"The Escape of the Seven" Quick Review: Watch at Your Own Risk

If you love a Korean drama that has no limits to its craziness and wickedness, that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its surprises and shocks...

If you're hooked on three seasons of The Penthouse (it's another crazy show from the same writer and director)...

The Escape of the Seven: War for Survival (aka 7 Escape) is for you!

• The number of seasons: 2

What is "The Escape of the Seven" about?

A girl goes missing and seven people get tangled up in a mysterious and explosive case.

Matthew Lee (Uhm Ki-Joon) is the secretive mastermind behind the biggest mobile platform company in South Korea. He hides his identity from the public, but a strange incident forces him to reveal himself.

Geum La-Hui (Hwang Jung-Eum) is the ambitious and ruthless CEO of a drama production company. She cares only about money and success, and she will stop at nothing to achieve them. She abandoned her daughter 15 years ago, but now she wants to find her to claim a vast inheritance.

Min Do-Hyuk (Lee Joon) is a former gangster with no dreams or hopes for his life. He is loyal to a fault. But he always ends up being betrayed by those he trusts. His life is full of pain and disappointment.

Han Mo-Ne (Lee Yoo-Bi) is a wannabe idol envied by her friends. She seems to have it all: beauty, wealth, and popularity. But she has a flaw: she is a compulsive liar. Her life is built on lies that she can’t escape.

Cha Ju-Ran (Shin Eun-Kyung) is an ob-gyn who lives with Bang Chil-Sung (Lee Deok-Hwa), a much older and richer man. She loves his money more than him and competes with Geum La-Hui for his fortune. Geum La-Hui brings Bang Chil-Sung’s only grandchild to him, hoping to win his favor.

Yang Jin-Mo (Yoon Jong-Hoon) is the CEO of Cherry Entertainment. He is usually calm and gentle, but he can turn violent and ruthless when he is angry. He is extremely greedy and will do anything for profit.

Go Myung-Ji (Jo Yoon-Hee) is an art teacher at school. She lies to protect something precious to her, and she spreads a weird rumor at school to cover up her weakness.

7 Escape: War for Survival cast

Main

• Um Ki-joon as Matthew Lee
• Hwang Jung-eum as Geum Ra-hee
• Lee Joon as Min Do-hyeok
• Lee Yu-bi as Han Mo-ne
• Shin Eun-kyung as Cha Ju-ran
• Yoon Jong-hoon as Yang Jin-mo
• Jo Yoon-hee as Go Myung-ji
• Jo Jae-yoon as Nam Cheol-woo
• Jung Lael as Bang Da-Mi

Review

Don’t look for logic in a drama created by Kim Sun Ok and Joo Dong Min. Their dramas are full of absurd and dark humor, and bloody murders. That’s what makes them fun and entertaining. 

If you don’t like that kind of comedy, you might as well not watch it. You'll feel stressed and in disbelief (even a heart attack :)) It's a nihilistic series, but for many people, it’s enjoyable. Indeed, after the huge success of Penthouse, many other dramas tried to copy their style, even in more serious shows. I wonder if The Escape of the Seven (I don't like the title; it is bland for me) will still be original.

After watching the first two episodes, I think it's even crazier than The Penhouse. Da Mi is going through more pain than Bae Rona. I'm somehow frustrated with Da Mi as she has the brain of a bird  I think Geum La-Hui isn't her real mother. She mistreated her and left her behind - I didn’t feel any motherly love from her from the beginning.

How naive Da Mi is! 

It was hard to tell what the main theme of this drama was (unlike Penthouse, which was all about revenge). I noticed that the writer and the director used a lot of symbols and references to the Bible. This made the story more interesting and complex.

The title of 7 Escape suggests that there are seven characters who are somehow connected to the innocent and naive girl - Da Mi. She may be the victim of a mysterious and tragic incident that will trigger the whole drama. 

Maybe she has something to do with the man played by Uhm Ki Joon (Matthew Lee), who is the hidden boss of the biggest mobile platform company in South Korea. His name reminds me of the biblical Matthew, who was a tax collector and a disciple of Jesus. Maybe he is here to collect something from the other characters, or maybe he has a secret agenda.

Hwang Jung-Eum is amazing in this drama. She gives me goosebumps! I’ve never seen her play such a wicked role before, and she makes me hate her character so much.

Again, warning: Be careful when you watch The Escape of the Seven. It might be too intense for your heart. If you decide to watch it, you might want to ask your doctor for some medicine to lower your blood pressure and avoid a heart attack. :)