Road rage reimagined: Diving into Netflix’s “Beef”

Tanner Kenyon Staff Reporter

Tired of mundane TV dinners? Netflix’s “Beef” dishes out a piping hot serving of road rage and humor, proving that drama isn’t always a tough chew.

I have one simple test whenever it comes to determining a show as good or bad: Did I set my phone down?

“Beef,” Netflix’s latest hit drama is an outstanding blend of dark, existential thrills and on occasion, extremely humorous dialogue. The hit show created by Lee Sung Jin stars Ali Wong as Amy Lau and Steven Yeun as Danny Cho. The pair, respectively, are two rage-fueled drivers whose lives unexpectedly intertwine resulting in a suspenseful and entertaining drama following the aftermath of a road rage incident.

“I am so sick of smiling,” says Danny in the first episode of the Netflix’s series. For me, this shows inherent superpower is displaying humanity amidst its characters. It advocates for themes that are integral to living an enjoyable life. We are all scared of what the world has in store for us and we all deserve to be loved. It is an often scarce message in today’s day and age.

The Pros:

Cinematography: The cinematography of this series was outstanding. The production company, A24, has once again blown it out of the water. A24 is very quickly becoming one of my favorite production companies in Hollywood. Every product of theirs that I have viewed has balanced humor, drama and emotion; flawlessly resulting in products that will be forever remembered such as “Beef,” “Uncut Gems” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”

Character Arcs: Danny Cho and Amy Lau’s life were visualized to be dire and full of existential dread from the very beginning of the series. They have become full of anger and frustrated with the way the world has treated them. Thus, whenever they get into the road-rage incident, everything goes downhill. Neither one of them can seem to control their outrage, and it goes on to become a moment that will change both of their lives forever. There is a saying that goes “Hurt people, hurt people,” and this show advocates that message through the damaged main characters.

The Acting: “Beef’s” dramatic and tragedy-filled narrative would not be possible without outstanding performances from Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. Somehow, they were able to portray dual protagonists who are selfcentered and impulsive at their core, while also being sympathetic and kind at times.

The Ending: The ending of this show was excellent in my eyes. The show wrapped up most of its story threads while also maintaining a strong narrative in the final episode. The final episode of this show solidified this as one of Netflix’s best series in a long time. I personally do not want to see another season of this show; However, due to its success it seems only a matter of when, not if.

The Cons: Pacing Issues: While “Beef” successfully keeps the tension rising from episode to episode, the pacing of the script at times could be a bit jarring. There were a few moments, especially in the first few episodes, where the pacing was hard to follow along in my opinion. Some episodes are filled with tension while others drag behind, ultimately undermining the narrative in a sense. Predictability: This show was filled to the brim with shocks and cliffhangers, leaving the audience hooked and wanting to come back for more. However, that does not mean that each individual plot point had the intended shock value A24 and Netflix was aiming for. This was more apparent in the first two episodes than any other in the series in my opinion.

Conclusion:

Overall, “Beef” offers an electric exploration of road rage, revenge and regret at many levels. The absorbing story, character development arcs and outstanding performances more than make up for some of its narrative shortcomings. It is not without flaws, but if you are a fan of tense and emotion filled dramas, you might find “Beef” to be a captivating watch.

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