I was not sure what to expect with Beef, but as a fan of both Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, I was sure the show was going to be a great deal of fun. This is a drama/comedy and one of the surprise hits for Netflix of 2023. I will admit that with Ali Wong being one of the main characters, I was sure it would be a straight-up comedy, but it was actually far more than that.
How to Download Beef
You can download or stream the film from Netflix. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like comedy-drama TV series, check out also The Boys, This is Us, or Succession.
The Movie Review
The title of the show “Beef” is literally what this show is, it is about two people that have a confrontation that just builds and builds. The trailer for this show makes it seem like it is just some kind of crazy and over-the-top comedy and there are certainly parts of that, but there is far more than that going on here and it is quite an impactful show as well.
We have two main characters. Steven Yeun plays a man called Danny. Danny is a contractor, but his life is kind of brutal right now. Business is not exactly going great for Danny, his brother is a real leach and his parents have moved back to Korea due to their failing motel business. Plus, his cousin has just gotten out of jail!
On the other side of this, we have Ali Wong playing Amy. Amy on the surface has it all, a good business, a talented artist husband, and an all-around great life, she is even about to sell her business and strike it rich. However, under the surface, Amy is not happy, her personal life is not great and her marriage is causing her all kinds of stress.
In a parking lot, a near collision between Amy and Danny is the catalyst for all of the crazy stuff that is going to go on in this show. It is such a simple concept and the show has one of the best portrayals of road rage that I have ever seen. It is both hilarious and relatable in many ways!
They have a bit of a road race, a screaming fight and Danny manages to track down where Amy lives! What we then have is a series of revenge attacks by the two that just keep on escalating with neither one being able to let go and just move on. Now, on the surface, this is just a wacky and over-the-top comedy and I am sure the show would have worked if this is all it was.
Yet, Beef goes that extra mile as there is a lot of drama and real life mixed in here, and Amy and Danny are two far more complex characters than we first think. Their personal lives are so crazy and they are so stressed out, it is like this rivalry and “beef” that they have with each other is all that keeps them from going crazy.
One thing that the show does very, very well is that their personal lives manage to become intertwined as well! I liked both characters and felt that the show did a wonderful job of making you laugh with them, feel sorry for them, and in some cases even be turned off and disgusted by them.
The supporting cast is great too! I just had a lot of fun with this show and I highly recommend you check it out, do not be surprised if you end up binge-watching all 10 episodes in just a few sittings! There is going to be a season 2 of Beef, but from what I understand, it will be a completely separate story with two different people having issues with each other.
