29, 2024). 올해 서울드라마어워즈 역대 최다 출품...48개국 346편 [This year's Seoul Drama Awards has the largest number of entries ever... 346 episodes from 48 countries] (in Korean). KBS. Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.