Gray Shelter Review – Needed More Time
Lee Yoon Dae lives with his girlfriend, but when she kicks him out, he starts to live with technician Cha Soo Hyuk, someone he used to be close with, until circumstances make them estranged. With their new awkward living situation, the two must confront the unsaid conflict and tension between them.
Directed by Lee Son Eum, Korean series “Gray Shelter” spans only five episodes, and follows a serious tale about broken families, and complex relationships. Lee Jae Bin plays the aimless Lee Yoon Dae, who has run off from home and sponges off those around him, while Jang Woo Young is the more responsible Cha Soo Hyuk, and in his case, it’s his parents who are constantly exploiting him, either emotionally or financially. How these two individuals try to overcome their internal struggles and find a “home” for themselves forms the crux of the tale.
For an intense family drama with just the slightest hint of romantic tension, “Gray Shelter” falls short in capturing the nuances and struggles of its characters within its limited runtime, despite convincing performances from the lead actors. Lee Jae Bin’s portrayal of the angsty young Yoon Dae who borders on being the “bad boy” archetype is well delivered. It’s completely different from his last lead role as the sunny-sweet Choco from “Choco Milk Shake”, a fluffy romantic Korean series. Meanwhile, Jang Woo Young makes his debut with a layered performance as the exhausted, hard-working Soo Hyuk, who simply seeks a regular life free from the burdens imposed by those around him.
“Gray Shelter” unfolds weirdly, like a thriller, where the background music and conversation between the character lead you to expect major revelations towards the end, but no such thing happens. What really happened between Yoon Dae and Cha Soo Hyuk is never explained, and some comprehensive flashbacks to explain their relationship better would’ve helped. Instead, the creators simply present a cryptic tale of anger, hurt and emotional trauma and expect viewers to fill in the blanks.
While I am usually complaining about dramas being too long or overstretched, “Gray Shelter” however needed a longer runtime to do justice to the themes the creators were trying to explore.
Rating: 6 on 10. You can stream “Gray Shelter” on iQIYI.
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