Netflix Korea stakes Lunar New Year on mystery thriller 'The Art of Sarah'

Netflix Korea is betting its Lunar New Year lineup on a new headline thriller designed to keep viewers glued to their screens through the holiday break.

Set to debut Friday as the holidays kick off, "The Art of Sarah" centers on Mu-kyoung (Lee Jun-hyuk), a detective who becomes obsessively entangled in discovering the truth behind the death of Sarah Kim (Shin Hae-sun). Ostensibly, Sarah is the Asia regional head of a luxury brand. Throughout the show, however, she is revealed to be a con artist who scams members of the elite while yearning for a life of opulence.

The series is anchored by mystery thriller veterans. Shin, known for acclaimed crime and detective hits, such as tvN's award-winning "Stranger" and murder mystery "Following," is reunited with Lee, who appeared across two seasons of "Stranger."

At a press conference on Tuesday, Shin explained what drew her to the enigmatic role.

"It was a time when I wanted to do a genre-driven project like this. I found it fascinating that a questionable incident unfolds organically around one woman, and that the character Sarah Kim contains multiple identities. I was also curious about how the story would unfold and how it would end, so I decided I had to do this project."

Lee echoed that sentiment, noting that the character dynamics and thematic depth pulled him in. "I tend to like characters who strongly desire something. I thought the character Sarah was interesting, and I was drawn to the project."

The project has drawn comparisons to Shin's 2024 mystery thriller "Following." In the film, Shin plays a fraudulent influencer faking a life of luxury online who is suddenly found dead in her home.

Responding to comments that the role recalls her previous persona, Shin said there's no need to worry.

"Sarah Kim and Han Sora (the character she played in "Following") feel fundamentally different. For Sora, I raised the pitch of my voice to make her sound grating and give her a repulsive vibe."

"Sora is a low-level player, while Sarah is a true master. She's on a level Sora couldn't even dare to look at. You shouldn't be able to read what she's thinking; she has to inspire trust, and she also has elegance. I felt they were very different, so playing Sarah Kim was more difficult," said Shin.

Visuals played an essential part in the show, with director Kim Jin-min highlighting the emphasis on visual storytelling and production design.

"There were quite a few elements handled through art direction, and I think I placed a lot of pressure on the art director. Since art isn't my specialty, I just told them it needed to be visually convincing from the audience's perspective, look beautiful and feel high-end," said Kim.

"In mystery thrillers, the tone and atmosphere are quite overpowering, don't you think?"

Kim teased a high-stakes finale, promising a payoff worth sticking around for.

"If you're intrigued after episode five, you absolutely have to watch until the end. If you miss the ending, it'll be like a cream bun without the filling. But then again, 'The Art of Sarah' isn't only just red bean paste," he said.