X
- 2023
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2023
- TV-MA
- Netflix
Summary A road-rage episode leads to a contentious feud between a struggling contractor (Steven Yeun) and a successful entrepreneur (Ali Wong) in this dark comedy created by Lee Sung Jin.
Created By: Lee Sung Jin
- 2023
- TV-MA
- Netflix
- 2023
- TV-MA
- Netflix
Beef
1 Season
Season 1 Premiere: Apr 6, 2023
7.5
Where to Watch
Summary A road-rage episode leads to a contentious feud between a struggling contractor (Steven Yeun) and a successful entrepreneur (Ali Wong) in this dark comedy created by Lee Sung Jin.
Created By: Lee Sung Jin
Where to Watch
All Seasons
1 Season
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal acclaim
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
86
97% Positive
33 Reviews
33 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal acclaim
Based on 34 Critic Reviews
86
97% Positive
33 Reviews
33 Reviews
3% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Polish up those Emmys for the year’s best and most addictive new series—a tale of LA road rage starring Stephen Yuen and Ali Wong (both perfection) that explodes with fun, feeling and rule-breaking experimentation. Nobody who sees it is going to shut up about it.
The half-hours fly by as wild twists twists pile up. What’s less expected, however — and what really lingers once the dust has settled — is the series’ emphasis on the characters’ flawed humanity, and its disarming sense of empathy for their existential despair. ... A pair of spectacular performances. ... Each joke grows from characters performed and written so vividly, they seem to leap off the screen.
User Score
Generally favorable
Based on 144 User Ratings
7.5
73% Positive
105 Ratings
105 Ratings
16% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
11% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
User Score
Generally favorable
Based on 144 User Ratings
7.5
73% Positive
105 Ratings
105 Ratings
16% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
11% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
One of the best series i have watched in a long time. Great casting and storyline. Did I mention that the acting is great?. Its really funny, exciting, thrilling and heartbreaking at different times. I felt a roller coaster of emotions just watching it
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A must watch for fans of... fans of... well, fans of anything really. It's a must watch for everyone. It's the greatest thing I've seen all year. Witty, funny, weird, everything you'd expect from an A24 passion project. Hells. Yeah.
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While the ethnic variety of "Beef" may be potent, the more critical element in its cascading series of errors, embarrassments and calamities is precisely the shared feeling of cosmic displacement—and unfairness—that bonds our two heroes, such as they are; their very particular personalities give the series its energy.
Through three episodes (out of an eventual 10), the direction and acting continue to be superb.
For the most part, Lee and his writers succeed. Though some of the show’s more elaborate jokes are strained, Beef otherwise has a taut, offbeat humor that distinguishes it from plenty of banally crude we-can-say-swears comedies that have clogged up premium cable and streaming services in the last ten years.
“Beef” remains eminently watchable (so long as your nerves can tolerate such needlessly risky behavior) and its riveting performances make the five-plus hours a worthy investment. The limited series may jump the shark in its back half, but in doing so, it also mimics the contradictory emotions tied to its core conflict.
What makes “Beef” compellingly watchable is the crackling chemistry between Wong and Yeun. ... For the most part, the heavy absurdity in “Beef” works, but there are a few off notes. ... Its use of this weapon feels painful when considering the deadly toll of gun violence in the United States, especially after the Monterey Park killings shattered Asian American communities so recently. I also took issue with the series’ casting of millionaire graffiti artist David Choe as Isaac, Danny’s volatile, villainous cousin.
I will be honest. I only started watching the show because I was tired of seeing the ad on Netflix. What a very pleasant surprise! I was only expecting a shallow show with unsympathetic characters involved in a cycle of petty revenge. But to reduce the show to that premise is seriously underselling it. I was not prepared for a show with such genuine, complex, well-written, well-acted, believable, and sympathetic characters. Is it a comedy with tragic moments? Is it a tragedy with comedic moments? It works as both. I laughed consistently. I was nearly moved to tears on multiple occasions. The characters are nuanced, complex, and dynamic. The plot is an unpredictable rollercoaster but the surprising moments never feel unearned. Careful watchers will pick up on the foreshadowing along the way, yet I do not think even seasoned viewers will be able to guess how the story ends. All I am going to say is that the ending is extremely cathartic in the best way possible. I can honestly see myself re-watching this show to pick up on missed details or witness newcomers' first reactions. You usually only see quality shows like this on HBO.
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As with so many other series, the first one or two episodes are well written and choreographed. Then it descends into an inflation of absurdity and imbecibility because writers needed to fill 10 episodes. Apart from Yeun and Wong, the other characters are caricatures, the dialogues sloppy, and the plot non-sensical after ep.2 with so many forced dead cat bounces.
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Yeun's acting is decent and it's literally the only thing that saves it from getting a 1.
Everything else is *HORRIBLE*, especially the further you get into the season, with one of the worst endings to any season I've ever seen. Thoroughly unenjoyable.
Oh and the lack of diversity is nauseating, too.
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Terrible acting. Nonsense story. Horrible choice in music that didn't fit the show at all. Obnoxious, pretentious, random. And one of the worst endings to any TV show I've ever seen
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Production Company:
- A24 Television
- A24
- Universal Remote
Initial Release Date: Apr 6, 2023
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Rating: TV-MA
Awards
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 13 Nominations
International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA)
• 9 Nominations
Gold Derby Awards
• 3 Wins & 7 Nominations
