Finally! I was beginning to suspect that Lee Dong-wook (Reach of Sincerity) wasn’t actually going to appear in OCN’s Hell Is Other People and that the show had been trolling us about his casting. It’s still only a few stills, but I’ll take it. The show has also released the title poster, a new teaser, and some new stills of Im Shi-wan (The King Loves) in quick succession, which I’m thankful for because the premiere is a whole month away, and I’m counting down the days on my calendar.
The poster, which asks, “Where is your hell?” follows the generally creepy, horror-film-like vibe that has been consistent throughout all of the promotional material for the show. The teaser also has that enhanced sound quality to horror films, beginning with Im Shi-wan’s footsteps as he enters the gosiwon for the first time with his luggage. The screen abruptly cuts to Lee Jung-eun (Parasite, The Light In Your Eyes), who plays the heavily-permed gosiwon owner, as she welcomes Im Shi-wan with the keys to his unit.
The teaser starts playing a really creepy track that really belongs in a slasher flick, as Im Shi-wan walks through the corridors, catching glimpses of his new neighbors through open doors. First is Lee Joong-ok (Extreme Job), who is watching scantily-clad women on his computer screen. Next door is the disturbing Park Jong-hwan (The Producers), who is giggling to himself over apparently nothing, while shooting his BB gun at the wall. And lastly is Lee Hyun-wook (I Only Want to Love), clothed in all black and whose room noticeably lacks any personal possessions.
Im Shi-wan finally reaches his room, turns the key and enters, not noticing his fellow gosiwon occupants each peeking out into the corridor, accompanied by the sound of a creaking door. The captions say, “We invite you to a hell of a gosiwon,” and the teaser ends. Yikes. I hope that poor Im Shi-wan finds a good friend and mentor in Lee Dong-wook’s dentist character, because he’ll need all the emotional support he can get with those neighbors.
OCN’s Hell Is Other People premieres on August 31.
