“The Art of Sarah” Review: A Stylish, Twisted Thriller Elevated by Shin Hye Sun’s Magnetic Performance

This year started strong with the thriller K-drama ‘The Art of Sarah’, starring Shin Hye Sun and Lee Jun Hyuk in lead roles.

The series opens with the discovery of a dead body in a sewer in an upscale district in Seoul, which is identified as Sarah Kim (Shin Hye Sun), the regional director of the luxury brand Budoir. Detective Park Mu-gyeong (Lee Jun Hyuk) lead the investigation into her murder, but what he uncovers is a tangled web of lies, and Sarah Kim is not who the world believed her to be.

‘The Art of Sarah’ is an addictive thriller which keeps the viewer engaged from the get-go. Although the story is not unique, it is very well-layered with its never-ending twists and turns, with each layer of Sarah Kim’s mysterious identity being peeled away. Writer Chu Song-yeon and director Kim Jin Min have created a well-executed and engrossing story of rags to riches, revenge, fraud, and deceit.

The critic Cho Na Writes wrote that the supporting cast of the series is one-dimensional and does not have engaging subplots. However, Kang Ji Hwon (Kim Jae Won), Choi Chae U (Bae Jong Ok), Hong Seong Sin (Jeong Jin Yeong), Jeong Yeo-jin (Park Bo Kyung), Kim Mi Jeong (Lee Yi Dam), and Woo Ho Eun (Jung Da Bin) are not mere passive victims, each become Sarah Kim’s steps on her ladder to success. Each of them has a good subplot that links back to the main protagonist, which is important because the story revolves around Sarah Kim.  

The series’ director and production designer have created an alluring world of the luxury industry with the Samwol Department Store and Budoir being the centres of the plot line. The Prada store Sarah Kim works as Mok Ga Hu is jade green and has a cool aura, which contrasts with the bright red of the Boudoir boutique. The cool tones of Samwol represent the rock bottom of Sara Kim’s journey from which she emerges and climbs to the top with Budoir, where she is in power, which is represented by the red tones of the luxury store.

Despite the thrilling story, there is one flaw in the plot. The elite class in South Korea easily fall for the idea that Budoir is a high-end European luxury brand, for which Sarah Kim is the regional head. They are obviously attracted to the mystery and exclusivity surrounding the brand name, but the ignorance of affluent individuals like Choi Chae-u and Jeong Yeo Jin is not very believable. Nonetheless, the writer provides a resolution for this plot element by Sarah Kim removing anyone from her circle if they raise a question about her brand.

The star of the show is Shin Hye Sun as the cunning Sarah Kim, who will spare nothing and no one to realize her dream of creating Budoir. Unlike her roles in ‘Mr. Queen’ and ‘See You in My 19^th Life’, Sarah Kim is cool and composed, her sleek outfits and sagacious words enhancing her enigmatic aura. Shin Hye Sun modulates her voice to sound deeper and clearer and adopts cat-like movements, which give Sarah Kim a sophisticated aura.

In addition to Shin Hye-sun’s acting, costume designer Cho Sang-kyung adds to the elite stature of Sarah Kim. The actress wears high-end brands, like Vanessa Bruno and Ferragamo, with sleek silhouettes and has her hair usually tied in a neat ponytail or straightened. If her hair is wavy, it only adds edge to Sarah Kim’s mysterious persona.

Although everyone in her life fell for this façade, Detective Park Mu-gyeong is not ready to accept it and does everything in his power to get to the bottom of the truth. The ‘Love Scout’ star Lee Jun Hyuk reeks of desperation, literally when he goes into the sewer and reaches the Samwol Department Store’s dumpster to uncover Sarah Kim’s past.

This character is a 180-degree shift from Lee Jun Hyuk’s last role on television, with the actor perfectly depicting Mu-gyeong’s stubbornness to uncover the truth. Although the character is stereotypical, Jun Hyuk shares an intriguing chemistry with Shin Hye Sun, heightening the tension during their interactions, which are a never-ending cat-and-mouse chase, and their chemistry makes it addictive.  

‘The Art of Sarah’ is a riveting South Korean mystery thriller because of its well-executed and engaging story and Shin Hye Sun’s captivating performance as Sarah Kim. If you’re looking for your next watch, definitely binge this K-drama.