Netflix new original, ‘A Killer Paradox,’ is full of entertaining irony: director

An ordinary university student accidentally kills a man, who later turns out to be a malicious serial killer. Believing he has uncanny talent to recognize evildoers, he embarks on a killing spree of his own, convinced it is the right thing to do.

Netflix’s upcoming Korean original, “A Killer Paradox,” follows the student Lee Tang, played by “Parasite” star Choi Woo-shik, and the relentless detective Jang Nan-gam, played by Son Suk-ku of “My Liberation Notes,” who pursues Lee.

The premise of the new series might sound like a usual gritty crime-thriller-mystery, but director Lee Chang-hee, who made popular thriller series like “Strangers From Hell,” and the actors in the show present a different picture.

“The series is full of irony, harmonizing things that are seemingly at odds with one another,” Lee said at a press event in Seoul on Thursday, adding, “While the show is fun, it also asks a heavy question at the end.”

The show combines fantastical elements of the main protagonist Lee, the detective Jang’s crime thriller, as well as noir aspects revolving around the former detective-turned-criminal Song Chon (Lee Hee-joon) on the trail of Lee, the director added.

Adding to the appeal of the show are, the director said, the paradox the characters confront, the main protagonist Lee’s psychological evolution through a series of killings and the conflict between guilt and liberation and anxiety and peace.

“Who on Earth has the right to destroy evil, and how far should one be allowed to go in doing so?” actor Son said about the dilemma his character faces in the series.

“(The show’s) like a bowl of tasty bibimbap,” actor Choi said, referring to Korean mixed rice with assorted vegetables and meat. “It harmoniously mixed many different genres and charming characters together.”

Like many other Korean original shows being produced these days, the series is based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name, which has a huge fan base.

The director said he tried to maintain the tone and manner of the original work and to ensure the core message remained intact. While he found the job quite challenging to turn the fantasy web comics into a live-action series, the challenge itself spurred him on and made him work harder for a good show, he said.

“I focused on visualizing Lee’s mental status, like by using beautiful but incongruous classical music as the soundtrack in killing scenes and crosscuts of scenes that don’t seem to fit together,” he said.

Son said he couldn’t wait to see the series’ release, particularly for fans of the original webtoon.

“I can’t pinpoint one genre for the series. I would just say it is made by a unique producer with very young and trendy tastes,” he said. “I think the webtoon fans will really love it.”

The eight-part series is set to premiere Feb. 9.