The opening scene of BEEF left me on the edge of my seat and with a lump in my throat. It also made me laugh.
In the beginning of the Netflix series - which just won five Emmy awards - frustrated contractor Danny (Oscar nominee Steven Yeun) is backing out of a carpark. He does not see a stranger in a white Mercedes behind him, so the owner of that car starts angrily honking.
The driver gives him the finger, which sets up a two-minute road rage chase between, involving chaotic Grand Theft Auto-esque swerving, milkshakes on windscreens and the destruction of neighbourhood flowerbeds.
Only after the Mercedes leaves the scene do we learn that the person behind the wheel is Amy (Ali Wong), a wealthy plant-selling entrepreneur.
Watch: The trailer for BEEF. Post continues below video.
They are completely different people with completely different lives, but the scene brings them together in anger.
In doing so, BEEF also brings together anxiety and humour in a way I can't ever recall seeing before.
This opening perfectly encapsulates the tone of BEEF, where Danny and Amy allow their anger to completely take over, as they go to great lengths to get revenge.
So, let's unpack what BEEF is about and whether it's worth your precious couch time:
What is BEEF about?
In BEEF, Ali Wong and Steven Yeun go head-to-head in the aftermath of a road rage incident between their characters, self-made entrepreneur Amy and failing contractor Danny.
They're living very different lives but are equally miserable, so their new feud sparks something new and exciting in their lives... and a way to channel their anger, of course.
Across 10 episodes, BEEF alternates between the two protagonists and the ever-increasing stakes of their, um, beef, that unravels their lives and relationships.
Come for the...
Revenge comedy with ever-increasing stakes. And the Ali Wong of it all, of course. She and Yeun are both brilliant,.
Stay for the...
Ever-increasing stakes! No really, it's wild to see where they end up.
And the clever ways the story approaches dissatisfaction, class, and many uniquely Asian American experiences.
What TV shows will it remind you of?
Killing Eve and Cobra Kai for the revenge plots, self-awareness and (usually very funny) tension.
How long is it?
There are 10 episodes, each about 35-40 minutes long.
So, should you watch it?
You should RUN to your TV at this point.
BEEF is, no hyperbole, the best Netflix original I've seen in years.
There are already murmurs of a season two, so now is the time to jump onboard.
Wong and Yuen are fantastic as the leads, whose turn as hero or villain chops and changes through each new perspective and episode.
Prepare for plenty of hijinks — the revenge acts involve truly evil bathroom behaviour and very sweary graffiti, for example — alongside other very clever, more nuanced humour too.
There's also hilarity in the way Amy and Danny's mess permeates into every facet of their lives, entangling Danny's younger brother Paul (Young Mazino), cousin Isaac (David Choe), Amy's husband George (Joseph Lee), mother-in-law Fumi (Patti Yusutake) and practically every single other person they come into contact with.
In short: it's brilliant.
Chelsea McLaughlin is Mamamia's Senior Entertainment Writer and co-host of The Spill. For more pop culture takes, recommendations and sarcasm, you can follow her on Instagram.
Feature image: Netflix.
This post was originally published in April 2023, and has since been updated with new information.
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