For the longest time, religious cults have been an untouchable subject in Korean dramas, especially with some of the crimes that occurred that still remain controversies to this day. Because of this, Save Me is quite a surprise, as it depicts the journey of a girl who moves to town being sucked into and trying to escape a religious cult. It’s an eerie thriller, but it’s one that starts by alternating between the time Im Sang-mi moved to town and the present time from the boys’ perspective, so this and the slow pacing might make it hard for people new to K-dramas to watch. However, the performances are excellent, with both acting veterans and newcomers shining in the moments that they’re given. While the ending was rushed, and they could have gone darker and deeper into the cult, Save Me was a decent attempt at depicting this controversial issue.
Synopsis
Save Me is a web-toon based thriller drama with a story of four young men who try to save one woman. One day, they face a woman in a dark alley who asks for their help. The woman turns out to be involved in a cult group. A sequence of horrifying tension-filled events follow the four young men.
Storyline
Following the failure of her father's business, Sang Mi and her family move to the county of Muji-gun, where they meet the charismatic Spiritual Father Baek Jung Ki and his cult called the Goseonwon. Three years later, she pleads to four of her former classmates to save her.
TLDR
I mean, there’s a little bit of romantic who-will-she-pick shenanigans, but when you’re dealing with bullying and escaping a cult and their friend group is the only one doing anything to stop it, of course we’re going to find them cute.
What stands out
The subject matter. Maybe that’s why this series hasn’t gotten the same hype as Signal, even though they both share the same producer (Lee Jae-moon).