“Black Knight”
The next Netflix hit from South Korea?
5-8 (Kim Woo-bin, left) and Sa-wol (Kang You-seok) in “Black Knight”.
© Kim Jin-young/Netflix
With “Black Knight” a new mega project starts on May 12th at Netflix. That’s what the South Korean sci-fi series is about.
In the year 2071, normal life on planet Earth is no longer possible. The air pollution is so bad that people can only breathe with protective masks. At least the people who are left: Due to the harsh living conditions, the population has shrunk sharply, only one percent of the original population has survived. This is what the Korean Peninsula looks like in the dystopian sci-fi series Black Knightwhich will be available on Netflix worldwide starting May 12.
That’s what “Black Knight” is about
Survival on Earth has become a struggle. And out of this struggle a new class society has emerged. Since it has also become a challenge to keep the economy going under the difficult living conditions, a new system has been established. Couriers, also known as “Knights”, deliver orders to protect other people from the dangers of the open air.
The “Knights” are therefore of particular importance, they belong to the elite of society. One of them is 5-8 (Kim Woo-bin, 33). Its task is to safely transport important raw materials such as oxygen from one place to another. However, there are a lot of dangers lurking outside that make deliveries difficult. 5-8 is considered a legend due to his special fighting skills. The series accompanies him on his missions to save humanity from extinction.
One day, 5-8 meets the fugitive Sa-wol (Kang You-seok, 28). In order to become a “Knight” too, he has to prove himself in front of 5-8. Meanwhile, the elite Cheonmyeong group is working on a new “world” in which there is no place for the poor and refugees. Will the “Knights” also submit to this new squad or will there be an uprising?
These are the stars of “Black Knight”
The series focuses on 5-8, played by one of South Korea’s superstars: Kim Woo-bin. The 33-year-old made his debut in 2012 with ‘School 2013,’ a popular teen drama series. In 2013 he had great success with “The Heirs”, a series reminiscent of the US “Gossip Girl”. After the drama “Uncontrollably Fond” (2016) it became quiet around him. The actor suffered from nasopharyngeal cancer and retired from show business for health reasons. “Black Knight” is Kim’s big acting comeback that his fans have been waiting for.
Next to him is Esom (33) in the role of officer Seol-a. She gained national attention with roles in popular Korean series such as ‘Taxi Driver’ (2021) and ‘Because This Is My First Life’ (2017). She was most recently seen in the Netflix film “Kill Boksoon”, which fought its way into the top ten of the streaming service worldwide.
“Black Knight” could mean the big breakthrough for Sa-wol actor Kang You-seok. The 28-year-old has so far been seen in supporting roles or had guest appearances in series such as “Beyond Evil” (2021) and “Start-Up” (2020).
“Black Knight” is reminiscent of these Korean hits
“Black Knight” clearly presents the viewer with a dystopian world. In addition, the class society shown in it also reflects the concerns of the present. These themes are extremely common in South Korean productions. In the Netflix megahit “Squid Game” (2021), impoverished people fight for a huge cash prize – and pay for it with their lives. The production became the streaming service’s biggest hit.
In “Sweet Home” (2020) too, the residents of a high-rise are fighting for survival – they are threatened by terrible monsters and isolated from the rest of the world, pushed to the limits of morality. At the end of 2023, Netflix will deliver the long-awaited second season.
Like “Sweet Home”, “Black Knight” is based on a webtoon. These online comics are very popular in South Korea and are often made into series or movies. The story was written by webtoon artist Lee Yoon-kyun. In a total of six episodes, Netflix is now showing its story as moving images.