Thrillers in Korean dramaland are aplenty but Lies Hidden In My Garden tackles that rare sub genre of psychological thrillers. It is a mystery thriller done right. No serial killers, no prosecutor-detective stories. Just Agatha Christie style suspense tale, made with artistic hands, that also works as a character study.

ABOUT

Kim Tae Hee plays Moon Joo Ran, a rich woman whose family includes husband Park Jae Ho (Kim Sung Oh) who is a doctor and her son Park Seung Jae (Cha Sung Je). They have moved into a new house in an affluent suburb. One day, Joo Ran starts noticing a weird smell in their backyard. Im Ji Yeon plays Choo Sang Eun, a pregnant woman who suffers from domestic violence by her husband, Kim Yun Beom (Choi Jae Rim), who works in a pharmaceutical company. She is economically poor. The two women come in contact with each other because of certain turn of events connected to both of their husbands.

REVIEW

Lies Hidden In My Garden is a compelling thriller that slowly draws you into its complex plot. Slowly being the keyword here. The slow pace works at some places but at times, it feels unnecessary. The drama initially establishes the lives of the two protagonists and it makes you wonder how will they interlink. There is a stark difference in the lives of the two women but as we move forward in the story, it becomes clear that they also have strong similarities.

The drama has a creepy and ominous vibe from the get go. It is filmed in muted colors, which adds to its forbidding environment. The direction of the show is very stylish — personal, intimate and imbibed with static shots that help in building the suspense and thrill. The show has the vibe of unreliable narrative — meaning you can’t be sure if one lens is enough to judge a moment or a character.

Just when you think the plot is predictable, the drama throws twists and turns that make for a thrilling ride. Not just the story, but placement of scenes and narrative is excellently done. I loved the dynamics between the two women at the center of this story.

The drama is not just a story of murder mystery, it is as much about abuse (physical and psychological), the way people are conditioned and manipulated into losing their self confidence and self worth, the power that comes with realizing this trap and as a result, finding self respect and courage. It beautifully depicts the understanding that comes with shared experiences. I also liked the culmination of everyone’s arc which makes for a satisfying ending. The drama has a crisp length of only 8 episodes, which works in its favor.

THE MINUS POINTS

The slow pace — it lingers too long in certain scenarios. There are one or two plot holes but that doesn’t take away much from an otherwise captivating story.

CHARACTERS & PERFORMANCES

Kim Tae Hee is impressive as quiet, introvert, docile Moon Joo Ran. Her entire trajectory was interesting to watch. Im Ji Yeon is fabulous as Choo Sang Eun — the way she perfectly captures feels of freedom after being freed from her awful husband. Sang Eun is unpredictable too. The drama characters are flawed and and not particularly likeable but you will end up rooting for more than one person. Kim Sung Oh nails it in the role where you don’t know if the character is trustworthy or not. One of my favourite characters was neighbor Oh Hae Soo — Jung Woon Sun excels in the role. Sang Eun’s mother is another interesting character.

IN A NUTSHELL

Lies Hidden In My Garden is a solid mystery thriller. Watch it for the atmospheric feels of suspense and deeper exploration of characters and human behaviors.

MY RATING: 9 out of 10.