Wow... I watched ''The School Nurse Files" without reading the summary first and I was pleasantly surprised yet absolutely HORRIFIED at the same time.
"The School Nurse Files'' (보건교사 안은영) is a Netflix drama that was released on September 25, 2020. It's about a school nurse named Ahn Eun-young (played by Jung Yumi) with a supernatural gift who must protect high school students from monsters only SHE can see. Her partner in crime is Hong In-pyo (played by Nam Joo-Hyuk) who is a teacher at the school, but also someone with a special gift of his own.
If you're not into reading any spoilers moving forward, just know that I thoroughly enjoyed all 6 episodes of this drama despite the fact that I kept pausing to take a DEEP breath so that I wouldn't pee on myself.
(Photo credit to its rightful owner)
*SCENE SPOILERS AHEAD (but not the ending)*
I won't lie, I was very confused for the majority of the first episode. I didn't know what was going on, why the children had suddenly become hyperactive with the insatiable desire to jump off the roof of their school's building, or the meaning behind Mr. Hong's colourful aura, however - when everything started to come together, it all made sense.
Just about every episode scared the living shit out of me in one way or another, but it was more of a psychological thriller rather than the type of fear I'd feel watching a horror film. Like, there were horrific scenes, but each episode still got its message across without it feeling too over the top. For example, the excessive laughing signalling the increase in mania, how terrifying the jellies were, that one student literally EATING the snail jelly monsters, the heads of the two students being tethered together, the floating sea whale full of baby giggles, or the scene where the girl went from bleeding profusely from her mouth to getting her head bashed to suddenly growing so large in size that she exploded, and more were ALL frightening in their own way. The whole drama was full of weird imagery, but it was also very new to me, so I found it to be interesting (even when I was terrified).
Also, it really gave me more insight on some of the things that take place in Korean high schools that I didn't know about before. I'm not sure if it was an accurate representation at ALL, but the cushion stealing? That was genuinely so ghetto. The fact that students would be so desperate to snatch up the cushions of past students who got into their dream universities so that they could HOPEFULLY receive their luck as well just felt so sad. I can't even imagine the pressure that Korean high school students experience when it comes to ensuring that they maintain on top of their game, excel amongst their peers, and get into a top university. Highschool is already painful enough as it is. The need to always be perfect doesn't make anything better.
Anyways, one thing that I really appreciated was the dialogue. There were so many moments that were just so incredibly awkward and uncomfortable that you just have to laugh. The random laughing outbursts, the long, drawn out pauses in between sentences, the zoom-ins to the faces of someone odd and out of place when they were speaking, the witty jokes, and so much more. Also, the PE teacher who almost exclusively spoke in and cussed people out in English was so funny. When I first heard him say, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON???" after walking into a kid getting violently bullied, I was so stunned, I had to laugh. The drama's script really did feel realistic. Despite this being a fantasy drama, it felt very natural which elevated the terror of it all.
Personally, if I ever saw a large, grotesque snail monster break through the ground, climb out of the floor, and leer towards me, I would simply just to have to disintegrate. I'm not built for apocalypses. Y'all may like those sort of adventures, but not ME. In conclusion, this drama is very unique, so if you're looking for something that will literally shock you at every turn, full of fantasy and adventure, but also doesn't feel like a 3D, RPG for children, you should try this out. It's funny, terrifying, yet addicting all at once. It was very easy to watch all 6 episodes in one sitting. I've never seen anything like this in my entire life, so I don't even know what to compare it to, but I think that's a good thing. It's truly a one of a kind drama and everyone involved in this did a wonderful job with carrying out their roles. I highly recommend it.
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