There are many movies that have had and still have big gaps before their next release, and this Korean supernatural movie, Hellbound, has been following that frustrating trend. We, the fans, have been frowning upon it so badly.
Season one was excellent and ended with a lot of unanswered questions that we have been seeking immediate answers to. However, the producers were, and still are, not bothered. They want the fans to spend centuries racking their brains over what comes next, especially trying to figure out the explanations for the hellish death signal before the actual death, the hell creatures that mercilessly beat sinners before burning them to ashes, and why all of this is even happening in the first place. OMG! The questions are so many.
Hellbound season one, a Netflix Korean supernatural series that premiered in 2021, presents a mystical occurrence where sinners receive a notification about their death day. When the day arrives, creatures from hell appear, beat the sinner mercilessly, and burn them into charcoal-like remains.
Jeong Jin-su emerges as a figure who offers explanations about these events, essentially positioning himself as an 'assistant' to God on Earth. There are just so many mysteries packed into the series, including how it is impossible to escape judgment day once one is marked for it. However, interestingly, a baby miraculously survived the judgment, and at the end of season one, one of the dead was resurrected. Also, Jeong Jin-su himself faced judgment and was sent to hell.
After all of this, we eagerly awaited season two to provide explanations about the whole system—why everything was happening in the first place. But then, season two came along and only added more questions instead of answers. 😂
When the release of season two was announced and finally premiered on October 25, 2024, I was so curious. However, I was not chanced to watch it immediately, so I read reviews instead. To my disappointment, many reviews suggested that one should rewatch season one before diving into season two—unless one wants to think even harder than the scriptwriter! This hints at how season two seemed almost disconnected from season one, rather than following a natural continuation of the story.
Season two focuses more on the three religious groups: The New Truth, The Arrowheads, and Sodo, all of whom are fighting for power and claiming they know the real truth behind the supernatural events. The most dreaded among them is The Arrowheads, known for their rascally behavior, violent riots, and brutal assaults on those who refuse to follow their ideology.
The chairman, Jeong Jin-su, who mysteriously resurrected with a new character (although a look-alike of his previous self), only added more chaos to the storyline. His return made it clear that the producers were not ready to provide any real explanations in this season but rather intended to keep fans waiting for another season—if it ever comes.
Despite the many expectations that were left unaddressed, Hellbound season two is still a good watch. One just needs to have a solid understanding of season one before diving into it.
As a lover of supernatural movies—especially those that portray mysterious concepts yet to be fully understood or believed by the world—this series intrigued me. It delves into themes of death, hell, and judgment day for sinners in a way that is quite entertaining, even though it does not offer deep explanations about them.
I would rate this movie 8/10.
Thanks for reading!
https://youtu.be/fqM-DRcCNbM?si=nHrh3Eqogr0_M4Rk