This article contains no spoilers for Hellbound season 2.
Horror always has more of a visceral edge when it’s rooted in clear allegories to the world that we live in and the South Korean horror series Hellbound certainly understands that axiom as it builds tension and delivers its bloody thrills. Returning for its second season on Netflix, Hellbound ups the ante of its fiery spectacle and makes more incisive observations about society, including mob mentality and the dangers of cults of personality in the influencer age. And given the nature of this social commentary, the themes and resonance throughout Hellbound are not limited to South Korean culture, making it just as frightening and timely for American audiences.
The Story So Far on Hellbound
Hellbound is set in a relatively modern iteration of Korea where individuals who have evidently committed a grave sin are given a limited amount of time before hulking, ashen demons appear and condemn them to Hell in full public view. Taking advantage of the terrorized population in the face of these supernatural incidents are two different religious cults, the New Truth Society and Arrowhead, each seeking to manipulate and guide the public towards their cause and punish those they feel are sinful who are standing against God’s will. In the wake of contradictory incidents at the end of season 1, the New Truth Society’s credibility is skewered while people who were believed to be sent to Hell begin to reform from their ashes on Earth, seemingly whole.
Hellbound season 2 begins with the return of Jung Jinsu, the original leader of the New Truth Society who accepted being incinerated and sent to Hell halfway through the first season, wanting his actions to inspire humanity to avoid sin, as despicable as the lengths he underwent were. Jinsu finds the New Truth Society and Arrowhead now in open conflict with one another as the hellish attacks continue, with Arrowhead having since graduated from attracting and communicating with followers on livestreams to full-on television broadcasts. This leads Jinsu to confront the world that he helped create, with Arrowhead’s vicious mobs brutalizing anyone they feel remotely opposes their authority.
Hellbound Season 2’s Take on Influencer Culture
Of course, the idea of fervent followers rallying around toxic online influencers isn’t an American-exclusive phenomenon and one that serves as a prominent element within Hellbound. Arrowhead is introduced in season 1 as a livestream calling out those named for condemnation, inciting their followers to violence, and all-around proclaiming themselves as the true path to salvation as Hell descends on Earth. By contrast, the New Truth Society presents itself as a more conventional form of zealotry, as an extremist religious sect that, while not as openly violent, is no less nefarious in its methodologies to further its cause.
With the conflict between the two organizations defining much of Hellbound season 2, the show progresses its narrative of old-world extremism versus new-wave extremism, with a terrified populace forced to pick a side or keep their heads down and stay the hell out of the way – literally. The thing to be afraid of isn’t necessarily the hellish monsters, though each time they appear are always taut with dread and the most horrific sequences in the show, but the overwhelming mob rules violence that permeates between each incident. In a world where crowds blindly follow charismatically volatile public figures and bad behavior appears just as likely to be rewarded with additional attention, the real-life parallels in Hellbound are impossible to ignore despite the supernatural stakes.
Hellbound Season 2 and the Changed Man Premise
This all makes the return of Jung Jinsu all the more palatable; in a season all about consequences, no one has to face the sins for their actions more than Jinsu given all he’s unleashed and encouraged. Prior to his apparent resurrection, Jinsu experiences first-hand the perspective of either those who caused the greatest pains of his life or the people who he inflicted the most pain in their lives. This ordeal leaves Jinsu with a new outlook and the indignation of what has happened to the world since he died; the world isn’t actively avoiding sin but has used the fervor as an excuse for flagrant violence and chaos.
Hellbound season 1 was, among other things, about standing strong in the face of persecution and a seemingly inescapable cruel fate of fire and blood. Hellbound season 2 not only continues the show’s tradition of changing up protagonists every few episodes, but now drives the story from a redemption angle as Jinsu and presence no longer hang over the proceedings as manipulative and adversarial as they had been before. The changed man premise is unintentionally elevated by Jinsu being recast, with Kim Sung-cheol replacing original actor Yoo Ah-in for the season; the story itself helps sell the swap.
Even with a three-year gap between seasons, Hellbound avoids the sophomore slump by not only following the standard sequel formula of going bigger with its spectacle and scope but also by growing more pointed in its social commentary. More than just incorporating online influencers and religious zealotry, the news media and how modern society addresses public tragedies are also thematically highlighted this season. Hellbound blends heartbreaking turns with plenty of plot twists and, in its move towards redemption, season 2 effectively builds on this hellish foundation.
Hellbound Season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.
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