Netflix series ‘Glitch’ inspired by UFO experience of writer’s wife – Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) — Netflix’s new sci-fi mystery series “Glitch” began as a story about unidentified flying objects (UFO) and added elements of conspiracy theory and religion to deal with a broad range of contemporary social issues, its writer said.

Gin Han-sai wrote “Glitch,” directed by Roh Deok, which centers on a young woman who joins forces with a UFO enthusiast to investigate her boyfriend’s sudden disappearance and stumbles into a wild conspiracy.

The 10-episode series was the second-most streamed drama series on Netflix Korea in the first week of its release on Oct. 7, and is now ranked fourth .

Following his sensational debut work “Extracurricular” (2020) on teenage crimes, Gin once again captured viewers’ attention with an unusual plot about UFO and extraterrestrials that blended crime thriller, pseudo-religion and women’s comradeship.

The 37-year-old said he doesn’t believe in UFOs but was struck by the personal experience of his wife, who claimed she saw a UFO in her early childhood.

“I had long debates with my wife about whether UFOs exist or not, and the focus was later turned to what to believe,” Gin said in a media interview on Wednesday.

Although Gin, a Christian, doesn’t believe in the conspiracy theory, he occasionally search related materials to find evidence that could prove he is wrong.

“I think it’s weird. Why am I keep searching UFO-related materials while I don’t believe in it?” he said.

In the drama, the main character, Hong Ji-hyo (Jeon Yeo-been), randomly sees a green alien and receives mysterious messages from the media, but can’t trust what she sees. Her friend, Hong Bo-ra (Nana), is an UFO enthusiast who helps her friend’s investigation.

The duo tries to unveil secrets of suspicious believers of UFO-based religion, who blindly follow the cult religion leader’s order to commit crimes and even try to take deadly poison.

The writer said he got advice from others to develop the plot to make it relevant in today’s society and appeal to viewers.

“I didn’t intend to deliver a message. I rather want viewers to take whatever message they get, just like lego sets,” he said.

His past two drama series used crime scenes to tell compelling stories of fear and danger, but the writer said he wants to portray such emotions with different narratives in future works.

“I don’t want my stories buried in crimes. I want to describe fearful feelings in our daily life, not necessarily relating them to crimes,” he said.

While there are speculation over the second season of “Extracurricular”, Gin said he wants to try teen romance in his upcoming works to try a new style.

“I’m personally interested in high teen romance and have been searching related materials,” he said.