Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama Somebody, which delivers a chilling exploration of how technology meant to connect us can become the perfect weapon for those who prey on human connection and vulnerability.
Somebody was released on Netflix on November 18, 2022, with eight episodes running approximately 50 minutes each. This psychological thriller takes the increasingly relevant fear of online dating dangers and amplifies it into a terrifying cat-and-mouse game between a socially awkward app developer and a charismatic serial killer who uses her creation to hunt victims. The series masterfully combines elements of technological thriller, erotic suspense, and psychological horror to create something uniquely disturbing in the K-drama landscape.
What sets Somebody apart is its unflinching examination of how our digital connections can be manipulated by those who understand human psychology better than we understand ourselves. The series doesn’t shy away from exploring the dark side of social media and dating apps, showing how algorithms designed to bring people together can be weaponized by predators who view human connection as nothing more than a hunting strategy.
The Creator Becomes the Target: When Innovation Turns Deadly
Kim Sum is a brilliant but socially awkward developer who created the dating app “Somebody” as a way to help people connect despite her own difficulties with human interaction. Her app uses advanced AI and matching algorithms to bring together users based on deep psychological compatibility. What begins as a genuine attempt to solve loneliness becomes a nightmare when Sum discovers that someone is using her creation to target and murder users.
The series brilliantly explores the unintended consequences of technological innovation, showing how even well-intentioned creations can be perverted by those with malicious intent. Sum’s journey from proud creator to horrified witness of her app’s misuse forms the emotional backbone of the series. Her realization that her solution to human connection has become a tool for predators creates devastating internal conflict that drives the narrative forward.
Kim Sum: The Reluctant Detective Fighting Her Own Creation
Kang Hae-lim delivers a nuanced performance as Kim Sum, portraying a character whose social anxiety and communication difficulties make her an unlikely hero in a story that requires deep understanding of human psychology. Her character’s evolution from isolated developer to someone forced to engage with others to save lives creates compelling dramatic tension throughout the series.
Sum’s struggle with her own creation becomes deeply personal as she realizes that her app’s sophisticated matching system makes it the perfect tool for a predator who understands exactly how to exploit human vulnerability. Kang Hae-lim masterfully conveys the internal conflict of someone who must confront not only a killer but also her own role in enabling his crimes through her technological innovation.
Seong Yun-oh: The Charismatic Predator Who Understands Connection
Kim Young-kwang delivers a chilling performance as Seong Yun-oh, an architectural designer whose charm and sophistication hide a sociopathic nature that allows him to manipulate others with terrifying precision. His character represents everything dangerous about online connections – someone who can present a perfect facade while harboring deadly intentions beneath the surface.
The brilliance of Yun-oh’s character lies in how the series shows his methodical approach to using the app’s matching system to find vulnerable victims. He doesn’t rely on random chance or luck – instead, he studies the algorithm, understands human psychology, and crafts the perfect digital persona to lure each specific target. Kim Young-kwang’s performance makes Yun-oh simultaneously attractive and repulsive, creating the kind of antagonist who gets under viewers’ skin.
Digital Manipulation Meets Psychological Horror: The Perfect Storm
The series reaches its most terrifying moments when showing how Yun-oh uses the app’s features to manipulate potential victims, studying their profiles, messages, and behavioral patterns to craft the perfect approach for each target. His ability to become exactly what each victim is looking for makes him nearly impossible to detect until it’s too late.
What makes these sequences so disturbing is how realistic they feel – the series doesn’t rely on fantastical technology or implausible scenarios. Instead, it shows how existing dating app features can be weaponized by someone who understands human psychology and has no moral constraints. The horror comes not from supernatural elements but from the very real possibility that this could happen to anyone using similar platforms.
Success on Netflix
Somebody found significant international success on Netflix, where its timely themes about online dating dangers resonated with viewers increasingly concerned about digital safety. The series sparked conversations about the responsibility of tech companies to protect users and the ways that algorithms designed to help can be exploited by those with malicious intent. Critics praised the series for its realistic portrayal of technology use and its commitment to exploring the psychological aspects of both predator and prey in digital spaces.
A Technological Nightmare That Feels All Too Real
If you love psychological thrillers that explore the dark side of modern technology, Somebody is the perfect series to binge on Netflix. The show delivers genuine scares not through jump scares or gore, but through the terrifying realization of how vulnerable we all are in our digital interactions.
Why This Digital Horror Story Demands Your Immediate Attention
Somebody succeeds because it transforms our everyday interactions with technology into sources of genuine terror. The series forces viewers to confront uncomfortable questions about digital privacy, online safety, and the price we pay for convenience in our connected world, making it essential viewing for anyone who uses dating apps or social media.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 8 episodes
Platform: Netflix worldwide
Release/End Year: 2022 (November 18)
Current IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Psychological Horror
Type of Production: K-drama (South Korean psychological thriller)
Status: Completed
Protagonists: Kang Hae-lim (Kim Sum), Kim Soo-yeon (Yeong Gi-eun), Kim Yong-ji (Im Mok-won)
Antagonists: Kim Young-kwang (Seong Yun-oh), serial killer using dating app to target victims