The benefit of contract marriage in Netflix's "The Trunk."

The mystery of The Trunk's owner appears unimportant in light of an obsessive stalker and a controlling ex-wife, but it shapes the story's past and present. This 2024 series adaptation is based on a novel of the same name, authored by Kim Ryeo-ryeong. A spoiler warning and sensitive topics (including emotional abuse, stalking, etc.) warning are in effect! This modern drama focused on the life of Han Jeong-won (Gong Yoo) and his contract marriage to Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), a punishment from his ex-wife, Lee Seo-yeon (Jung Yun-ha). As I watched, I exercised a lot of patience, hoping that Seo-yeon's reason would be justified, instead, she became more and more controlling. I was convinced that she may never have cared about him, given all she did to him, or maybe she once did and felt unloved because he always sought after In-ji. To be honest, I'm inclined to believe she's just heinous in nature as In-ji, and all the other characters, including Seo-yeon, believed as well. 

The scene of her opening the trunk was interesting, especially after learning that she had stepped into traffic while pregnant and hated that Jeong-won chose the baby instead of her. This scene showed that she may have actually cared about the baby, despite her choice, as it was full of baby clothing and items in the duplicate trunk of In-ji's. Regardless, Seo-yeon was let off far easier than I think she should have especially for the emotional manipulation and drug supplying to Jeong-won. I was surprised by how much drugs were included in this knowing how strict drug laws are in several Asian countries including South Korea and I'm aware they would use fakes for filming, but I was still surprised.

While Jeong-won was contractually married to In-ji, Seo-yeon was contractually married to Yoon Ji-oh (Jo Yi-geon). I often felt bad for Ji-oh, thinking he deserved better, but he didn't. So, I stopped feeling bad for him and hoped Seo-yeon would truly help him until he's released. Ji-oh and In-ji are co-workers from a hidden arranged marriage company and Ji-oh executed the order to kill In-ji's stalker, Eom Tae-seong (Kim Dong-won). I was happy that In-ji's ex-fiancé, Seo Do Ha (Lee Ki-woo), returned after persevering through it all, despite abandoning In-ji. I felt bad for her but they were both suffering. I'm glad they got the chance to talk and gain closure too.

I liked In-ji's relationship with Jeong-won. They supported each other and were vulnerable with each other over time. She gave him the strength to open up about the sorrowful story of his parents and go against Seo-yeon. I was proud of their individual and collective emotional growth. I like that they finally reconnected after their previous meetings, which started in university.

I loved the ending. I appreciate that they didn't just fast track things for a happy ending with the two. We already saw how wonderful they would be as a couple during their marriage and now they have to heal from all they went through individually before reuniting. It's a mature and realistic approach, and the audience is not without hope of their coming together again, as their paths have aligned several times already, including the scene by the end where In-ji wants to reach out to Jeong-won, similar to the scene where Jeong-won wanted to reach out to In-ji after she bought the trunk.

This series of 8 episodes is intense and melancholic, evident in the blue tones and actors' performances. The set design and direction complement the story effectively, so much so you may question every chandelier you come across. Once you're drawn in, you too will be entangled in the romance, vengeance, and mysteries of The Trunk.

If you enjoyed this and would like more of my articles, you can:

• Check through the Geeks category on my profile
• Subscribe to my account and/or subscribe to my mailing list
• Visit my Linktree and/or my X (Twitter) account