Little Women (2022) is a 12-episode-long series released on Netflix on the 3rd of September 2022 with the final episode airing on the 9th of October 2022. Directed by Kim Hee-won, each episode is a little more than an hour long.
Little Women (2022) Cast
- Kim Go-eun as Oh In-Ju
- Wi Ha-Joon as Choi Do-il
- Nam Ji-Hyun as Oh In-Kyeong
- Park Ji-Hoo as Oh In-Hye
- Kang Hoon- Ha Jong-Ho
Little Women (2022) Plot
Little Women is about three sisters fighting a secret orchid society. This society uses orchids to signal death to its members or betrayers. As the sisters uncover truths about the society and their lives they also try to balance personal responsibilities and relationships.
Little Women (2022) Review
An extremely long hiatus. Not from watching movies and series but from articulating my intense thoughts on them. Films have a way of reflecting all your conundrums onto the screen. You could be watching a romantic drama with no love life but still find your life stories being told to a fascinating accuracy. True magic. In the couple of months I have watched directors bring to life my inner monologues and I have never felt more represented. That is till I started watching Little Women (2022).
Little Women (2022) is what I want my life to be and not to be. How Shakespearean, I know. Even the bard would agree that the writing of this show is nothing short of perfect. If you have been reading articles on TMC regularly then you know that the last K-drama I reviewed was Business Proposal. It is the perfect comparison to this show. Where on the one hand Business Proposal is nothing but a love story, Little Women (2022) is a romantic tease. It will give you the best romantic tension you have ever seen but it will never ever give you the whole package. As crass as my article can be, equally innocent is the series. The chemistry, the setting and everything unsaid will keep you at the edge of your life and you will pine for a release but it is an evil genius of art.
The series that has stolen my heart and any motivation to study for my impending doom called finals. From the first show, the creators have given a disclaimer that you will never be the same again. Each scene is shot in a way that a still can be picked up and displayed in museum of priceless beauty. The sets are all beautifully mulled over colour palates. They are what Pinterest boards want to be. Everyone’s life should be painted that way. The colours of the scene reflect the various stories running parallely. As they conjoin, the colours merge. They indicate meddlesome journalists, power hungry billionaires and oblivious locals. The shades of the various stories also fluctuate. During the most vulnerable moments, they simmer to a pale version while during heightened frenzy they aim to be bold and loud. These subtle details about the presentation of stories is so appealing in series because in the 12 hours of watching, audience tends to pick apart details. These details can really break or win a series.
Moving onto other aspects. The story. I did mention that it was not a romantic series. It is a dramatic thriller. It covers social justice, rich becoming richer and notorious societies. Three sisters whose life is strewn with betrayals, decide to finally accept the anger in them. From the time their mother stole their money, the two elder sisters make it their mission to upturn their poor life and become stinking rich as soon as possible. While uncovering money (literally) they also end up digging up a secretly operating, orchid loving society filled with power lusting billionaires. They are surprised by how close their lives are tied to them. Like all protagonists, they have their morals.
Were the Sisters in Little Women evil?
On a slightly controversial note, I feel that the sisters are evil. They justify most of their actions to be governed by seeking justice for society but in the end, their quest is money. Yes, through the series, they uncover many heinous activities of the orchid society but they also live a lavish life albeit in fear. The twisted nature of the story is written with unabashed themes. There is a side character, Mr. Choi played by the perfect, Wi Ha-Joon’s professional who is a money laundering consultant. He finds it difficult to choose between death and money. He agrees to kill his romantic interest but ends up finding a way to make more money with her and ship her off to an island in Greece. Where he will never meet her again.
The story is cold-blooded and powerful almost like the chase built inside all the characters. It is excruciatingly detailed and at times the need to watch the next episode comes from frustration and not curiosity. A unique experience. There are many moments of inebriated shock and as a person who never cries while watching anything, I sometimes felt the need to angry cry and tear my hair out.
Addressing the important question, does it have anything to do with the Alcott’s Little Women or Greta Gerwig’s masterpiece? Nope. While it does borrow the concept of sisters trying to better their lives and each having one form of art mastered, and a rich aunt there is nothing else that they share. There are some similarities between Laurie and the boy who has an unrequited crush on the middle sister but that too is a long shot. If only Alcott had a power-hungry politician and bloodthirsty sociopath who is also the politician’s wife then maybe the name would indicate similarity. Additionally, the show is created by the same persons as Vincenzo and for the avid fans, there are some great cameos.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
The best part of the show is how complicated and difficult it is to describe the story. It has layers and is way more than the defeat of evil by good. It is the least disappointing 12 hours ever. A definite gem of Netflix.
