A Model Family (2022)
A gripping Korean crime thriller. Desperation, greed, and danger collide as an ordinary family faces life-altering choices.
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Info
| Original Title | 모범가족 |
|---|---|
| Tagline | Dare Not Desire The Money Of The Dead |
| Formats | Streaming |
| Seasons | 1 |
| Episodes | 10 |
| Duration | 45 mins |
| Status | Ended |
| Year | 2022 |
| First Air Date | August 12, 2022 |
| Last Air Date | August 12, 2022 |
| Broadcast Day | friday |
| Network | Netflix |
Trailer
Synopsis
After unwittingly stealing money from a cartel, a cash-strapped professor finds the only way to save his broken family is by working as a drug courier.
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Editor's Review
A Korean Twist on Crime and Desperation
The reason why Netflix’s “Ozark” has been such a hit lies in its tantalizing premise: an ordinary family laundering cartel money in the middle of the woods. Now, a new Korean series, “A Model Family,” sets up a similar scenario but takes the formula a step further.
Plot Summary: Park Dung-ha (played by Jung Woo) is an adjunct professor at a local university, desperate to secure a tenured position. To pay off a professor and save his young son Hyun-woo (Seok Min-gi), he uses money reserved for the boy’s heart transplant. His wife is ready for divorce, and the professor he bribed has just been arrested, leaving Dung-ha in dire straits.
One fateful day, Dung-ha is rear-ended by a van while talking to his son on the phone. When he investigates, he discovers not only two dead bodies but also a sack full of money. Desperation drives him to hatch a plan: keep the money. He buries the bodies in his yard, cleans the van, and abandons it. But he didn’t anticipate DUI stops and buried cell phones keeping his teenage daughter, Yeon-woo (Shin Eun-soo), awake.
Meanwhile, a cartel strongman named Gwang-cheol (Park Hee-soon) is searching for the van, its contents, and the men involved. As the cartel operatives close in, Dung-ha’s neighborhood becomes the epicenter of danger.
What Sets “A Model Family” Apart: Unlike “Ozark,” where the main character was already laundering money, Dung-ha enters the criminal world out of desperation and greed. When that blood-spattered van rear-ends him, he’s at rock bottom. His moral qualms fade as he considers using the money for good, like securing a new heart for his son.
Our Take: Written by Lee Jae-gon and directed by Kim Jin-woo, “A Model Family” sets up a somewhat familiar scenario but adds intriguing twists. The tension between family loyalty and criminal survival keeps viewers hooked. The show’s compelling characters, good pacing, and slick editing make it one of the best Korean crime thrillers of 2022.
In summary, “A Model Family” is a well-written, absorbing, and deliciously twisted crime thriller that explores the lengths one will go to protect their family, even if it means crossing dangerous lines.