Tving series ‘A Bloody Lucky Day’ captures horrific moment in mundane setting

October 6, 2023

The upcoming Tving series “A Bloody Lucky Day” shows how a mundane setting can turn into a place of horror by following a serial killer’s journey through a long-distance taxi ride.

Based on Aporia’s webtoon series under the same name, the thriller revolves around a taxi driver, Oh Taek (Lee Sung-min), who unexpectedly accepts a man’s offer to go on a long-distance ride.

One day, Oh Taek sees pigs in a dream and buys a lottery ticket, believing the pigs would bring about good luck. Before he calls it a day, Gyeum Hyeok-soo (Yoo Yeon-seok) offers a million won (US$741) to drive him to a distant port city.

Oh Taek is shocked after learning that Hyeok-soo killed a man and plans to stow away on a boat. Meanwhile, Hwang Soon-kyu (Lee Jung-eun), the mother of the murdered man, chases after the killer.

It was officially invited to the 28th Busan International Film Festival’s “On Screen” section, which showcases highly anticipated drama series by streaming platforms.

Pil Gam-seong, director of Tving series "A Bloody Lucky Day," and cast members (from L to R) -- Lee Seong-min, Lee jung-eun and Yoon Yeon-seok -- attend the Open Talk session at the Busan International Film Festival in the southeastern port city of Busan on Oct. 6, 2023. (Yonhap)
Pil Gam-seong, director of Tving series “A Bloody Lucky Day,” and cast members (from L to R) — Lee Seong-min, Lee jung-eun and Yoon Yeon-seok — attend the Open Talk session at the Busan International Film Festival in the southeastern port city of Busan on Oct. 6, 2023. (Yonhap)

Director Pil Gam-seong said he decided to adapt the webtoon as he was intrigued by the plot of having a serial killer in a taxi.

“I took interest in telling a day’s story in a 10-episode series,” Pil said at an Open Talk session held at the outdoor theater of the Busan Cinema Center. “I was curious about the suspense and tension when the limited space of a taxi turns to a place of horror. I wanted to capture the moments on screen.”

Lee said he liked the feel of a road movie, as the taxi driver encounters a dangerous passenger and tries to escape the risk.

“The plot was impressive, and I was interested in the thriller, which features an ordinary person’s experience in an ordinary day,” Lee said.

Yoo, who has starred in several rom-coms and melodramas, said he took the role of the serial killer to show an unfamiliar face to audiences.

“I had a strong desire to play a different type of role and came across the script. As he is a merciless killer, I thought it would draw out an unfamiliar side from me,” Yoo said.

“A Bloody Lucky Day” will be released on Tving next month, with a specific release date not confirmed yet.