16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Netflix K-drama Friendly Rivalry review: Lee Hye-ri in edgy high school mystery thriller
3.5/5 stars
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Lead cast: Lee Hye-ri, Chung Su-bin, Kang Hye-won, Oh Woo-ri
The high school thriller has long been a popular genre in Korean media and it is no surprise why. Febrile teenage emotions mixed with the pressure cooker environment of Korean education result in tales of brutal competition and explosive drama.
The new teenage thriller Friendly Rivalry understands this appeal all too well and escalates it by pitting leading characters against each other who are torn between self-interest and empathy.
They do good things, some later revealed to be for the wrong reasons, and they also knowingly do bad things, either because they feel they have to or to help someone else. The drama comes from the fact that these characters constantly yo-yo in opposition. Occasionally they briefly bounce in unison, before breaking apart again.
