This Tense Netflix Drama Exposes the Elite’s Most Ruthless Power Plays — and No One’s Safe

The potential twisted mindsets of the elite are a fan-favorite topic to dissect in eat-the-rich narratives, with many films and TV shows finding success in plunging headfirst into it. The most successful in recent memory is The White Lotus, where the psychological peculiarities, usually bordering on the unsavory side, are explored in the context of luxurious vacations. What makes The White Lotus more interesting though, is that the characters that are outside this elite circle, like staff members or locals, are not just foil characters to spotlight the ultra-rich. Instead, their own psyches are also under the microscope, particularly in regard to how they engage with the hotels’ wealthy guests.

High Society is a Korean drama film that uses this principle but extends it further, as we view the world of the elite exclusively from the perspective of outsiders. But these aren’t ordinary outsiders. The film’s protagonists are knee-deep in the higher echelons of the art and political industries, but because of their non-elite background (or perhaps, newly elite status), there is still a huge gap between them and their companions. So, not only are we exposed to the scandalous and sometimes depraved minds of the wealthy, we witness how characters who are on the precipice of that coveted inner circle react to this raw underbelly.

The Underbelly of the Elite Is Exposed in ‘High Society’

High Society opens up in a lecture room where university professor Tae-joon (Park Hae-il) is catapulted into the world of politics, becoming popular due to his community-based economic proposals. Oh, and it probably helps that he saved a man who set himself on fire in front of conveniently placed cameras. Meanwhile, his wife, Soo-yeon (Soo Ae), is vying for a position as art director by infiltrating the elite social circles that own the gallery. However, it turns out the gallery and Tae-joon’s world of politics are far more interconnected than they believe, as the two stumble into a tangled conspiracy. As the film progresses, they toe the lines of legality and morality in hopes of playing on the same level as these high-society figures, but with each increasingly sinister turn, they are forced to confront their own priorities and desires.

Like many films that waltz into the realm of the wealthy, High Society is stylistically filmed and furnished, transporting us to the dazzling bubble the top 1% live in. What’s really striking about it is the wholly unique and egregious setpieces that include the aforementioned “burning man,” a strange attacker who dresses up in fully-covered wrestling attire and a podium reserved for lube-covered, graphic sex. The film mixes these bizarre images with the more familiar and lavish mis-en-scene of dainty crystal glasses, deep red furniture, and golden lighting — the peak of opulence. It really is an uncanny world that feels like it operates just outside our understanding, mimicking the subtle unease of the protagonists. And naturally, everything is undercut with a delicious darker edge that hints at the unsavory business done in the shadows.

‘High Society’ Is a Fresh Take On the ‘Eat-the-Rich’ Narrative

As an eat-the-rich narrative, High Society gives us that obligatory unflinching look into the elite’s depth of darkness. The severity of moralistic transgressions increases with each beat of the story, daring us to look away from the graphic scenes but arresting our attention in voyeuristic and grotesque awe. Yoon Je-moon‘s performance as the business tycoon Han particularly drives this point home, as his deeply unpleasant character makes even us feel unclean whenever his leering eyes are cast around a room. The more violent and sexual aspects of the story take on this outrageously explicit role, whereas the more overarching psychological and financial games of manipulation rely on ever-present tension. These latter aspects actually end up being the more provocative parts of High Society‘s despicable conspiracy, as some of the outcomes, deceits, and dialogues make us genuinely recoil in repulsion.

As mentioned before, what makes all of this feel fresh is the perspective of protagonists who aren’t wholly initiated into the inner circles. Subsequently, we get to experience two different responses to the exposed underbelly. One half of the couple clings onto their lifelong, inexplicable desire for power and is desperate enough to stride into the murky waters, while the other half cannot fully shake their moral compass and strives to find some ethical high ground. Through these differences and a truly disconcerting third act, High Society explores the gap between the elite and the “common” person, specifically one that believes they can match the elite’s lack of morals. It ultimately poses the question of how far someone is willing to go for power in this blackmailing world, yet does so in the face of unfathomable darkness that the wealthy can be capable of.