40 years ago, a comet collided with Earth. As a result, the world was thrown into colossal devastation, with continents submerged and the Korean Peninsula turned into a barren desert wasteland.
Only 1% of the population survived the disaster, and those survivors now exist in a hostile environment where oxygen is a valuable resource. This in turn caused great divisions in society, with a significant number of people becoming outcasts in desperate need of clean air.
In order to facilitate this need, special ‘deliverymen’ have emerged, whose job it is to get oxygen to where it is required. These deliverymen fight through the harsh landscape, the polluted air, and many brutal hunters, to ensure they get their packages to the people who need them.
One such deliveryman is 5-8, who acts as a lifeline to many. By day he delivers important items to the people, but soon he works tirelessly to overthrow the Cheonmyeong Group – the rulers of this new world.
Based on the webtoon Delivery Knight, by Lee Yoon-gyun, Black Knight is a new Korean sci-fi, action-adventure series, set in a post-apocalyptic world which has become a dystopian future. The series comprises six episodes, all of which are available to stream on Netflix from today, with each instalment clocking in around the 50-minute mark.
Black Knight stars Kim Woo-bin, Song Seung-heon, Kang You-seok, and Esom, and is a tale about surviving in difficult times, while also fighting oppression. It is an intriguing series, with a decent design aesthetic and strong visuals, but it is a slow-moving show, and not quite the gripping epic it wants to be.
Too slow? For me, yes. I struggled to maintain my interest throughout the first episode, and I can’t say things improved much afterward.
I like the premise of the show, and the Mad Max-style visuals grabbed my attention to begin with, but the execution didn’t quite work. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen during Episode One, but at no point did my pulse begin to quicken, or my heart begin to race.
In terms of its themes, there is something here, and the series does tap into some current discussions about the impact of natural disasters, our relationship to the environment, and the worrying rise of big corporations. But none of this stuff is original, and it all feels like it has been done before in a more captivating way.
I don’t mind a series which rehashes ideas or themes, but I do draw the line at one that doesn’t get me excited or invested. I really wanted to get on board Black Knight, but it just didn’t work for me, and I felt the same with Episode Two onward.
From a visual standpoint, I do like what the series has to offer and I’m sure that some audiences will connect with the material in a way that I didn’t. But Black Knight left me largely disinterested and despite a good cast, it just failed to take me anywhere I ultimately wanted to go.
I’ve mentioned this before in discussions about television series (and movies), but it is worth repeating. At present, we live in an age where so much content is vying for our attention and where choice seems unlimited, so every new property needs to hit the ground running, and I’m not convinced this one does.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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