“The Whirlwind”: A Riveting Korean Political Thriller on Netflix

“The Whirlwind” is a South Korean series created by Kim Yong-Wan starring Sol Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae.

“The Whirlwind” is a fast-paced political thriller that narratively unfolds more as a spy film than a conventional political drama. It is a show rife with rhythm, highs and lows, and tension to its maximum.

This series takes full advantage of cinema’s narrative resources to make political intrigue both highly entertaining and utterly engaging. This exceptional production comes to us, once again, from the creative powerhouse that is Korea.

As the Hollywood industry grapples with crises and actors’ strikes, it appears that major productions in Asia have indeed started to fill the entertainment vacuum.

Plot Overview of “The Whirlwind”

The story takes place in the Blue House (the central government office in Korea), where the President anticipates his arrest, accused of accepting bribes from a cryptocurrency company for fiscal immunity. The series opens with an assassination attempt: the Prime Minister poisons the Korean President, but the attempt fails.

Betrayals, assassinations, corruption, big corporations – if you thought everything in Korea was devoid of corruption, “The Whirlwind” introduces you to politics, a world riddled with deceit, grime, and ruthless individuals constantly betraying each other. The person who reaches the summit is, by definition and necessity, the most traitorous of all.

“The Whirlwind”: A Top-Tier Political Critique

If you’re familiar with the story of the “chaebols” (large Korean corporations nurtured by political patronage), you’d know their significant influence in the country, particularly their increasing political power fueled by their economic dominance.

“The Whirlwind” uses this reality as a basis to take us into a highly entertaining fiction. Apart from being rooted in reality, it portrays a conflict that can be extrapolated to the majority of democracies and leads us to an almost universal conclusion: regardless of the era or the geographical location, politics is a filthy, evil, and cruel domain fit only for nefarious beings.

“The Whirlwind” is a series that presents a harsh portrayal of these individuals. It aims for realism, but never forgets its primary mandate as a television show – to entertain the audience. It maintains a relentless pace, intricate plot twists, and high-level accusations. The characters are consistently portrayed as vile, and the producers show no mercy towards politicians.

Our Take

“The Whirlwind” is yet another top-notch Korean production. It’s not just about apocalyptic series or macabre games anymore; from Korea, we are now introduced to political intrigues with wonderful production, meticulous scripting, entertaining, critical, and highly appealing to the audience. Hollywood should take notes, but it might already be too late considering the quality of these productions emerging from Asia.

Where to Watch “The Whirlwind”

Netflix