After winning awards for his groundbreaking dark comedy Beef, creator Lee Sung Jin struggled to find a compelling premise for a second season — until a dispute in his own neighbourhood revealed the dramatic potential of generational conflict.
"The incident itself wasn't that interesting, but it was everyone's reactions to it", Lee told a press conference about his Netflix series.
While younger friends reacted with alarm to the fight, those over 40 dismissed it.
"Gen Z peers... were all kind of like aghast... 'did you call 911?' 'Is everyone okay?' he said.
"Whereas my millennial and Gen X peers were like: 'Big deal.' That juxtaposition... was very interesting".
The first season of Beef starred Ali Wong and Steven Yeun as strangers whose escalating conflict stemmed from a road-rage incident.
Beef 2, which premieres on Thursday, shifts focus to tensions between couples from different generations in an elite country club.
Oscar Isaac plays the club’s manager, with Carey Mulligan as his wife — a couple frequently at odds behind a polished exterior for appearances.
When younger employees, played by Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny, capture video of the pair fighting, it sparks intergenerational tension, blackmail and corruption.
Their own relationship is also tested in a storyline exploring the widening gap between the haves and have-nots in modern society.
Lee drew inspiration from observing generational divides at a club in Montecito, a wealthy California enclave home to Hollywood figures and Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
While most members were older, the staff were largely millennials and Gen Z, reflecting a broader social divide.
"I found that to be a great microcosm for society", Lee said, noting that no matter how hard employees work, they are unlikely to join the elite ranks they serve.
Mulligan, who previously worked with Isaac on Drive and Inside Llewyn Davis, said their established rapport helped shape their performances.
"That shared past... and having so much trust already... means everything", she said.
"He's very bold in all his choices, but none of it feels forced. It feels very natural". — AFP
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