Black Knight

June 4, 2023

Our Take: While Black Knight lacks depth in the storytelling department, it is filled with action-packed sequences and stunning visual effects.

The Premise

Set in 2071, Black Knight depicts a dystopian future where Korea has become a desert wasteland filled with toxic air pollution after a comet collided with Earth. The remaining 1% of the population is forced to find creative ways to generate and maintain oxygen levels. But, due to the strict social hierarchy, only the rich and designated middle class, marked with a QR code tattooed on their hands, can enjoy clean air and regular meals via parcel delivery services. Meanwhile, the refugees must scavenge for scraps in the desert while living in dirt-poor conditions. Their one way out is to become a courier, also known as a knight, to deliver packages of food and oxygen to people's homes while protecting their trucks from raiders.

Among the delivery drivers is 5-8 (Kim Woo Bin), a legendary knight and modern-day hero highly skilled in physical combat. Meanwhile, Seol Ah (Esom) is a major in the Defense Intelligence Command. Together with her sister, Jung Seul Ah (Roh Yoon Seo), they secretly harbor a refugee, Yoon Sa Wol (Kang Yoo Seok), in their home. During a raid, Seol Ah saved Sa Wol's life and embraced him into her family as a younger brother. Sa Wol's dream is to become a knight like 5-8 and enters a cutthroat competition to try to earn a spot. 

At the same time, construction is underway to relocate the Special District under the leadership of Cheonmyeong Group's Chairman Ryu Jae Jin (Nam Kyung Eup) and the government. However, his son, Ryu Seok (Song Seung Heon), has a more sinister plan in mind. As Sa Wol attempts to turn his dream into reality under the guidance of 5-8 and his fellow delivery drivers, they also work together with Esom to uncover the secrets behind Cheonmyeong Group's new construction project.

The Crew

Kim Woo Bin as 5-8 is a charismatic leader with a subtle but strong presence. Before becoming a delivery man, he was a refugee who narrowly survived a massacre led by Cheonmyeong Group. Having seen the corporation's evil firsthand, he knows exactly what Cheonmyeong is capable of. His experience drives him to become a courier and form a secret alliance with other delivery drivers who also were former refugees. Together, they deliver hope and justice to their people.

Pitted against 5-8 and his fellow drivers is Chairman Ryu Jae Jin's son, Ryu Seok, a classic villain who wants to eradicate all refugees. Rather than attempting to find a solution to save everyone, he wants to maintain the status quo by consolidating resources and oxygen among the people living in the underground utopia his father created while abandoning all the refugees struggling on the surface. 

Sa Wol is a young and cocky refugee, later revealed to be a mutant. He idolizes the delivery drivers and enters the ring in a winner takes all fight held by Cheongmyeong Group to try to become one. He's scrappy but goofy and earnest, making him someone to root for. 

Seol Ah is a dutiful soldier who wants to do everything in her power to protect her family, including Sa Wol, and the citizens of Korea. She is not afraid to bend the rules in the name of justice. A highly skilled major, she eventually learns the truth about Ryu's deadly plans and teams up with 5-8 to take him down. 

The Haves and the Have Nots

Black Knight mirrors the classism in society today and how the rich take advantage of the poor to continue growing their empires. Its message is reminiscent of the movie Parasite, where you question who the real parasites are. While Chairman Ryu saved Korea from being wiped out, he also sacrificed 99% of the population. 

Life in his newly created world is deeply divided, where those who are chosen get to live and work within the dome city his company created. The middle class, consisting of soldiers and delivery drivers, lives outside in secure, windowless housing units with regular food deliveries. The lower class is considered refugees and must fend for themselves against the dusty and dangerous atmosphere. 

The disparity between the different social classes is stark. For most refugees, they have no prospects of life improving. From Ryu Seok's perspective, his family's company sustains the economy and population. Therefore they get to decide who is worthy of getting oxygen. Everyone should be grateful to them and anyone not chosen has no value. 

But, the politicians, military, refugees, delivery drivers, and even Chairman Ryu have a different perspective and want to build a habitable world for all survivors, not just the chosen ones. They remind us that there are people out there who are fighting to create a better world for everyone. 

The Story

With only 6 episodes, we don't have much time to get acquainted with the world and the characters. As a result, the world buildup and storytelling feel vague in terms of understanding how the current society came to be and the motivations behind all the characters. While it's clear who the good and bad guys are, the series would have benefited from a deeper dive into the key characters to build empathy for them. 

Certain elements of the show are also not properly explained or explored, which requires us to suspend reality to follow along. For example, nothing is mentioned about life outside of Seoul or how mutants came to be. 5-8's backstory also feels rushed as there is a significant time jump from his experiences as a refugee to now being known as a legendary knight. But, while the story lacks substance, the production quality is visually extravagant, and the VFX effects and action sequences are stunning. 

Final Thoughts

Black Knight doesn't bring anything new to postapocalyptic storytelling, but it packs a ton of tense action into the drama. While the show lacks focus, it's worth giving it a shot if you want to see a fun take on a dystopian future.