Hellbound (2021)

October 8, 2023

Our Take: Hellbound has an interesting concept, but ultimately, the show stumbles and fails to reach its true potential. 

Hellbound takes place between 2022 and 2027 in a dystopian South Korea. An otherworldly being, known as an angel, appears out of nowhere in front of individuals to deliver a prophecy, called a degree, that condemns them to hell at a specific time in the future. It could be seconds or several years away, but the prophecy always comes true. When the exact date and time come, three supernatural monsters come down to Earth to execute and incinerate the individuals on the spot through a brutal and demonic "demonstration." 

As the demonstrations become more frequent, mayhem ensues, and the fear and chaos give rise to three key factions. Founded in 2012, the quiet and mysterious Jung Jin Soo (Yoo Ah In) leads a religious cult turned megachurch called The New Truth Society. According to his teachings, the decrees are punishment from God for the sins people have committed. No matter how much they repent, they can't prevent the demonstrations.

The New Truth Society's teachings eventually give rise to The Arrowhead, an extremist group of aggressive fanatics. They mainly target Korea's youth and advocate for violence, pushing its members to dox those who are hell-bound. After they viciously attack Min Hye Jin (Kim Hyun Joo), a lawyer from the Sodo law firm, she starts a new organization that seeks to uncover the truth behind the demonstrations and protect hell-bound victims. 

Living up to its name, Hellbound preys on people's fears and revels in chaos. In a hell-like society, the lines between justice and righteousness, radicalism, vengeance, and religion are quickly blurred. With no explanation for the supernatural phenomenon, hysterical puritanism and violence take center stage as people desperately seek answers. 

The rise of the New Truth Society and The Arrowhead is a warning against humanity's tendency to gravitate towards charismatic leaders with questionable religious teachings and motives. On one hand, the New Truth Society instills fear into the masses by attributing the demonstrations to God's punishment for sinners. On the other hand, members of The Arrowhead are practically devoid of their humanity and leverage social media to incite witch hunts.

These dangerous ideologies parallel real-world megachurches in Korea, some of which boast hundreds of thousands of members. Religious cult leaders like Jeong Myeong Seok of Jesus Morning Star (JMS) Church, Park Soon Ja of Odaeyang Church, Kim Ki Soon of Baby Garden, and Lee Jae Rock of Manmin Central Church frequently abused their powers, preying on their followers while making false promises of hope. 

Watching these religious organizations take advantage of their followers' fears makes you question the role of religion in society. On an individual level, religion can give people purpose and peace, answers to supernatural phenomena that science has yet to address. Yet, on an institutional level, religion can be weaponized and used to control people.

Chairman of The New Society, Jung Jin Soo, is highly charismatic and a natural leader. As we uncover the origin of his religious cult, it's hard to view him entirely as a villain. He's a complex and intriguing character with a shocking backstory that puts him squarely in a gray area. 

But, aside from Jin Soo, the other characters are not nearly as interesting, and their backgrounds do not get fleshed out properly. There is an element of randomness where the show feels more like a collection of different stories rather than grounded in key characters. Because the drama gets split into two arcs set across several years, it's difficult to feel emotionally attached to any of the characters, and it's unclear who the main protagonists are. With so many characters involved, there is simply not enough time to dive deeper into each character's motivations and behaviors. 

Additionally, while Hellbound touches on many themes and has a strong initial setup, the messages feel convoluted. The second arc feels disjointed from the first as a new set of characters gets introduced. Without a main protagonist tying the overarching story together, the messages don't get carried through to the end. 

Our Verdict

While Hellbound has an interesting premise, the delivery fails to live up to expectations. Yoo Ah In stands out as The New Society's Chairman, but the rest of the characters and storyline get lost along the way. With Season 2 in production, we may finally get answers to our burning questions about the origin of this supernatural occurrence and what happens to the main characters.