Some of the greatest thrillers carefully transcend the screen and invade a viewer’s personal space. They introduce audiences to such bizarre yet intimate scenarios that it becomes hard not to wonder if their hard-hitting terrors could someday happen in the real world. One of Netflix‘s better psychological thrillers is driven by the same principle, allowing it to stay with one long after the credits stop rolling.
Written by Son Ho-young, The Frog is relatively obscure compared to most mainstream thriller shows on Netflix. It follows a relatively simple premise where a mysterious visitor enters the lives of ordinary unsuspecting people before unleashing complete chaos. However, what starts as a simple psychological thriller soon turns into a tale of extreme obsession and manipulation.
The Frog‘s early appeal comes from its portrayal of quaint rural settings. It primarily unfolds in the brightness of the summer in seemingly safe and peaceful environments. This, however, is cleverly juxtaposed by the gripping Netflix K-drama’s portrayal of how one can fatefully find darkness even during the brightness of the day and the peace of the night.
A Korean Proverb Drives The Psychological Horror In The Frog
There is a famous Korean proverb that goes something like: “A stone thrown carelessly can kill a frog.” The proverb is where the show gets its name from as it serves as the primary driver of its story. More often than not, in typical psychological thrillers, a game of cat-and-mouse unfolds between a protagonist and an antagonist.
The protagonist usually makes a mistake or lapse in judgment, which triggers an antagonist to chase them.
In Netflix’s The Frog, however, characters do nothing to provoke “monsters.” They are portrayed as the proverbial “frogs” who merely become targets and victims due to bad timing. By showing how one literally has to do nothing to attract trouble, The Frog instills a kind of existential dread that most psychological thrillers lack.
Instead of merely unfolding a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse, The Frog also uses one’s denial and remorse as a narrative device. It shows how one does not merely become a “frog” when directly confronted by a villain. Even the agonizing struggle to overcome denial and accept misfortune can turn an individual into a “frog,” trapped in the crossfire of someone else’s wrongdoings.
The Frog Isn’t Perfect, But It Dares To Stand Out
The Netflix psychological thriller succeeds because it remains less fixated on a conventional battle between good and evil. Its primary emphasis remains on the psychological paralysis experienced by an innocent bystander trying to pretend nothing happened. With its more grounded portrayal of psychological horror, The Frog completely immerses viewers into its drama.
Even the show’s characters seem so realistic and ordinary that it becomes hard not to see yourself in their place.
There is a sense of passiveness to The Frog‘s exploration of suspense and high-stakes psychological terror because of how it captures the consequences of inaction rather than blatant immorality. However, owing to its unique approach to the genre, The Frog risks feeling a little too uneven and detached from its own core story at times.
For the most part of its run, however, the Netflix thriller does a great job of making up for its flaws with its compelling character beats, brilliant performances, and incredible atmospheric contrast. Not to mention, its brief 8-episode runtime makes it perfectly bingeable.
Leave a Reply