'Black Knight' Review: Netflix's post-apocalyptic thriller could dethrone 'Squid Game' as the ultimate streaming hit
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Korean filmmakers have found the elixir for great content and we are all here for it. There are some elements that just take Korean movies and TV shows to a greater height, and that is their Martin Scorsese level of imagination and how far it goes into the future. Netflix just released a much-awaited title, 'Black Knight' on its platform and it gives us a deep sense of deja vu.
Filmmakers have a knack for creating movies and TV shows that potray life way into the future, while it brings out the sense of wonder in the audience, it also makes the genre wishy washy and seems like different actors working on the same script but with different titles. 'Black Knight' is a great series with a promising script, the story is phenomenal and defines how the world could possibly change in the near future. So, lets dive deep into the story set 50 years in the future as earth's remaining population battle the devastating wrath by global warming.
RELATED ARTICLES
'Black Knight' Full Cast List: From Kim Woo-bin to Esom, here are the stars of the Netflix film
'Black Knight' on Netflix: Release date and how to watch action movie
How will the world be 50 years from now?
'Squid Game' has come out as a global phenomena and have changed the stigma related to K-dramas. But, with fans awaiting the second season and the show still being in production, there is an alternative that will give you same feels but with a sense of thrill. 'Black Knight' is set in a world which is way into the future and looks into a society that goes through the affects of global warming. The show is set in South Korea, which has now turned into a desert and the level of oxygen is below average. The plot of the movie revolves around how even the post-apocalyptic world sees class disparation and injustice among citizens. While rich citizens enjoy life, poor people go through seven layers of hell to get a small amount of oxygen.
Korean filmmakers have a thing about class disparity in cinema, and having said that, 'Black Knight' has a big theme of class disparity. The heroes in this show or the Knight in shining armor if you may, is a delivery man, who ferry priceless canisters of O2 around the various zones. The most renowned is 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin), who can get his air tanks from A to B faster than most. Grumpy 5-8 is an anti-hero with a heart of gold and dazzling driving skills plus the good looks.
5-8 vs. dictatorship-led army
The fight of poor vs. rich has always been highlighted in cinema where the plot revolves around survival. 'Black Knight' also has a Riddler-like bad guy who just want to get wealthy, while simply not caring about people dying and poverty. The corporate dictatorship which rules Korea is led by ruthless Ryu Seok (Song Seung-heon), a tyrant whose solution to the population crisis is straightforward, by letting all the poor people die. However, like every other movie, 'Black Knight' tells a tale of good over evil and also some of the most drastic affects we might see in the near future. The cinematography is great, with the entire series shot in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, the show heads with great amount of mayhem, desert chase and attention to detail. The fact that surprised us and made us salute the Korean cinema for its detailed storytelling is how every character in the show has freckles, pointing to the fact that Korea's drastic weather change has indeed affected people in more deeper ways.
'Black Knight' is currently available to watch exclusively on Netflix.