What to watch: Gonzo Korean series ‘Bargain’ is addictive
Also: 'Fair Play' turns office romance into war zone; and superhero series 'Gen V' is surprisingly good.
A wild award-winning South Korean series tops our list of what to watch this week while a short Western from one of our foremost filmmakers sadly fizzles rather than sizzles.
Here’s our roundup.
“Bargain”: In a remote hotel outside of Seoul, a middle-aged man (Jin Sun-kyu) meets up with a presumed 18-year-old virgin (Jeon Jong-Seo) so he can have paid sex, and then barters her fee down when he decides she’s not pure. Sound sleazy? Like you’re ready to shut it off? Don’t do it. That setup changes 15 minutes in and then outlandishly changes again and again in this wildly innovative six-part South Korean series that gets wackier with each cliffhanging episode.
You don’t really want to know too much about what these two characters encounter, but we will divulge that it includes an earthquake, organized crime, organ harvesting, a “Saw”-like basement and the lead actor running around in tight red boxer briefs in one episode. Everything about “Bargain” is skillfully unhinged, with developments unfolding like new video game levels. Director/writer Jeon Woo-Sung’s expansion on a short film delivers on numerous counts, packing in more nonstop action and plot surprises than anything I’ve seen this year. A bit of advice, though, don’t stop Episode 6 when the end credits roll. Just saying … . Details: 3½ stars out of 4; drops Oct. 5 on Paramount+.
“Fair Play”: A brutal and nasty power play ensues between two lovers (“Bridgerton’s” Phoebe Dynevor and “Solo’s” Alden Ehrenreich) who have been hiding their romance, and now engagement, at the office where they toil away at pressure-cooker hedge fund jobs in New York. The relationship turns toxic once Emily (Dynevor) gets promoted over Luke (Enhrenreich), a change that triggers ugly bickering and posturing and intentions to tear apart each other. Writer/director Chloe Domont’s provocative battle between the sexes is intended to get a rise out of you, and while it does that the film spins out of control as it hammers home salient points about sexism and the cruel roles we play as we jockey for dominance over each other in bedrooms and boardrooms. Worse yet, the two characters are so unlikable you just don’t care how any of it turns out. Details: 2 stars; drops Oct. 6 on Netflix.
“Gen V”: This eight-episode spinoff of Amazon Prime’s R-rated superhero series “The Boys” is better than it has any right to be. That’s because it cribs from the best elements of “The Boys” — outrageous behavior, shocking violence and, of course, an irreverent attitude. “Gen V” isn’t a clone, and excels at being unpredictable, with wowza twists that you don’t see coming. The action centers on superhero college chums who are feeling the pressure to outrank each other at the big-league Godolkin University. Showrunners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters create a cast of unique youthful avengers who are trying to harness their powers while discovering that there are evil influences conspiring in the background. The “powers” that this new crop of characters possess range from a person who can switch genders to a pied piper of sorts named Marie (Jaz Sinclair), ostensibly the main character. There’s even an incredible shrinking hero who gets into some raunchy business. If that turns you off, just don’t turn it on. Details: 3 stars; Episodes 1 to 3 are available now, on Amazon Prime, Episode 4 drops Oct. 6.
“Pet Sematary: Bloodlines”: This prequel to one of Stephen King’s scariest novels doesn’t know what to do with its own story — to serve as a homage to America’s master of the macabre or be commentaries on the Vietnam War and the mistreatment of indigenous peoples. Screenwriters Lindsey Anderson Beer and Jeff Buhler throw everything at the wall and nothing sticks, driving a nail in the coffin of this often murky-looking production. “Bloodlines” intends to give us the scuttlebutt on the watchful Jud Crandall (Jackson White, doing the most he can with the little he’s been given) and how this bright guy became wise to the reanimating burial ground legacy going down in Ludlow, Maine. The screenplay runs around in a circles like a dog on a rope, and even goes back, like “Prey” did in the “Predator” series for an origins story on the pet-burial site. None of it is developed. But “Bloodlines’” most criminal offense is squandering the talents of David Duchovny, who seems absolutely bored here as the dad of a returning vet that’s reanimated, and Pam Grier, who’s given little to do as one of the town’s protectors. Just go back and read the book for a good fright. Details: 1½ stars; drops Oct. 6 on Paramount+.
“The Royal Hotel”: The scenario sounds like it’s been copied from a slasher flick: Two cash-strapped American backpackers (Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick) sign on for a gig at a remote hotel bar in the Australian Outback where the clientele gets blotto and subject women to lewd sexual remarks. But director/writer Kitty Green’s follow-up to her 2020 debut “The Assistant” is chilling because it seems too plausible. Hanna (Garner, who also starred in “The Assistant”) is wary of her job pulling drinks at The Royal Hotel and mostly keeps a distance from the “regulars” who turn more obnoxious, loud and handsy as the night turns to the next day. Liv (Henwick), her slightly more carefree friend, thinks Hanna might need to lighten up. Green’s feature thrums with imminent danger around every corner and is as tightly coiled as a big snake. Incidentally, the 2016 documentary “Hotel Coolgardie” is what inspired Green to make “Royal Hotel.” Details: 3 stars; in theaters Oct. 6.
“Strange Way of Life”: Pedro Almodóvar’s sliver of a gay Western pulls the reins in on what makes the Spanish filmmaker’s melodramatic classics so great. This barely 30-minute production — the end credits take up a lot of space — reunites two lovers 25 years after a hot-and-heavy tryst. One’s now a lawman (Ethan Hawke), the other (Pedro Pascal) is moseying into the sheriff’s jurisdiction for a personal matter. A heated night leads to revelations — tossed like a salad in an expository manner that makes it feel like a phony conversation. The biggest trouble is that there is zero chemistry between Hawke and Pascal. Nada. Zip. The erotic steaminess — usually an Almodóvar specialty — happens in an all-too brief flashback sequence that involves the characters’ younger selves (José Condessa and Jason Fernández), a cask of wine and three women. It’s the best part of a disappointing and minor effort. Details: 2 stars; in theaters along with Almodóvar’s 2020 short “The Human Voice” with Tilda Swinton.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.