“I wanted to embody the quality of metacinema”

The 8 Show, a recently released Netflix Original Series, follows eight contestants in a mysterious show, desperately trying to survive. This is the first drama series directed by director Han Jae-lim who focused on directing movies for more than two decades, from Rules of Dating (2005) to Emergency Declaration (2022). The series is based on webtoon creator Bae Jin-soo’s Money Game and Pie Game. 

Each individual, designated to a specific floor from the first to the eighth, needs to make eccentric decisions to satisfy the audience while competing for a large sum of money as a prize. Their eccentric behaviors turn into a more inhumane a violent show business. On top of that, the floors, which act as a social class, instigates a conflict among the contestants. That’s how The 8 Show criticizes the overflow of provocative contents and the era with endless urge to satisfy our sensational desire.

- It's a very rare to adapt two webtoons into one drama series.

= I was offered to direct Money Game and was planning the series when Squid Game was released. The structure of one death equals more money was very similar, which led me to rethink about continuing the project. After a long deliberation, I remembered there was another webtoon called Pie Game. Pie Game’s rule dictates that the game stops when someone dies. I thought combining the two webtoons will make the project stand out. That’s how I came up with the gist of the story – a game where no one dies but needs to gain time to earn the prize.

- The montage in the early scenes stands out. Aspect ratio of 1:1, not even 1.33:1, a title card, and an iris shot reminds the directing technique and feel of silent films.

= "I aimed to depict the characters' confined reality. Their lives are constrained within a 1:1 aspect ratio, yet as they enter the show, their screens enlarge. I wanted to create the impression of the show looking more real than their actual reality. Additionally, I intended to incorporate my reflections on movies as a medium and the broader realm of mass media into this project. I wanted to hint that the series possesses metacinematic characteristics, particularly as Jinsoo (played by Ryu Jun-yeol) enters the film set.

- Beside the montage, the series is rich in cinematic metaphors. The entrance to the show evokes the ambiance of a classic theater, with red curtains on the stage. It recalls other works that examine film as a medium or the entertainment industry, such as 'Holy Motors.' It also reminds us of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet by David Lynch. Film projectors and reels also play significant roles as objects within the narrative.

= The eight contestants need to spare time to earn the prize. In doing so, they also have to entertain the audience. I found their predicament strikingly relatable to our own—not just among those in the film industry, but also novelists, YouTubers, and other content creators. Content consumers these days are very specific with their taste. Creators have also realized their taste and are trying to cater to these tastes. We are competing with more sensational and easier projects with weaker narrative and the slow cinema and classic movies that we know of are fading. Even as I continued to produce more films, a sense of melancholy crept in. I felt compelled to imbue this melancholy into the project.

- It’s also intriguing that you embedded the meaning to cinema in a Netflix series.

= That’s where I was truly impressed with Netflix. As they released the series, they wholeheartedly empathized with my ode to cinema and how I embed them in this project.

- Let’s compare your series to the original webtoons. The most distinguishing difference would be the bright color of the main stage. In the original webtoons, the setting is depicted as a gloomy cemented building. However, in the series, this has transformed into a vibrant stage with a swimming pool, a hair salon, and an abundance of props.

= That was the most challenging aspect. Bae Jin-soo, the webtoon artist, expressed how time-consuming it was to draw everything, which led him to opt for the grey background; characters against a dark backdrop tend to convey a more serious and solemn tone. In a film adaptation, however, I was worried that this might look too lazy and overly dark, and that the audience would not like it. So, I pondered over the production design from every angle. Initially, I considered setting it in a department store, dividing the floors which is the most representative venue of desire. In the end, we chose a simpler approach, dividing the floors with red stairs. We decided to create a place that the characters desire upon exiting each floor's room. For instance, their desire to earn a lot of money to visit a swimming pool is portrayed, yet the swimming pools depicted in the show are all fake. This setup embodies the irony of their situation—they endlessly yearn for everything but are unable to fulfill their wishes.

- The show's official costumes, featuring faux pockets, are avant-garde as well.

= The costume was another the most challenging part. We’ve already built the set and were ready to shoot but haven’t decided on the costume. We thought about the prisoner’s costume, but we were concerned if it would remind Squid Game. It was challenging because it had to fit in with the meaning of The 8 Show. One day, a producer suggested that for a realistic yet fake appearance, we could use a costume with drawn-on fake pockets. We loved the idea so much that I gave the producer a pair of shoes as a gift.

- Did you often consult with Bae Jin-soo, the original webtoon artist, about the adaptation?

= I only remember going out for drinks with him; we didn’t really talk about the series (laughs). The only thing he said about the series was that he wants to play a cameo role if we shoot season 2. Bae is fun to be with; he starred in a Korean reality dating show called Jjak and not only did he survive the show, but he successfully and happily tied the knots. He’s brilliant – he's a member of the Mensa club. In short, he is a genius. He gave me full control of adaptation and assured me complete autonomy. I'm still curious about what Bae thinks of how The 8 Show turned out.

- With the rise of content featuring survival themes such as Squid Game, how did you ensure that The 8 Show stood out?

= While the survival genre typically thrives on narratives where the protagonist triumphs and progresses, The 8 Show takes a different approach of a picaresque black comedy, where the main characters aren't traditional heroes; they stumble and fail as they navigate their decisions and judgments. Initially, I was concerned that audiences might be disappointed because we don't follow the conventional formula of punishing or destroying the antagonists. We always face conflicts and desires arising from social class and capital issues. Against this backdrop, my intention was to encourage the audience to contemplate basic collaboration and humanity, rather than solely seeking thrilling experiences. Through this, I hope viewers can ultimately discover something that we were looking for.

- A common thread of ambiguous endings, straddling the line between tragedy and comedy, runs through your previous works. Specifically, The King and The Face Reader both conclude with revolts from the lower class, neither ending as total failures nor total successes but walking a fine line between the two.

= The audience might seek the exhilarating feeling or a fun romantic comedy. However, similar to the original webtoon, The 8 Show, couldn’t provide a cathartic ending. For my next project, I do want to direct a liberating film (laughs).

- How did you decide on coming up with a different ending from the original one?

= We felt it necessary to craft a different ending as the adaptation was focusing on the social class. We aimed for one that was more ironic and somber as the first-floor contestant’s plan went down the drain even though everyone agreed on the plan. In this vein, we sought to pay homage to Charlie Chaplin, particularly in our depiction of the first-floor character. We paid an homage to Modern Times by Charlie Chaplin as in character development and in various scenes throughout the later episodes. I believe that our lives are no different from the ending of the classic film where two characters are not able to solve their difficulties. We integrated the soundtrack of Chaplin's masterpiece with the contemporary urban ambience. We aimed to create a nuanced conclusion that, despite the appearance of a happy ending, left a haunting impression of the inescapable realities of our lives.

Written by Woo Bin Lee

Photographed by Sung Yeul Choi

Translated by Gyeong Yeon Kim