Netflix’s Top International Series is a “Twisted” Korean Thriller
Chad Collins
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New thriller Celebrity is currently the eighth most viewed series of the week on the international Netflix charts. Pitched as an adult-oriented Gossip Girl in the world of South Korean influencers, Celebrity has shot up the charts, attracting viewers with its melding of murder mystery and K-drama influences.
Per Netflix: Fame. Money. Power. Seo A-ri achieves social media stardom overnight — but deadly consequences await in this glitzy, gilded world of influencers.
Park Gyu-young (Netflix’s Sweet Home, the forthcoming season of Squid Game) stars as Seo A-ri, an influencer whose sudden rise to fame frames the series. While I won’t spoil the episode 1 closing reveal, it’s a shocking twist that recontextualizes Seo A-ri’s story, casting the glamourous world of influencer culture—its clothes, jewelry, parties and brand deals—in a sinister new light.
South Korean thrillers have been remarkably successful on Netflix. While Squid Game remains the benchmark, other titles, including Gyu-young’s own Sweet Home, have proven popular with viewers. On the filmic side, the likes of #Alive and The Call remain some of the best genre cinema the streamer has to offer. Celebrity additionally feels like South Korea’s answer to Swarm, Prime Video’s recent horror series about celebrity culture and obsession. Check out what fans have been saying about Celebrity below:
It’s fashion, fear, and fame rolled into one. Fans seem to be loving the twists, the drama, and the insight into the minutiae of influencer life. Spoiler: it’s not a glamorous one. If anything, the visibility exposes the dark underside of modern consumer culture.
What do you think? Do you plan to check out Celebrity on Netflix? What are some of your other favorite Korean thriller series on the streamer? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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