To those in the know, Yeon Sang-ho directed movies like Train to Busan, bringing human drama to a zombie flick. Years later, he’s the producer and one of the three writers of the new Korean miniseries that he calls The Bequeathed. Through the occasional flashback, it shows a younger version of its protagonist Yoon Seo-ha, who takes a bus by herself. Through that trip, she both finds her father and her half-brother whom he dotes on more than he does her. Tears later, her adult self (Kim Hyun-joo) has some good things and mostly bad things in her life.

So in discussing Seo-ha’s, let’s start with the good news before we go with what’s ruining her life. The good news is that she’s an owner of a familial burial ground, being the only living relative of some uncle. Actually, that’s not true, because that uncle’s death gets her half brother (Ryu Kyung-soo) to come out of the woodwork. The bad news is that a lot of people are dying in her life, like her shitty husband. The increasing amount of dead people in The Bequeathed includes a cop, so other detectives (Park Byeong-eun and Park Hee-soon) are now on the case.

I am a critic and not a screenwriter, so I may not have the best ideas to make The Bequeathed better. This thriller needs a third suspect who may even be Seon-ha who, after all, is the common denominator in all these deaths. Maybe the cops aren’t looking in on her because she’s so cooperative despite everything. But her encounters with the detectives look like she’s influencing the investigation. Because of her, they zero in on one person who is already guilty. This whodunit reveals its killer two episodes too early. So what are they going to do for the next two episodes?

Writing about this miniseries may also make me sound like I believe cops deserve to die. I also write the next few sentences like an armchair detective. But why are cops going into possible crime scenes without backup? I’m more mixed, leaning on positive with how atmospheric The Bequeathed is. This is true especially with how it veers towards a horror aesthetic. It’s also a good showcase of Korea;s wintry landscapes, both beautiful and a hazard for drivers. The same goes for acting, especially the thespian who plays the killer who goes full out. They do well with the the script but campy acting can’t hide the overtly expository writing.

Watch The Bequeathed on Netflix.