Binge-worthy: Sweet Home 3 a decent farewell to the hit apocalyptic K-horror

Sweet Home 3

Netflix
3 stars

When Sweet Home premiered in December 2020, the horror-fantasy struck a chord with viewers.

Much like the confined residents in the Green Home apartment who fought monsters within the building and slowly ventured outside to an unknown future, people around the world were transitioning to a society adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sweet Home became a huge hit for Netflix, and was the first South Korean series to make it to the streamer’s top 10 list in the United States. The apocalyptic actioner also cracked the top 10 charts in more than 70 regions. 

However,

Season 2

received much criticism from fans when it premiered in December 2023.

The setting and characters received a massive upgrade, but the spotlight was no longer on the beloved original characters, particularly hero Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang). The other favoured protagonist, de facto leader Lee Eun-hyuk (Lee Do-hyun), was absent too, since it was hinted that he had died at the end of the first season.

Director Lee Eung-bok promised Season 3 would be an exciting conclusion, and he held up to his end of the bargain.

Here are three reasons to binge all eight episodes of Sweet Home 3, which was the No. 1 TV show on Netflix in Singapore when it was released on July 19.

1. Fan-favourite bromance is back

Director Lee has fixed the main problem in Season 2 – the absence of Hyun-su – and has given the series’ poster boy loads of screen time in Season 3. Eun-hyuk is also resurrected.

Their reunion is initially tense, but the unlikely bromance developed in Season 1 is back as they join forces to defeat the big, bad monster Sang-won (Lee Jin-wook).

A sequence in which they engage in close-quarter fisticuffs while trading banter on a bus is well-executed.

2. Stellar ensemble cast

Apart from Song and Lee Do-hyun’s spot-on delivery, original cast members Lee Jin-wook, Go Min-si and Lee Si-young turn in amazing performances, showcasing the growth in their character arcs.

Teenage actress Kim Si-a, introduced in Season 2, is excellent in the third season as the “cursed” child who can turn humans into monsters.

3. Decent closure

Season 3 fares better than its predecessor, but does not live up to Season 1. The story tries too hard to explain monster theory and terminology, like monsterisation, special infectees and neohumans, becoming complicated and messy.

Thankfully, the pacing is fast and the action provides quite the spectacle, making Sweet Home 3 an easy binge. And each character gets some closure, be it sad, happy or bittersweet.