Image to help understand the article
South Korean stars Seo Hyun-jin and Gong Yoo lead “The Trunk,” an eight-episode romance mystery that pairs an unconventional marriage arrangement with a suspicious discovery in a lake. Based on Kim Ryeo-ryeong’s novel of the same name, the series premiered exclusively on Netflix on Nov. 29, 2024.
A One-Year Marriage and a Trunk in a Lake
Seo plays Noh In-ji, a deputy director at NM, a company that arranges temporary marriages. Although she lives with a different contract husband each year, In-ji carries a deep sense of loneliness. Gong plays Han Jeong-won, a music producer struggling with anxiety and isolation rooted in past trauma. He enters a one-year marriage with In-ji as part of an attempt to restore his previous marriage.
As the pair begin living as husband and wife, a trunk found floating in a lake starts to expose a case connected to NM and its marriage service. The drama uses that mystery to tie the couple’s emotional wounds to questions surrounding the company.
Seo Hyun-jin and Gong Yoo Lead the Cast
“The Trunk” marks the first production featuring Seo and Gong together. Both actors are represented by Management SOOP and won top acting honors in the television categories at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards in 2017.
Jung Yun-ha plays Jeong-won’s former wife, Lee Seo-yeon, while Jo Yi-gun appears as NM employee Yoon Ji-o. The supporting cast also includes Kim Dong-won, Hong Woo-jin, Joo Min-kyung, Jeon Hye-jin, Choi Yoon-ji, Uhm Ji-won, Lee Jung-eun, Choi Young-joon and Lee Ki-woo. Cha Seung-won and Jung Kyung-ho make special appearances.
Behind the Netflix Series
Kim Kyu-tae, whose directing credits include “It’s Okay, That’s Love,” “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” “Live” and “Our Blues,” directed the series. Park Eun-young, a writer on “Partner,” several KBS drama specials and “Hwarang,” wrote the screenplay. GTist and Project 318 produced the show, with Lee Dong-gyu and Shin Yeon-joo participating as producers.
Filming ran for about six months, from late August 2023 through February 2024. In the fourth episode, In-ji and Jeong-won watch American director Sam Raimi’s 1982 horror film “The Evil Dead.”
Critical Response
On Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of six critics’ reviews were positive, with an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. The series received a score of 7.008 from 62 users on TMDb.
Comments
Post a Comment