The Price of Confession (2025) 자백의 대가
Directed by Lee Jung-hyo, starring Jeon Do-yeon as An Yun-su, Kim Go-eun as Mo-eun / Kang So-hae / "Witch", Park Hae-soo as Baek Dong-hun, and Jin Sun-kyu as Jang Jeong-gu.
Watched 13 - 20 March 2026 — 12 episodes (NETFLIX)
*Had high expectations for this well-received thriller and knew I could expect a dark drama. Well, it is dark and depressing, and initially the main characters (Jeon Do-yeon as An Yun-su and Kim Go-eun as Mo-eun) are not likeable, and there was no one to root for. The actresses give great performances and their characters are well-written. I love Kim Go-eun but had never seen Jeon Do-yeon before — will certainly check out more of her work.
*I found the deal An Yun-su and Mo-eun made a bit far-fetched. I was pretty convinced Yun-su was innocent of killing her husband, so how could her character be capable of killing someone by request, in order to walk free and see her daughter grow up? Imagine, making a deal with a psychopath! Well, it's the premise of this series, so I just went with it.
*Mo-eun's quiet and subtle behaviour stands in stark contrast with An Yun-su's anxious and nervous conduct. Yun-su's actions, seemingly executed without thinking and sloppy at times, reminded me of Hollywood noir films, where the protagonist wrongfully convicted of murder starts making the wrong decisions, and everything spirals out of control.
*I like Park Hae-soo as Baek Dong-hun, the principled prosecutor, and how he slowly starts doubting his initial judgment of An Yun-su. I also love Jin Sun-kyu as Jang Jeong-gu (An Yun-su's attorney) — who was only briefly suspicious, but fortunately was trustworthy — and how he worked together with Baek Dong-hun to get the truth unraveled.
*Lee Sang-hee as Bae Sun-deok (Yun-su's pregnant probation officer), who is quirky and slightly weird, is a likeable character and on Yun-su's side. I've seen this actress recently in Life (as a nurse) and May It Please the Court (as the detective).
*The revelation of the real culprit(s) was a surprise. His/her motive for killing was weak and not very credible — just because Yun-su's husband was being rude and had discovered that the donated painting was plagiarised. You must be really mad or mentally unstable to kill for that!
*While I didn't care much for An Yun-su and Mo-eun in the beginning, knowing Mo-eun's backstory and liking Yun-su more, I started rooting for them and loved them being on the run together.
*The series ends on an emotional note. I already cried with the scene where Yun-su and her daughter visited Thailand, an important place in Mo-eun's past. But then unexpectedly, Yun-su's wedding appeared in a flashback, with the two female leads seeing each other for the first time. This happy scene made me bawl my eyes out.
*Ultimately, this well-paced drama lived up to its hype. It's getting better and better, and has a satisfying final episode. It's not just a gripping thriller but one which taps into our emotions and makes us sympathise with a psychopath killer (Mo-eun), once her tragic backstory and motive for revenge are being revealed.
*I want to watch more Kim Go-eun's dramas!