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Celebrity is a South Korean thriller series written by Kim Yi-young and directed by Kim Cheol-kyu, starring Park Gyu-young as the main lead, with Jun Hyo-seong and Kang Min-hyuk as supporting characters.
The movie begins with Seo A-ri on a live video, speaking as an influencer who has just returned from the dead. This opening sets the tone for a captivating and thought-provoking drama capable of keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.
Seo A-ri, a young, industrious woman, earned her living through a door-to-door cosmetic business. She aimed to become a famous influencer after being invited to a party by her high school classmate, who believed A-ri was rich due to her knowledge of her past—when A-ri's father was alive and running a successful factory.
Upon embracing social media, Seo A-ri realises how a few words, a picture, or a short video can control a large number of people's beliefs and actions. She finds herself thrown into the world of wealth, desires, and fame and, in the process, discovers the thin line between reality and the online world. She notices how wealthy people are less concerned about the law and how they influence people's opinions. Above all, she realises one must make scandalous sacrifices to become rich and famous and continue on the same path to maintain that reputation.
Ari's competitors are a group of friends (the Gabin Society, who have their own dark secrets, such as prostitution, drugs, and fake products) and also a rich and arrogant CEO of a law firm.
After her tarnished reputation and downfall, where she eventually faked her own death, she returned on a live video to expose very dark secrets and unmask every famous person who played a role in her downfall. Her appearance on the livestream and what she reveals set the whole country in chaos and gave her a chance to recover her lost brand and make her comeback into the celebrity world. You might want to know how she reacted to this second chance but it will be less interesting if i tell you prior to watching the drama.
This movie depicts the mysteries surrounding people who become social media influencers living a celebrity life and the people who envy them. I'm saying this because at the end of the series, I was surprised to see that the soul behind Seol Ari and other e-celebs misery was a very poor and depressed spa woman who hates celebrities.
If I were to state what I admire most in the series, it's the support Ari received from her best friend, her mother, her brother, Han Jun-kyu (her wealthy and famous secret admirer who later won her heart), and Yoon Shi-hyung (another admirer from the rich class who is also a member of the Gabin Society). Throughout the series, these people stood by her, fought for her, and made sacrifices for her. One of those sacrifices involved Yoon Shi-hyung divorcing her husband.
Though this is fiction, it could be very relatable to what is happening in our modern world. I've always known a celebrity lifestyle isn't for the weak, but I never thought it could be this scandalous. The desire for fame and wealth, the pressure to live up to people's expectations, and not hesitating to do anything felonious are quite scary and formidable.
I wasn't impressed by the long intro animation that preceded each episode, and I was a bit confused by the cameo appearance of Lee Jun Ho, making the ending a bit unsatisfactory for me. Despite that, this was an epic drama; the actors were perfect in interpreting the roles, and the storyline was very thrilling. I would joyfully give it a 4.5 out of 5.
I happened to find one of my favourite scened on YouTube, I'm excited to share it with you.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who loves K-dramas, who is also interested in stories concerning the entertainment industry and celebrity lifestyles, and especially to anyone looking for a thought-provoking drama with complex characters and plot twists.
