A mysterious trunk, a contract marriage, and dark secrets of the past—this is the story of Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin’s new Netflix series. Well, we can guarantee each episode will get more interesting. The creator patiently spent many hours to mold each element to create the perfect psychological slow-burn, that should be atop your watchlist for this weekend. Still contemplating? We hope our review will change your mind.
The Trunk Full Review
- Name: The Trunk
- Premiere date: November 29, 2024
- Cast: Gong Yoo, Seo Hyun Jin, Jung Yun Ha, Jo I Geon, Kim Dong Won, Lee Jung Eun, Joo Min Kyung, Hong Woo Jin, Uhm Ji Won
- Director: Kim Gyu Tae
- Writer: Park Eun Young
- Number of episodes: 8
- Genre: Mystery, Psychological, Romance
- Where to watch: Netflix
The Trunk plot synopsis
What would you do if your ex-wife forced you into a contract marriage as punishment? For Han Jeong-won (Gong Yoo), there weren’t many choices—he had to reluctantly accept it.
Han Jeong-won is the man of our story: a music producer who seems to have all the money in the world, and he’s not exactly a penny-pincher. Despite his immense wealth, he suffers from loneliness. A mistake led to the downfall of his marriage to Lee Seo-yeon (Jung Yun-ha)—or at least, that’s what he believes.
Jeong-won bears the scars of a dark past, which continue to haunt his mansion like century-old ghosts. Just when he is on the verge of giving up on life, his ex-wife suggests a contract marriage for a year, as a way of forcing him to atone for some ‘unspeakable’ wrong he caused her.
Enter Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), a professional wife-for-hire working at NM, who has already been married four times.
She moves into the haunted mansion, and despite Jeong-won’s hostility, she perseveres. However, everything changes when Jeong-won begins to replace the image of his ex-wife with her.
Lee Seo-yeon had wanted to punish him, not make him happy. As she starts losing her ‘ownership’ over the tortured man, she concocts a heinous scheme that could ruin her relationship with him forever.
In the future, a trunk is discovered in a frozen lake with a dead body nearby. Two people in this story possess limited-edition items, and their lives are deeply entangled.
The Trunk’s wins
It’s a perfect series for those who are avid slow-burn fans. The creators made sure to unfold the mystery like layers of an onion, but at just the right pace so that viewers don’t lose interest.
The chemistry between Han Jeong Won and Noh In Ji is so organic that it feels like watching a real couple. Eschewing the usual K-drama love stories, this Netflix series takes its time to build their relationship, intentionally skipping fairytale-like romance, and instead presenting something that will be etched in your memory for a long time.
A contract marriage turning into a real love story is a trope often used in Korean content, but the creators of The Trunk incorporated so many intricate layers that it stands out among the crowd.
Every story needs a villain—although in this psychological romance, no one is truly sane. Two characters, Lee Seo Yeon and Eom Tae Seong, will get on your nerves. They share only one similarity: they can go to any length to pursue the person they’ve set their sights on. Without spoilers, we can only say it doesn’t end well for either of them. When you finish the series, you’ll be left with a question: are they villains or just anti-heroes? It’s not easy to humanize antagonist characters, but it’s something The Trunk accomplishes remarkably well.
The Trunk’s performance review
For us, Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin delivered the performance of their career in The Trunk and we can sense a few accolades coming on the way. The Train to Busan star is a veteran in the industry and his years of experience will show through his micro-expressions.
Gong Yoo became completely one with Han Jeong Won- from portraying his dark emotions, and a massive breakdown in the shower to slowly falling in love with the person he refused to eat with at first, he nailed each and every scene with utmost perfection.
Seo Hyun Jin as Noh In Ji is no less. Unlike Han Jeong Won, her character is stoic, sporting a prim and perfect smile, hiding her pain in a frozen lake. As the story proceeds, her complexity slowly starts coming to light, but the actress never lets you feel the jump.
The bonus is definitely Jung Yun Ha. She played Lee Seo Yeon- a somewhat villain character who is also battling demons of her own. The actress through the immaculate portrayal of her control freak, selfish character makes you feel so angry at times, but the next, you kind of take sympathy for her. It’s way more difficult to portray an antagonist role, and Jung Yun Ha showed her range. Honestly, in many ways, she reminded us of Lim Ji Yeon in The Glory.
The Trunk’s losses
For us, The Trunk only had major wins. One thing that might not satisfy many viewers is the non-linear storyline. It’s an important way of narrating a twisted tale such as this one. However, it gets way too disoriented at times which might confuse you, but only for a short while.
The Trunk final verdict
The Trunk is full of mystery, dark secrets, and brilliant performances- a perfect binge-watch for the weekend. It’s an emotional rollercoaster with a shocking ending. Does it end on a happy note? Most characters get what they deserve, but what about the couple who fought against all odds for their love story? We can’t say they end up together or maybe they do. One thing is for sure, when you finish The Trunk, you will leave with no regrets at all.
Source: The Trunk Full Review: Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin’s twisted romance, shocking ending, and
