Dead-End Job

Story: Byeon Hyeok-joon (Lee Jae-wook) is thirty years old and still doesn't have a real job. On top of that, he has lost a large sum of money trading stocks — money he received from his mother. Seeing no way out, he decides to take his own life. Just as he has jumped off a bridge and is clinging to the railing at the very last second, he spots a flyer. The "Spider" agency is offering temp jobs that pay multiples of a normal salary. When Hyeok-joon arrives there, everything seems a bit peculiar. The agency boss (Lee Jae-wook) informs him that his first assignment is at a 24-hour convenience store, and he is strictly forbidden from talking about his job; otherwise, a massive penalty fee will be incurred. Hyeok-joon agrees out of sheer desperation, yet what awaits him on his first job goes far beyond anything he could have ever imagined. The horror he experiences there leaves him with absolutely no desire to take on another assignment. Once the agency boss quotes him the payout for the next gig, though, his resolve crumbles ... Hyeok-joon's sister Yeon-joo (Go Min-si) has figured out that her brother is deep in debt, but she asks him for a little money anyway because she has a job interview. Soon, she too comes into contact with the Spider agency, and mentally, she seems to handle the things she witnesses during these temp jobs much better than her brother.

Review: Has a series that actually dares to take a few more risks genuinely found its way onto Netflix? Horror, thriller, drama, and even comedy, all thrown into a blender? It certainly didn't hurt that the streaming service often scrambles to gather anything remotely fitting for Halloween, but right from the start, "Dead-End Job" feels like a show that genuinely wants to try something new and actually has a vision. And this is exactly where the biggest lie reveals itself toward the finale. Because as much as I enjoyed the series, especially during the early episodes, I was equally disappointed by the end. When it comes to the overarching narrative meant to tie the various episodes together, it becomes glaringly obvious that the creators had absolutely no idea where they wanted to steer Hyeok-joon's journey. Since the series also tries to focus on the characters and their pasts, one must similarly point out that surprisingly little energy and innovation went into the execution here. Instead, you get the feeling they just scrambled to loosely connect everything at the very last minute. Consequently, you shouldn't expect a satisfying conclusion.

Despite these highly critical words, I want to turn back to the positive aspects — for now, at least. The attention to detail is evident in many areas. First, there's the pixel-art intro sequence, which foreshadows several scenes from the show without you even realizing it, and certainly wasn't something to be expected — in an era where you can simply click "skip", an opening like that is a fantastic bonus. Furthermore, there is the outstanding makeup and some solid practical effects. Granted, the CGI isn't always top-tier, but it remains believable, and the "monsters" are equally inventive. The very first episode manages to deliver a few genuinely creepy moments; the mime and the subsequent clown are certainly not for those who already find such professions terrifying. On top of that, the milk delivery episode gives the impression that the creators were inspired by the A38 permit from the Asterix comic and the rotating hallway in "Inception". All in all, these are genuinely interesting episodes that leave you wanting more. Right at this point, though, the question slowly arises as to where all this is heading. After all, numerous questions have been thrown into the mix, and as a viewer, you hope to actually get answers to them.

Truth be told, we don't learn nearly as much about our protagonist as one might think. He is still grieving his father, suffering under his debts, and taking on questionable jobs out of sheer desperation. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes clear that he is actually quite terrible at them, repeatedly scraping by on pure luck. He frequently just stands around helplessly, somehow survives, and doesn't even do his job properly — yet still gets paid? Not everything makes sense here, and in that regard, things only get worse later on. Lee Jae-wook ("Death's Game") is quite good in his role, though, delivering a solid dose of desperation and vulnerability. Just as "Dead-End Job" starts to lose steam after three episodes, the sister enters the stage. She breathes fresh life into the show, as she is vastly more competent than her brother. Her no-bullshit attitude prevents her from even fully registering some of the dangers and horrors, and even when she can no longer deny them, she handles the situation like a pro. Go Min-si ("The Witch - Subversion") turns her character into the secret star of the series. Still, Lee Hee-jun ("Bogota: City of the Lost") also impresses as the enigmatic owner of the Spider agency. Is he a friend or a foe?

"Dead-End Job" boasts a fairly brisk pace, which is also reflected in the 35-40 minute runtime per episode. As previously mentioned, the individual jobs are well-staged and offer a certain brand of dark humor, which is particularly refreshing since they simultaneously address genuine grievances within Korea's part-time job culture. The fun factor and the scares are undeniably present; that said, a bit more substance and a common thread are naturally still required. And sadly, this is exactly where the series fails. Of course, the past involving their father is brought up again, Hyeok-joon and his sister eventually share the spotlight, and we still have question marks lingering over the agency owner — and especially the woman fighting for fair labor rights who keeps offering our heroes advice. Yet right here, the resolution proves highly sobering. We are handed answers that aren't actually answers at all, and even after the finale, you are left unsure of exactly who did what and why. As expected, another season is teased, but it failed to spark any real interest in me. A second season could hardly start from scratch with a new batch of jobs — even though the groundwork for that is laid — since audiences will want to learn more about the broader mythology.

Without heading into spoiler territory, it can already be said that alongside our own, there is another world that occasionally bleeds into reality at specific nexus points. This is communicated fairly clearly early on. But exactly what role the agency plays in all this, or what the mysterious woman's endgame is — these are all questions the show tries to trick us into believing will be partially answered; in reality, though, we get absolutely nothing. Over the years, I've grown increasingly wary of this approach — piling question upon question without real answers in sight — because ultimately, fan theories often end up being far more innovative than the official reveal. So, while I was quite enthusiastic about the standalone episodes at the beginning and found myself wishing for more character development and an overarching main story, the series suffered a massive drop in quality once it actually tried to cater to those desires. For my part, I can't imagine that a potential second season could do any better, though I would gladly be proven wrong. Because "Dead-End Job" definitely has potential, not least thanks to its cast; it just couldn't live up to it with its convoluted finale and overall narrative. Due to a handful of innovative ideas, this was exactly the kind of show I didn't want to slap with another "solidly average" rating — yet sadly, that is precisely what fits best ...

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