Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho explains the imperative message behind his latest original series Hellbound streaming on Netflix. Hellbound follows the success of Squid Game as the latest international craze, for it surpassed the predecessor in the global rankings. Based on the webtoon series created by Yeon and cartoonist Choi Gyuseok, Hellbound was adapted into a live-action series bordering on horror and fantasy.
The cosmic horror series takes place in an alternate reality of supernatural monsters delivering prophecies of forthcoming deaths to random citizens, condemning them to hell. After the public's mass hysteria caused by the live stream demonstration of Park Jeong-ja's brutal death, a new religious cult arose in influence known as the New Truth society. The New Truth justifies the disappearance by claiming that those who received the divine judgment were sinners. However, when a newborn baby gets the same death decree, people are again tormented by the lack of understanding behind the unexplainable events.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Yeon explains the universal message behind the ending of Hellbound Season 1. Yeon has been known for his profound commentaries and allegories in his films, with Hellbound touching on corruption and the ambiguous cult-like groups in South Korea. According to Yeon, the underlying themes behind the Korean series may transpire to anyone watching as the overall message is to question humanity and "what it means to be a human." Check out his response below:
"The most important message that I wanted to deliver through this work is asking questions on humanity and what it means to be a human... Although the series is set in Korea, I think the issues it touches on are very universal, like life and death, sin and punishment, what it means to be human and so on. We all have these questions as human beings regardless of where you live, so I think those helped the series to resonate with global viewers."
Hellbound ended in a cliffhanger, leaving many viewers puzzled with unanswered questions as to the origin of the demons and the resurrection of Park. If Yeon were to explain the enigma behind the unfathomable events, he believes the series would no longer fit under the cosmic horror genre. However, Yeon explains that the whole premise of the series is to view human beings' weakness through the existence of metaphysical beings, leading the audience and characters to question the philosophical views of life. It is part of human nature to presume conclusions of the unknown because it is the easiest way to process information. Throughout the series, this is shown with the New Truth society and the Arrowhead group, as they dictate and control the "truth" of these supernatural occurrences. Hellbound showcases the dilemma of people's congeniality bias when their beliefs are confronted with antithetical information.
Yeon has expressed his contentment with working with Netflix since the streaming service leveraged more creative freedom than other agencies. Nevertheless, Yeon plans to continue to work on the webtoon series with Choi before contemplating working on a Season 2. Hopefully, the continuation of his series will answer lingering questions, diving further into the message behind Hellbound and recounting the story of Park's experience in hell.
Source: The Korea Times