‘Chicken Nugget’ review: snack on this absurdist, bite-sized treat
In a competitive television landscape where networks and streamers seem to prize quantity and content over quality and creativity, it may be difficult to find a truly original show out there. But everyone once in a while, a story comes along that’s so insanely novel, that you just can’t help but be astounded. Chicken Nugget is one such series.
Love it or hate it, we guarantee that you’ve never seen anything like this before. Adapted from Park Ji-dok’s popular webtoon Dakgangjeong, Netflix’s eccentric new sci-fi comedy begins with existential quandary that would confound Friedrich Nietzsche himself: “What is it like to live as a chicken nugget?” That outlandish question forms the foundation of this show’s bizarre premise.
Chicken Nugget follows Choi Seon-man (Ryu Seung-ryong), a middle-aged man who runs a small machinery company, and his colourful intern Go Baek-joong (Ahn Jae-hong). One morning, both are baffled when a mysterious contraption is delivered to their office without an invoice or instructions. Later on, Baek-joong is excited to learn that the boss’ beautiful daughter Min-ha (Kim Yoo-jung), who he is madly in love with, will be coming to the workplace for a lunch date with her dad.
When she arrives, the young woman is intrigued by the enigmatic machine, and decides to step into it. Unfortunately, the gizmo somehow turns Min-ha into a chicken nugget! Shocked and bewildered, Baek-joong must now team-up with his crush’s hysterically distraught father to restore his beloved from a literal snack back to a metaphorical one. And if you think that’s wild, just wait, because the show only gets crazier from here.
As the mismatched duo embark on their desperate quest, Seon-man and Baek-joong become entangled in a ludicrous web that involves a murder mystery, the disappearance of a prominent scientist, a jealous villain’s plot to use the machine to transform himself into his handsome brother, the hidden history of South Korean cuisine and the origins of the machine. Our odd couple heroes must race against time to unravel all this before Min-ha is lost, eaten or experimented upon.
Off the bat, we can already tell that Chicken Nugget will be a polarising show that some will label as stupid, while others hail it as ingenious. Honestly, both sides are correct, and therein lies its goofy charm. It’s also important to caution that writer-director Lee Byeong-heon’s sense of humour can be an acquired taste. But if you like your comedy loud and leftfield (à la I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson), there isn’t a show in 2024 that’s funnier than this.
Chicken Nugget is seasoned with sweet and sour gags that will leave your tummy in stitches. Without spoiling the punchlines, highlights include Baek-joong’s songwriting hobby, Seon-man’s annoyance when other characters pause for a flashback sequence, a parody of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and many more. While its batting average is high, Chicken Nugget’s jokes do sometimes miss due their overly exaggerated and slapstick execution.
Although this series might seem like an insubstantial meal carried by a preposterous premise and farcical silliness, its ingredients also contain a surprising amount of emotional resonance and sincere insight into human relationships. Visually, Chicken Nugget is quite aesthetically pleasing thanks to its saturated colour palette and whimsical tone that plunges you into the narrative’s wacky world.
Bolstered by a great cast (Squid Game star Jung Ho-yeon’s appearance as Baek-joong’s food critic ex almost steals the show) – this series is elevated by performers who are wholly committed to the show’s screwball antics. With only 10 half-hour episodes, Chicken Nugget is a bite-sized watch that’s as amusing as it is absurd.
Chicken Nugget is available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
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Hidzir Junaini
NME
