What is Black Knight about? New Netflix series explained

❘ Published: 2023-05-12T14:03:28

Netflix

Black Knight, the high-octane new dystopian K-drama, has just arrived on Netflix – so, here’s what it’s about, who’s in the cast, and if it’s worth watching.

We love a good post-apocalyptic series. The Last of Us has truly raised the bar of how such a story can be told, offering incredible cinematography, impeccable character arcs, and standout performances from its cast, including Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.

Black Knight is the latest entry to the genre, taking us to the Korean Peninsula in 2071 – four decades after a comet struck earth and wiped out a majority of humanity.

With Season 1 now available for streaming on Netflix, here’s everything you need to know about Black Knight.

What is Black Knight about?

Based on Lee Yoon-gyun’s webtoon, Black Knight is set in a future South Korea as what’s left of humanity attempts to survive in the harsh wasteland that was left behind from the comet strike. However, a brutal social hierarchy has been established, separating people into various classes and leaving those determined to be refugees without the resources needed for survival.

Check out the trailer below:

As per Netflix, a group of carefully selected delivery drivers known as knights “play an indispensable role in keeping people alive by delivering parcels of oxygen and other necessities.”

In a separate press release, the streamer wrote: “In this dystopian world, the all-powerful Cheonmyeong Group has imposed a new order on a desolate land where only a few have managed to survive. Refugees, who lack the crucial QR codes for social security, are pushed to the margins of society.”

The only hope refugees have for a better life is if they can make it through the rigorous application process and become a courier – however, these jobs are far and few between. But the toughest and most renowned deliveryman, known as 5-8, was a former refugee. He is part of the Black Knights group, who are planning to upend the order created by Cheonmyeong Group.

Black Knight cast: Who’s in it?

Netflix’s Black Knight cast includes:

Kim Woo-bin as 5-8
Kang You-Seok as Sa-wol
Esom as Seol-ah
Song Seung-heon as Ryu Seok
Nam Kyung-eup as Chairman Ryu
Kim Eui-sung as Tuktak Halbae
Lee Joo-seung as Useless
Roh Yoon-seo as Seul-ah
Jin Kyung as The President

At the Black Knight press conference, Kang You-Seok, who plays Sa-wol – a refugee who dreams of becoming a deliveryman – said he “tried to match his character’s energy.” Elsewhere, Kim Woo-bin sought to “understand 5-8’s past as a refugee and a lone character.”

Kim Woo-bin as 5-8 and Kang You-Seok as Sa-wol in Black Knight

Lee So-young, better known by her stage name Esom, added: “It’s amazing how deliverymen, whom we’re so familiar with, become special beings responsible for humanity’s survival.”

Is Black Knight worth watching?

Although it’s too early for a Rotten Tomatoes score, Black Knight has some promising review so far.

Collider wrote: “While it isn’t always as gripping as it tries to reach for, there is a delightfully cartoonish nature to the world of Black Knight that is juxtaposed against the darkness of its dystopian premise.”

Elsewhere, The Telegraph said: “This post-apocalyptic thriller could be Netflix’s new Squid Game – or Mad Max.”

Of the less favourable reviews, the South China Morning Post commented: “We quickly understand where the story needs to go, but there is very little forward momentum, no excitement to leave us begging for more as one episode ends.”

Black Knight Season 1 is available to stream on Netflix now. You can check out our other Netflix hubs below: