Time is of the essence in Disney+’s new four-episode espionage thriller, The Tyrant, and the K-drama sure shows it. Things have already been set in motion when Director Choe (Kim Seon-ho), the leader of a highly confidential programme masterminded by the South Korean government, takes a frantic call from a colleague in the dead of night. Yet, Choe is unfazed when he learns about men from “the office” who barged into his place of work to confiscate the last remaining “sample” from the project.
It’s all connected to Director Choe’s highly confidential programme, called “The Tyrant Project”, said to be a virus with limitless potential to aid humanity’s advancement. The South Korean government had turned to experimental biotechnology to gain an edge on the international stage, enlisting a rogue team of scientists to carry out these experiments in questionable, sometimes unethical ways, after years of watching the country be suppressed by foreign powers.
However, before Director Choe and the South Korean government are able to see the project through, a group of American agents uncover their not-so-covert operations and demand all samples be handed over. Korean black ops units are soon called in to retrieve the last remaining sample the US got their hands on, and it spirals into a gory, clandestine and catastrophic clash between two global forces – unbeknownst to the rest of the world.
On the face of it, The Tyrant is a tried and true (if a bit tired) espionage thriller through and through. Yet, creator Park Hoon-jung elevates the material with a striking visual and narrative style, while also managing to surprise with twists that have novel substance and stakes. Everything is executed with impressive precision by someone who clearly loves what they do.
The sprawling shots coupled with simple, quiet editing create a world so subtly immersive it creeps up on you by the end of the pilot. The Tyrant does surprisingly well in establishing its world and its story, while leaving behind enough crumbs rope you back in for more. And when the show does reach its climax, it begins to thrillingly snowball down a slippery slope of twists and turns – even if it does come with many obvious hints at a potential sequel.
Kim Seon-ho also shines as Director Choe, with an aloof yet grounded charisma that feels incredibly natural. While dialogue in The Tyrant may not be the most polished – conversations often beat around the bush in an attempt to build tension to the detriment of the show’s pacing – it does give Kim the opportunity to bring out the different facets of a fascinating, morally grey character like Director Choe.
The supporting cast does a good amount of heavy-lifting too. Kim Kang-woo’s Korean-American agent Paul makes for a complex and enjoyably infuriating opponent for Director Choe. Plus, the layered rivalry between him and Choe is electrifying whenever they share the screen. Cha Seung-won, meanwhile, delights as former Korean agent Lim Sang – though we don’t get nearly enough of him.
The Tyrant is a lot more ambitious than the premise would have you believe, blending many ideas from genres outside of the espionage thriller it’s been billed to be. Yet, the Disney+ K-drama is easy to digest, distancing the core story away from the big, complex questions. If anything, this well-executed espionage thriller doesn’t try too hard to impress, and in doing so makes for a fulfilling, satisfying experience – regardless of whether a sequel happens or not.
The Tyrant is available to stream on Disney+ internationally and Hulu in the US.
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