We’ve all had our share of Beef with someone.
Whether it’s having a road rage battle with strangers, which everyone knows must end with middle fingers greeting each other, or defacing property. It’s not an overstatement to say that this series is among the best complex story Netflix has picked up alongside the work of the acclaimed production company A24. Relatable stories have always had the greatest impact on audiences and Beef is the exception. Multilayered with topics on trauma, dishonesty, decision-making, class, and nihilism; this show gives an insight into the massive misunderstandings between hurt people which leads to self-destruction because of the absence of connection.
Beef is the story of two people getting into a road rage incident and trying to plot revenge which causes difficult character development and storytelling. Steven Yeun who plays Danny Cho was phenomenal and Ali Wong as Amy Lau was brilliant. Every scene they had together was magic. When Amy and Danny accidentally crack open something inside of one another, they compete to see who can hurt themselves or the others more. This is an amazing story about revenge and karma that is unnaturally executed.
In the finale, Danny and Amy are left to fend for themselves. They have zero trust in one another but in the worst-case scenario that they find themselves in, they are each other’s best hope to survive. They set aside their beef and have deep conversations which help them understand they are not dissimilar at all. They are the source of their downfalls. They set aside the rivalry to learn more about their morals and flaws. The ending leaves the audience questioning our individualism and how that reflects on living fulfilled lives that the main characters struggled to navigate.
The directors Hikari, Jake Schreier, and Lee Sung-Jin take us on an intense journey that is beyond unpredictable. The need for love and the inability to offer and receive it. Both the Yin and the Yang. As well as a banger at the end of each episode and the art for the title cards are beautiful. This show is the official new definition of revenge.
Written by Daniel Rojas