The Thriller That Hooks Everyone
11:10 PM.
"Ughhh."
Kwon In-cheol stretched luxuriously after checking the end credits of 0% Algorithm Part 2.
"That was fun?"
Worth staying up for the live broadcast.
Honestly, Part 1 was just okay.
Not super gripping, but Part 2 made him want to keep watching?
But that was high praise, not criticism.
Most dramas couldn't hook you from Part 1 anyway.
Even the masterpieces started with buildup and curiosity in the first part, really sinking in from the second.
In that sense, 0% Algorithm was a textbook well-made drama.
The back-and-forth between male lead Kim Ra-un and female lead Seo Yun-ah even tickled his dormant romance cells.
Glancing at the community reactions, he wasn't alone.
"Gongbeomche……."
The name he'd briefly forgotten while immersed in Youngperal.
Kwon In-cheol glanced at his watch.
He'd only peeked at the community for a bit, but it was already 1 AM.
An awkward time.
Watching Gongbeomche, where Parts 1 and 2 were bundled, would mess up his morning lecture tomorrow.
But…….
Eh, how thrilling can a thriller really be?
He could just quit if it got boring.
Honestly, it was less about the drama itself and more curiosity about the cast and production quality.
Making up his mind, Kwon In-cheol fired up the Tvic app.
OTT's best perk: no waiting.
And so, Gongbeomche began playing.
The opening was solid, unremarkable.
Just like the teaser: eight friends heading to a cabin—no, a mountain lodge—for a getaway.
Didn't almost every thriller kick off by dragging everyday folks into the extraordinary?
Solid in that sense.
But the direction felt more cinematic than dramatic…….
Who the hell are these actors? Not a single familiar face.
As a drama buff who'd binged pretty much everything, this was rare.
And maybe because of that?
Kwon In-cheol found himself sucked in before he knew it.
Finally, the first murder happened.
Protagonist Hyun-tae sprints desperately toward the tree where Jeong-hoon is hanged, only to trip.
Lights flick on in the lodge at the screams, friends rushing out, but cop Hyun-tae realizes it's someone they know.
The direction's quirky, though.
In the flashback deducing how Jeong-hoon died, the killer's face is Hyun-tae's.
Of course, it's just his imagination.
Not knowing the killer, substituting himself isn't weird.
But won't that confuse some viewers?
Kwon In-cheol's doubt didn't last.
The drama's situation escalated fast.
Dank BGM underscoring blooming suspicions.
Roads cut off, lodge isolated.
Suspense unrelenting.
Nothing revolutionary in the content, but the structure was airtight.
No contrived leaps or unnatural bits like in typical dramas.
Felt like observing real events.
And the next dawn.
Sleepless Hyun-tae patrols the lodge grounds, spotting something suspicious.
Orange rope.
Wait, where've I seen that?
Answer comes quick.
Same rope the killer used on Jeong-hoon.
No, that's not all? It showed up earlier too…….
His thoughts cut short again.
Thwack!
Hyun-tae takes a blow to the back of the head and crumples.
"Hm, classic."
He could predict the rest.
Hero won't die, wakes up inside, friends suspect him since he survived an attack.
Isolated, he hunts the killer alone…….
"Huh?"
Kwon In-cheol let out a dumb noise.
As Hyun-tae falls, the killer emerges from nowhere and starts hanging him from the tree.
Neck tightening.
Gkkkrrrrk.
No way he survives that?
Someone saves him?
But no.
Hyun-tae's flailing eyes close, screen fades to black.
When it brightens again…….
A totally unexpected scene unfolds.
Chirrrrp—chirrrrp—
Cicadas buzzing, full shot of the Gangwon-do lodge.
Hyun-tae in the frame looks just as baffled, scanning around.
Jeong-hoon appears.
Jeong-hoon smacks Hyun-tae's butt, grabs meat and booze, and dashes off.
That moment was…….
The eight friends arriving at the Gangwon-do lodge.
"No way, time loop?"
Blindsided by the twist, fully locked in—
Then the Part 1-ending OST swelled.
70 minutes gone in a flash.
"……."
Kwon In-cheol's take on Gongbeomche stayed consistently solid.
Character intros solid, setup solid, suspense solid.
Tight structure aside, pure thriller fare.
But reflecting now, this was Part 1.
Right after binging Youngperal Part 2, no less.
Feeling it was solid despite that benchmark meant…….
Part 1 was way better than expected, and he was dying for Part 2.
In other words.
"……Sorry, prof."
Class canceled for personal reasons.
Kwon In-cheol hit play on the next episode.
"Hit Part 2, Part 2."
The guy watching Gongbeomche with his girlfriend, no big expectations, bolted upright.
Hooked hard.
Part 2 kicked off.
Quick school-days flashback, back to the lodge.
First, save Jeong-hoon? Or let him die on purpose to flush the killer? Just prevent the deaths.
The guy figured Part 2's core would be Hyun-tae looping to save Jeong-hoon repeatedly.
Nope.
Hyun-tae instantly pegs sedatives in drinks, food, booze.
Saves Jeong-hoon in one go.
Problem: Plenty of suspicious behavior in the process.
The couple debated as the drama switched POVs.
Now from Jeong-hoon's view of Hyun-tae's actions…….
"Wait, what's that?"
Looked super suspicious.
Sure, solo time looper, bound to act weird.
But crossing lines plenty.
"Hold up. In Part 1, the one choking Jeong-hoon—wasn't that Hyun-tae?"
"Just imagination……."
"The rope! That's the one from the police station!"
"What? For real?"
"Hyun-tae's the killer! Goosebumps."
"Then the time loop?"
"……Narrative trick? Or hallucination? No clue."
The drama plunged into another maze.
A new victim sparked a truth game.
The couple watching screamed at each other.
"That's a lie!"
"The intro flashback!"
That seemingly random intro flashback played a huge role.
"Insane……."
"Totally insane……."
Part 2 ended.
"P-Part 3. Part 3 quick."
"Hold on."
But their wish went ungranted.
"Argh, why!"
"Wait till Wednesday?!"
"Noooo."
Gongbeomche only had Parts 1-2 out.
To soothe the ache, they sought commiseration.
"Check NewTube."
"No vids yet probably."
"Community then."
"Drama community search?"
Moments later, eyes wide in the community.
Rrrumble.
Someone's snoring jolted him awake.
Startled by unfamiliar snores in his solo pad, but context hit quick.
Right, met the actors.
They seemed too spooked, so early morning muster…….
They headed to his place.
A bit cramped, but during indies, seven crammed in a motel room no prob.
Drinking session, actors wiped out by 4 PM.
He wasn't sleepy at first, but by 7…… yawns hit.
Everyone else out, CO2 rising maybe.
Set alarm for 9:30, dozed off—woke before it rang.
Wall clock: 7:30 AM.
What? Less than an hour?
Body felt amazing.
Power of the catnap?
Flopped back on bed, something off.
Gongbeomche drops 10 PM.
Now 7:30 PM.
Evening.
But why so bright?
June sunsets aren't…….
"No way!"
Yelled, yanked out smartphone.
Morning.
That's when it hit.
Alarm set to AM, not PM.
But more importantly.
The world had flipped.