Lies Hidden in My Garden (2023) KDrama Review: A Dark, Artsy Korean Psychological Thriller
What if the perfect home, the manicured garden, and the picture-perfect marriage were only a beautifully staged lie hiding rot underneath?
Lies Hidden in My Garden asks that question from its very first episode and never stops peeling back the layers of comfort, privilege, fear, and survival that shape its two female leads. This is a quiet, artsy, psychological murder mystery that trades shock value for atmosphere, symbolism, and emotional tension.
Story and Themes
At its core, this drama is about the violence hidden inside “safe” spaces. Moon Joo Ran’s wealthy home and Chu Sang Eun’s rundown apartment exist on opposite ends of the class spectrum, yet both are cages built by men who control, manipulate, and destroy. The story explores marriage as a system that can protect or imprison, depending on power, wealth, and silence.
The garden becomes a powerful symbol. What is buried will eventually surface, no matter how beautiful the surface looks. Trauma, abuse, guilt, and fear are not things that stay hidden forever. The drama also tackles motherhood in an unromantic way. It shows how protecting a child sometimes means destroying the illusion of a perfect life. Both women ultimately choose their children over social expectations, over men, and over their own fear. That is where the heart of the story lies.
However, while the themes are strong, the mystery itself is fairly predictable. If you are a seasoned thriller watcher, many of the twists are easy to see coming. The show relies more on mood than on true narrative surprise.
Performances
Kim Tae Hee as Moon Joo Ran delivered a quietly unsettling performance. She portrayed a wealthy housewife drowning in anxiety, denial, and PTSD with haunting realism. Her weakness made me feel both sympathy and frustration. I pitied her for how broken she was, yet I resented her for allowing her son to carry the emotional burden of her silence. That tension made her character deeply human and deeply flawed.
🚨Spoiler Alert🚨: If I had a nickel for every time I watched a drama with Im Ji Yeon murdering someone in the heat of passion, I’d have two nickels. Which is not a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.
Im Ji Yeon as Chu Sang Eun was a perfect follow-up to her role in The Glory. Instead of choosing a soft or “redeeming” role, she leaned into another morally complex character. Chu Sang Eun is not innocent, but she is understandable. She is a battered woman backed into a corner, choosing survival for herself and her unborn child. This role showed her emotional range and her talent for selecting layered, uncomfortable characters.
Together, these two women felt like two sides of the same coin. One had wealth but no safety. The other had nothing but her will to survive. Both were mothers forced to make impossible choices.
Direction and Production
Directed by Jung Ji Hyun and Heo Seok Won, the drama feels extremely intentional in its visuals. The camera angles, slow pacing, and muted color palettes create a sense of suffocation and unease. The occasional monochrome grading adds to the psychological tension and makes certain scenes feel dreamlike or detached from reality.
This is an artsy murder mystery. The visuals are often stronger than the plot itself. Some shots feel like framed photography, and the fashion styling, especially for Moon Joo Ran, is elegant and symbolic of her controlled, suffocating life.
You can tell the directors wanted the show to feel more like an art film than a traditional crime thriller.
Strengths
Strong performances from both female leads
Beautiful cinematography and thoughtful visual composition
Heavy, emotionally rich themes around marriage, motherhood, and trauma
Morally gray storytelling that avoids simple “good vs evil” labels
Fashion and styling that reflect character psychology
Weaknesses
Predictable plot twists for experienced thriller viewers
Slow pacing that may feel dull for those expecting constant suspense
Limited rewatchability since the mystery is not deeply layered
The story sometimes prioritizes mood over narrative depth
Final Thoughts
Lies Hidden in My Garden is not a heart-pounding thriller. It is a moody, psychological character study disguised as a murder mystery. I watched more for the atmosphere, the fashion, and the performances than for the suspense itself. While it didn’t keep me on my toes, it was still a thoughtful and visually striking experience.
Both Moon Joo Ran and Chu Sang Eun prevented massive generational trauma by making terrifying choices that prioritized their children’s safety over their own comfort. That alone gives the drama emotional weight. It’s a solid watch, just not one I feel the need to revisit.
Rating: 7.5/10
Where to Watch: Viki
