A Model Family – Netflix Series Review

A MODEL FAMILY on Netflix is a new crime-thriller series from South Korea. The season has 10 episodes and is off to a bloody and very violent start. Each episode is 45 minutes in runtime. Read our full A Model Family series review here!

A MODEL FAMILY is new Netflix crime-thriller series from South Korea. If you’re already familiar with some of the other amazing South Korean genre productions (film and series), then there will be a few familiar faces in key roles.

In this series, the episodes are around 45 minutes in runtime and you get 10 episodes to the season. As always with South Korean productions, it’s very character-driven. And also, does not hold back on realistic depictions of violence. Including the clumsiness of it.

Continue reading our A Model Family series review below. It premieres on Netflix on August 12, 2022.

Lots of plot twists in A Model Family

The first major plot twist of A Model Family comes at the end of episode 1. Obviously, this will make you want to hurry on to episode 2. And in episode 2, you’ll get another plot twist fairly early on. It’s not these crazy or wild things, but rather plot elements that play with our assumptions and expectations.

While this South Korean Netflix series might be a bit slow-burn, there is plenty of twists and turns to keep you interested. The season has 10 episodes and is off to a bloody and very violent start from episode 2.

In other words, you don’t have to worry about being caught up in some drama without any action. This is a thriller that takes place in the criminal underworld. The main character is a college teacher who suddenly gets caught up in this world when he sees the opportunity to make some easy money.

To be fair, he is also in desperate need of money. Both because he’s an idiot who took a gamble that didn’t pan out his way and because his young son needs a new heart.

Some familiar faces in the South Korean Netflix series

While the new South Korean Netflix series has many faces you might not find familiar, there are also several actors, you should recognize. Mostly if you’re a fan of awesome genre films or series, obviously.

The lead character – who really is quite a loser – is portrayed by Woo Jung (A Werewolf Boy). One of the main bad guys is played by Park Hee-soon who we saw most recently in the Apple TV+ series Dr. Brain. Also in the cast are Kim Shin-rock (Hellbound) and Oh Kwang-rok (Park Chan-wook’s Lady Vengeance).

As always with South Korean storytelling, no one is all good or all bad. Everyone is flawed and everyone can do both good and bad no matter their past. This is one of the best things about South Korean genre productions. Well, to me, anyway!

It certainly makes for stories that can surprise and evolve in unexpected ways.

Watch the A Model Family series on Netflix now!

Kim Jin-woo is the director of A Model Family with Lee Jae-gon as the writer. Right off the bat, I don’t think I’ve come across either in the past. However, we have watched (and loved) many South Korean productions, so that might be wrong. IMDb is not to be trusted when it comes to South Korean filmmakers.

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Also, unlike South Korean productions that are made for national television and then sold to Netflix, the season is shorter as is each episode. With a runtime of around 45 minutes and 10 episodes to the season, it’s a classic Netflix series.

Of course, the style is still very much classic South Korean storytelling and has extremely high production value. You could take many shots from any episode of this series and make them into a poster. Gorgeous lighting and composition. And even without the amazing visuals, the story (and acting) holds up.

A Model Family is out on Netflix from August 12, 2022.

Details

Director: Kim Jin-woo
Writer: Lee Jaegon
Cast: Jung Woo, Park Hee-soon, Yoon Jin-seo