Strangers From Hell: The Forgotten Menace

An Intriguing Case Of Mirroring

Ki Hyuk’s narrative role aside, mirroring is one of the main details that led him to stand out to me. As you watch the drama, something that becomes painfully obvious long after Ki Hyuk’s death was that he was imitating Moon Jo; mirroring his style, speech, actions, and lifestyle. He even strives to have the same impact on people as Moon Jo does, which can be seen in how he’s established himself in the goshiwon hierarchy.

Let’s quickly list some similarities I noticed:

Ki Hyuk maintains a similar appearance to Moon Jo. They have very similar hairstyles, specifically longer hair with parted overhanging bangs. Both wear rather modest fashion consisting of long-sleeves and pants, usually a darker or mute shade. We know Moon Jo prefers this type of clothing to cover his many scars. Ki Hyuk doesn’t have a specific reason and will wear it no matter how hot the weather is.
	Like most disturbed characters, Ki Hyuk frequently flashes a trademark creepy smile. Moon Jo and Ki Hyuk specifically have a serene chilling smile that distinguishes them from the more manic smiles of the other residents. I’ll acknowledge that the creepy smile is a trait common amongst their character types, but I’m adding it solely because Ki Hyuk and Moon Jo’s smiles have similar vibes; the intention and impression is the same. To add to this, one of the first things Jong Woo comments about Ki Hyuk’s character is that he has an unnerving smile and he smiles often, which parallels to when he meets Moon Jo for the first time and the first thing he notices is Moon Jo’s smile, posing the question: “why do you keep smiling?”
He hovers and stalks people in a similar manner to Moon Jo. They share the habit of appearing and disappearing spontaneously.
	He’s seen loafing around at the same places Moon Jo enjoys spending his time at. Specifically, the bottom of the staircase outside the goshiwon.
He mimics Moon Jo’s slower and more blunt manner of speaking, while simultaneously ignoring personal boundaries and formalities.
	Both outwardly present a similar ‘mask’: well-mannered, calm, and friendly.
Like previously stated, he attempts to garner the same reverence and fear from his peers as Moon Jo (and does so successfully) and aims to be at a similar level to Moon Jo in their group’s small pecking order.
	Ki Hyuk is often seen enforcing order in the goshiwon; breaking up fights, handling disputes, encouraging others to follow the rules, and acting as a calm second party that never precipitates conflict. This is similar to what Moon Jo does at times, essentially controlling the other residents.

The drama itself acknowledges Ki Hyuk’s strange fixation with imitating Moon Jo and even dedicates parallel scenes to draw attention to it. For instance, in episode two, Jong Woo encounters Ki Hyuk at the bottom of the stairway outside of the goshiwon while he’s on his way to work. Ki Hyuk is decked out in an all black long-sleeved shirt and pants ensemble despite the summer weather, and Jong Woo asks if he’s hot. Jump forward to episode seven and the same scenario occurs, only this time Jong Woo meets Moon Jo at the stairway (in a similar outfit) and it’s the new resident, Seok Yun, that asks him if he’s hot. This was a very obvious parallel that made me realise that Ki Hyuk wasn’t only emulating Moon Jo’s style but his entire being.

Episode 2

Episode 7

I personally believe that Ki Hyuk idolised Moon Jo. He took Ki Hyuk away from the mundane normality of life, transformed him into a new person, gave him power and made him feel important. Ki Hyuk felt validated, and most importantly, accepted by Moon Jo. It’s not a stretch to say that Ki Hyuk deeply respects Moon Jo, the extent of his admiration bordering on obsessive worship, because Moon Jo took him in when he was at his lowest, and he is also the individual with the most influence and strength amongst the residents. Moon Jo became Ki Hyuk’s ideal; a figure to strive for, as he symbolises all the things Ki Hyuk wants in life, and under his guidance he was able to achieve a more liberated, empowered, and thrilling lifestyle. He doesn’t just want to be like Moon Jo, he wants to be him.

I suspect that Ki Hyuk abandoning his own individuality is another crucial reason why Moon Jo deemed him a failure. Moon Jo doesn’t want to create a carbon copy of himself. He prides his work on its individuality and distinct nuances. He aims to break down and recreate people in their own image, so that they retain their essence but are liberated under his standards. That wasn’t Ki Hyuk, as he was too vulnerable and desperate when Moon Jo first picked him up. It’s quite sad, honestly. This man possessed so little self-worth and was so hurt, that when given the chance to change he tried to become someone else entirely, and that insecurity and desperation is what got him killed.

Rest in peace, Ki Hyuk, you will forever be remembered (well, at least by me. Most of the fandom has forgotten about you).

Before I move on, there is one more thing I’d like to explore in this section because it ties in with Ki Hyuk’s habit of imitating Moon Jo. I noticed that the drama likes to interchange between Ki Hyuk and Moon Jo, often visually and audibly, practically blurring their characters together at times. There are scenes, usually in Jong Woo’s dreams or hallucinations, where Ki Hyuk’s character will morph into Moon Jo or vice versa. Additionally, in early episodes, the drama liked to frame the two without showing their face, so viewers were never sure if we’d just seen Ki Hyuk or Moon Jo on-screen until much later. Even now, we don’t know who was stalking Jong Woo around the residence at the beginning of his stay because of how abstract the drama is in its presentation. 

(And don’t even get me started on how the person bludgeoning Jong Woo in the first few minutes of episode one was obviously Ki Hyuk’s silhouette even though he’s absent from the finale. Messing with your mind is Strangers From Hell’s number one priority.)

Every person watching SFH be like…

Throughout the first two episodes, clashing audio and visuals are used to deceive the viewer and relate Moon Jo and Ki Hyuk. For instance, Jong Woo is sleeping in his room and we later learn that Moon Jo is watching him through a small hole in the wall. A voice stating, “Honey, wake up” can be heard and it rouses Jong Woo from his slumber. However, the voice used wasn’t Moon Jo’s but Ki Hyuk’s despite viewers later confirming that Moon Jo must have said it. There are a few other similar scenes and situations that present fragmented aspects of both characters and mash them together to build a disorienting and muddled picture of the true antagonist’s identity.

Moon Jo’s eye

Ki Hyuk’s voice

I absolutely love these details and direction decisions. They add so much to the atmosphere and they display character relations and dynamics so well. The drama also uses similar techniques at the finale to overlap Moon Jo and Jong Woo, which I find quite interesting. A notable scene being the iconic final frame of the drama where Jong Woo and Moon Jo’s faces morph into one another. Everything comes full circle. The failed and successful work both underwent extreme changes due to Moon Jo’s influence, to the point it became difficult to differentiate them from Moon Jo. And it’s all shown in a similar manner through technical cues. Gosh, I love it.