It seems like the more mind-bending and wild movies and TV shows South Korea produces, the more the country doubles down on them, trying to top what came before. It’s not like they were ever in short supply — thanks in large part to Park Chan-wook, Kim Jee-woon, and many others — but since “Parasite” (which came after Bong Joon Ho’s marvelous sci-fi monster flick) became the international poster boy for K-thrillers by winning the Best Picture Oscar in 2020, the genre has been flourishing. Netflix’s latest psychological drama series, “Notes From the Last Row” is more proof of South Korea’s astonishing prolificacy as far as captivating storytelling goes.
Starring national treasure Choi Min-sik (“Oldboy”) and relative newcomer Choi Hyun-wook, the six-episode addictive miniseries (based on Juan Mayorga’s Spanish play, “El Chico de la Ultima Fila”) offers a fresh perspective among revenge stories by masterfully blurring the lines between reality and fiction. It follows university literature professor Heo Mun-oh (Min-sik), a once-promising novelist-turned-resigned teacher and bitter husband, who reluctantly becomes the mentor to one of his students, Lee Kang (Hyun-wook), an engineering prodigy with a hidden talent for wordsmithing.
Kang’s stories seem to derive from his real life, which Mun-oh encourages through specific writing assignments, giving his protégé solid advice during the first few lessons, only to lose interest shortly after and begin doubting his judgment about whether the kid is truly worth his time. But when Kang’s story takes a vicious turn after witnessing the murder of one of his real-life characters, the professor learns he has strong personal ties to the family his student has been writing about all along. Then, he becomes more invested than ever, even interfering with where the story might go.
Immersive storytelling with an abundance of twists and moral quandaries
“Notes From the Last Row” starts slow, applying a leisurely pace to introduce its protagonists with a sharp and incisive depiction — the first episode almost plays like a self-contained character drama until its last minute — but once you get to the pilot’s clever hook at the end, you’re instantly drawn in. The series is a deliberate slow-burn in its first half, but creator Jang Myung-woo is adept at applying pressure through surgically placed twists and a gradually mounting tension that will keep you guessing constantly about where all this might be headed.
It’s controlled and measured chaos by design — like so many captivating K-thrillers are — but also a comprehensive character study of people who’ve been wronged in the past so severely that it completely changed them as individuals. The show poses profound questions like how much a teacher can interfere with his students’ craft and creative approach without shaping them into his own mold or outright manipulating them for personal interest.
Underneath this unusual dynamic that escalates further and further with each episode between Mun-oh and Kang, there are also genuine feelings of regret, inadequacy, and heartbreak that inevitably fuel both of them to pursue their ultimate desire without considering the catastrophic consequences their actions might bring. Is there a line that morally and ethically a teacher and his pupil shouldn’t cross, and if so, can self-compromising and criminalizing circumstances reset it in the name of righteousness? Ultimately, that’s what “Notes From the Last Row” explores poignantly and in depth.
Notes From the Last Row is a criminally overlooked gem that should be on the list of every fan of South Korean cinema
The lack of promotion from Netflix for the series is quite baffling since “Notes From the Last Row” falls exactly in the category of binge-worthy shows that the streamer’s full-season release structure fits best. It’s twisty, engrossing, and can be devoured in one weekend — just like five must-watch true crime documentaries that are also streaming on the platform. Not to mention that in addition to its two main stars, the show boasts a highly talented cast that includes such great actors as “Lost’s” Yunjin Kim, “Escape From Mogadishu’s” Huh Joon-ho, and “Bad and Crazy’s” Han Ji-Eun in supporting roles, among many others.
If K-dramas and twisted psychological thrillers are in your wheelhouse, “Notes From the Last Row” is probably the show you’ve never heard of but should absolutely watch when you get the chance. Trust me, you won’t regret it — even if you manage to guess its final twist that neatly ties everything together.
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