by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
There is no hotter studio in Hollywood at the moment than A24. They seemingly produce half the indies making their way into theaters, and, obviously, cleaned up at the recent Academy Awards ceremony. Even on the television side, they have one of the more addicting shows on television with HBO’s Euphoria.
So, needless to say, when it was announced that they were producing a new limited series that would be bingeable on Netflix, and which stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, I didn’t need much convincing. Beef is the brainchild of Lee Sung Jin, whose previous experience includes projects like Silicon Valley and Dave. We follow Danny (Yeun), who’s struggling to make ends meet with his small contracting business, and Amy (Wong), who’s on the precipice of a huge payday for her lucrative plant business. The two are set on a destructive path as they let their anger get the best of them, first in a road rage incident, and then in their inability to let the initial encounter go.
The best I can describe this show is as a tragic comedy. There are plenty of laughs to be had over the course of the 10-episode run, but there’s always an underlying current of dread as we watch things escalate from the initial encounter. Both characters are unable to let go of that original incident, compounded by the professional and personal stresses they find themselves under, leading to a series of irrational actions that eventually lead to tragic results. A couple creative choices make things even more tragic. Firstly, there are moments when it appears common sense might eventually win out, but due to how pieces were previously set up, even actions that are sometimes not (at least directly) the fault of our two main characters cause things to continue to spiral. Secondly, when you feel like you’ve got a good feel for these characters as the show approaches its climax, they weave in an episode that cuts between intermittent flashbacks showing how these characters became who they are, a choice I found effective.
Throughout it all, Yeun and Wong are crucial to the series’ success. Even though they’re nominally our protagonists, or at least our main characters, they’re not likable. They’re objectively terrible people. While they may have moments of heart and kindness, much of the story progresses based on a series of just terrible decisions they have made. This harms not only themselves, but those around them. Despite that, it’s their charisma as actors and their interplay (even if that interplay is largely at a distance) that’s able to carry the show. They’re not alone, as I think the supporting cast also gives some solid performances, with my favorite being David Choe as Danny’s chaotic cousin with a history of shady business deals.
As an A24 project, the one thing that’s a given is that it’s going to look spectacular — outside of a dark scene to open the finale. While it may not have the visual flair of Euphoria, it’s incredibly well shot in a way that you almost don’t notice it. For example, I was watching what appeared to be a fairly nondescript walk-and-talk sequence when I realized it had developed into quite a long tracking shot. As much as we as a collective love to rave about flashy visuals, there’s something just as impressive, perhaps, with making the simple look extraordinary.
One other thing that I found notable is the representation. From the cast, to the crew, the show is largely the work of those in the Asian community, and it incorporates that throughout the story. A Korean church is a key part of the plot, as is the fact that Danny’s family is split, and he’s looking to bring his parents over from South Korea. It’s not an aspect of the story that has a giant spotlight on it; it’s just a natural part of the story, and that’s refreshing.
Overall, it’s more of what we’ve come to expect from A24 at the moment. It’s well-made, well-acted, and a tale of spiraling revenge with some truly shocking turns you can’t help but get sucked up in.
It’s another prime example of why they’re at the top of their game right now.
Score: 8/10
Beef is currently streaming on Netflix
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Twitter and Letterboxd