Bad Guys (2014) User Reviews

Bad Guys Absolutely!

[riikka-autere · 9/10 · 11 March 2018]

The first season of this vile piece of art was so totally awesome! There was soooo much hitting and fighting, and I loved it!!

The characters have real depth, they aren't just pretty faces. The whole story of this was so totally unexpected, that I didn't really know what to expect.

Amazing actors, and in general the Koreans have really pulled throgh with their tv series in these last years, I recommend this to anyone who likes cruel fighting and a hint of drama/mystery

Awesome binge-worthy drama!

[puterishahariman · 9/10 · 6 February 2019]

The action scenes were awesome, the characters grow every episode and the plot just gets more and more interesting. I was genuinely surprised that it has only 11 eps, quite few compared to the average kdramas but it didn't feel rushed. if you're searching for an action drama mixed with a hint of thrill & sadness, this is definitely it! There are a few characters that didn't grab my attention but the main ones really caught mine. Definitely one of my favs & worth watching!

Refreshing concept, Not your typical Kdrama

[deanadeva · 8/10 · 3 May 2020]

When you say Korean drama. You usually see polite well behaved characters and sweet sounding dialogs. And Bad guys are the opposite of everything naive and polite. It is not your run off the mill story and definitely a level up when it comes to the plot and actions. Till literally the last episode they kept building the story up. This is not one of those series where after a while the story becomes obvious and the plot becomes Luke warm. They kept it growing interesting and nursed the story to a proper suspense. Action, comedy and sentiments. It was a good watch.

A great hook. Wonderful casting. Creative cinematography.

[maisugarcookie · 10/10 · 31 August 2017]

A great hook from start to finish. To be honest, after 4 episodes I googled the ending to know who the ultimate villain was. Still did not spoil the series for me. Characters here are all wonderful. My favourite mad dog here was Park Ong-Chul (played by Ma Dong-Seok). He was strong, relentless and injected humour. Storyline and overall cast gave a down to earth feel. Superb artistic cinematography. Most Korean action dramas tend to overdo with the camera effects including hand-held effects. This one was done creatively and pleasing on the eyes. Definitely a worthy addition to this list. ❤

Fantastic Action-Packed Mystery/Thriller

[fake_moviestar · 9/10 · 27 April 2020]

Bad Guys was so incredibly enjoyable, from it's stellar cast, fantastic acting, amazing fight sequences, interesting characters, and a well written thriller/mystery story that keeps you hooked to the end. All the story lines came together to form a brilliant conclusion that leaves you satisfied as a viewer. While all the actors are really good and bring their a-game to the table, I just have to say that Hae-Jin Park really shines in this as the psychopathic Jung-Moon. I saw Hae-Jin in "Man to Man" first, and I noticed he had this ability to really shutter his eyes and hide all his emotions. That ability is WAY creepier in this show, and honestly it was so brilliant how he would often say nothing at all but his eyes conveyed so much while also being totally cold-blooded and emotionless. It honestly left me breathless many times while watching this, this role felt like it was written for Hae-Jin. There were a few a times that characters would be injured in a way that wasn't necessarily survivable, but other than that, this show was absolutely brilliantly executed. An 8.5 rounded up to a 9.

Actually watched season 2 first

[TusharViv · 10/10 · 2 September 2018]

Non spoilers: I didn't know there was a season 1 originally but it is unnecessary nevertheless. I'm 9 episodes into the second season and I can honestly say this is the best show I've ever watched, and I've watched almost every tv show and anime. The writing is sublime and you actually don't know whats going to happen. The characters are all very unique and interesting and are all trying to achieve their own goals and act like their characters and try to survive, whether we like them or not, which is what I love. Characters they introduce aren't just throwaways with no personalities, they have the ability to adapt and change but in a way that is very normal for someone to do.

It all feels very realistic and immersive, something that no other tv show that I've watched fully has been able to achieve because of the eventual plot amor that gets stashed into the show.

Spoilers:

I'm saying this because characters you expect to have a big impact die left and right and not in a cringe way at like the last episode, to make an opening for the next season. They are all treated like human beings and a lot of time isn't wasted on their deaths either as all characters are treated equally.



I hope this carries on because this is the tv show that I've been waiting for.

EXCITING AND SEVERE

[cintnabizz · 9/10 · 12 February 2021]

Park Hae Jin has charmed me. In fact he plays a psychopathic smart and talkative, trying to clear his reputation through telling the truth. And I like the way they relationship as friends with Ung Cheol, Tae Su, Go Tak. Then, they work together as a team with Mi Young's help. Bad Guys is really cool, lots of action, it makes emotions go up and down and I will give a high rating. because I really enjoyed watching Kdramas Bad Guys.

Good subtitled show on Netflix

[Chrispearce2 · 7/10 · 6 August 2019]

At last the flix gets a winner. Hard to follow all the names with subtitles but the storylune is good with solid action. Just finished episode 2 so hoping for more of the same.

worth watching

[ajmalariz · 9/10 · 12 January 2021]

The action scenes are so good and the story js fast paced so i like it! it's really entertaining to see the most different people in the same team. the scene where jung moon said he wished he actually were the killer and remember everything rather than not remembering anything;( his life was ruined just because he was labeled as a psychopath... it was so sad. the only bad thing was the female detective tbh i find her character really annoying lol idk but overall it's a good crime/action drama with a lot of cool fighting scenes so totally worth it!

Season 1 is better

[lmerana · 7/10 · 24 November 2019]

I started with bad guys vile city upto 8 episodes. There's so many brawls and fight scenes which I often like but it lacks interesting characters. On the other hand, the first season's characters are way better but the plot is not that much. They try to confused the viewers and give it a twist but the perpetrators were obvious. I also lost count of how many times Park Hae Jin got stabbed or shot.

Who are the good guys ?

[alaningle7 · 7/10 · 19 March 2021]

A detective who's daughter has been murdered heads up a team of serving prisoners to try and solve crimes which the ordinary police cannot. All the prisoners have links with his past and one is a ruthless gang leader, one is a hitman and one is a psychotic serial killer, so an eclectic team. Lines are crossed in the pursuit of murderers and intense friction within the team adds to the drama. Well acted and an interesting story but the unrelenting darkness of the subject matter episode after episode makes it a hard watch for me personally.

Badly aged

[meobet · 3/10 · 20 January 2021]

It's surprising how different this series was compared to, say, 2017's Stranger. The melodrama is as overwhelming as the 90's K-drama and the plot is stuffed with contrivance for the sake of this melodrama.

There's a bitter cop with 10 years worth of Pringle's inventory on his shoulders, a badass mobster and an equally badass hitman who both turned out to be little more than glorified brawlers. And the supposed genius who can't even explain his situation to his friends properly much less figuring out anything useful.

The first half of the series consists almost entirely of them going around hitting thugs until they spit out the location of the next thug, which makes you wonder why the cop didn't just recruit 3 wrestlers instead. Things got a bit better in the second half when the real reason the prisoners got recruited was revealed, but at the same time the melodrama is turned up to the max causing everybody to suffer from plot-induced stupidity.

Overall the series is saved from being terrible by the cast, but given the premise the script should have really showcased the unique skill of each character. It's a good thing Korean scriptwriting has improved massively since then.

Abysmal Police work (so regular police work)

[jjdemon · 7/10 · 7 April 2021]

This show rocks. They're trynna catch one killer so they let out 3 other killers that kill like a thousand people to catch the first one. If they'd have just let the original killer go on murdering the body count woulda been exponentially lower lol. It's fun. Wish the music was better (2014 techno dubstep) and the fight sequences/action in general were better directed and choreographed. But I'm watching bc the trailer for the newer season looks sick so I hope they correct those things in Vile City.

I agree with Meobet's "Badly Aged" assessment.

[jeppuh · 4/10 · 2 August 2021]

They stand around and glare at each other to "intense" music (that is often not that intense) and threaten to kill each other for the first 3 episodes. The chief and all of it seem extremely contrived and while they seem to have these life or death deadlines, they stop, glare, wander, chat, and stroll into their crime areas as if they had all the time in the world.

God forbid they call an ambulance for the lady nearly stabbed to death or the lady that was going to be harvested for her organs.

I really want to like it, but a few episodes in I am wondering why and if I should spend the time. I love many Korean films, while their tv dramas can be a little over the top melodramatic.

Bloated

[jeff-2051 · 5/10 · 17 March 2018]

This had the markings of great Korean filmmaking. However, it was 16-episodes with lots of wasted side stories resulting in a bloated, ham-fisted mess.

Vomit

[meissotruey · 2/10 · 23 June 2022]

At first it seemed funny, like koreans fighting while dubstep plays(is it 2012? Skrillex bro, are you still alive), it had it own charm(like in first 4 episodes), but later it just turned into stupid sitcom. All this wacky drama could work with different approach and good storytelling, but as it is just pathetic. Show leaves you with absolute despite and hatred to one of the main characters and absolute pity and empathy for the other one. The 2nd guy even without stupid "twist" the best person on the whole show.