Netflix’s The Frog Explained: Deemed to be a psychological thriller, Netflix’s ‘The Frog’ does not simply dabble in mindless gore and violence, but attaches a deeper cerebral and emotional context to it. While this article neither excuses nor justifies the crimes committed, it is an attempt to psychoanalyse more profound notions of trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues as key thematic concerns of the show.
In the first half of the show, we see an obsessive and obnoxious Yoo Seong-a committing murders, seemingly for sport and thrill until we’re provided with a backstory for her character. Responsible for the murders of her child Si-hyeon, police officer Kim Seon-tae and the attempted killings of Ui-seon and Yong-chae, Yoo Seong-a comes across as a black-and-white antagonist. However, on being given context in the latter half of the show, we can attribute this killing spree to deeper mental issues troubling her.
Firstly, the appearance of her ex-husband acts as a catalyst for secrets to unfold in the storyline. Her ex-husband, a physically abusive man is sent off to jail for committing acts of domestic violence against Yoo Seong-a. Even Si-hyeon, whom we henceforth consider to be her biological child is in reality, the child of her ex-husband and another woman, whom she is forced to take care of while her partner is in prison.
The trauma Yoo Seong-a underwent in her abusive relationship acts as a trigger for her violence against the child. It is almost as if the child bears the brunt of the mistakes made by his father. The ex-husband’s entry in the final episodes is the first time we see Yoo Seong-a nervous. It is her post-traumatic stress disorder acting up when she is confronted with previously anxiety-inducing events or stressors.
Additionally, her obsession with Jeon Young-ha, the owner of the vacation rental is because she attaches an almost father-like quality to him. The murders she commits after that of Si-Hyeon are a desperate attempt for his attention. This theory of an oedipal complex can also be derived from the fact that her biological father is absent and ignorant. With replacing her paintings at the exhibition, to wanting his own child killed, it is no wonder that she seeks a father figure in Jeon Young-ha, seen as the epitome of a family man.
Finally, Gi-ho’s subplot of revenge on the serial killer is also built on notions of trauma. A young Gi-ho, when confronted by the killer is told to act like a ghost who heard nothing and saw nothing. An older more vindictive Gi-ho repeats these same lines to the serial killer before shooting him in the head. Even as a young child, he saw his mother go through symptoms of PTSD in terms of flashbacks, hallucinations and alcoholism, and his father battle depression.
When such atrocities are committed, it becomes easy to succumb to troubles like these. His mother Eun-gyeong, unable to deal with the problems, takes her own life as an escape from the situation. And his father, as a coping mechanism is stuck in the past, refusing to move on until he does something about it.
More About The Show: The Significance Of The Title – ‘The Frog’ Explained
Therefore, while the show does deal with themes of violence and gore, it also addresses the contexts that give rise to such themes.
