To anyone else it seems that she has everything she could want. She is married to Park Jae-ho (Kim Sung-oh), the head of a paediatric clinic who is notable enough to appear on evening news shows, and her son Seung-jae (Cha Sung-je) is a straight-A student at a prestigious school.

8 of the best new Korean drama series to look out for in June 2023

But even for the neighbours who keep coming up to her gate to say hello – their family has not socialised in the months since they first moved in – something seems off.

There is nothing wrong with the picture, but there is with the smell; something foul is coming from the garden.

Joo-ran is troubled by this smell, although her family claims not to notice it. Her attention is constantly drawn to some old lanterns and pots in the backyard. The camera creeps in on them, again and again, as they consume her waking thoughts.

There may be something buried in the garden, but whether it is something sinister – her past trauma could be fuelling her imagination – remains to be seen.

Years ago, she was the person who found her sister’s body after she suffered a violent death. Later, she had a breakdown at a school event involving masked children – one of whom haunts her nightmares – which prompted the family’s move to their current residence.

On the opposite end of the social spectrum is Chu Sang-eun (Lim Ji-yeon), a housewife in a rundown flat who is beaten black and blue by her husband, Kim Yoon-beom (Choi Jae-rim), on a nightly basis. The fact that she is five months pregnant does nothing to soften his blows.

Following the advice of a colleague, Sang-eun attempts to record her abuse in the hopes of escaping her situation through a divorce. That proves unnecessary, since, before the opening episode is up, Sang-eun receives a call from the police – her husband has met an untimely death.

Lies Hidden in My Garden takes its time putting the pieces of its story in place, lingering on the expressions of its characters and the curious details that dot the careful mise-en-scène. It is far more interested in crafting atmosphere than in unrolling the narrative.

At the heart of that atmosphere is mystery, which pervades every bit of the show. Some of that mystery is simply because the show is withholding a lot of information from us.

Joo-ran is a deeply broken individual who pops pills like Tic Tacs and cannot carry on conversations with strangers or family without looking like a deer lost in the headlights.

We learn about the death of her sister early on but little else. We do not know who she was before mysterious events turned her into the person she is now.

More mysteries pop up throughout the story as new events unfold. Chief among those early on is the death of Yoon-beom. Looking to make a quick buck, he has been trying to blackmail Jae-ho. We do not know what he has on him, but it is enough to force the doctor to meet him in the middle of the night at an out-of-the-way fishing spot.

Yoon-beom turns up dead after that meeting, but although Jae-ho is clearly a suspect, it is hard not to discount Sang-eun. She has plenty of motive to kill Yoon-beom and, despite how sympathetic she appears at first, there is a clear hint of a sinister edge to her.

Joo-ran and Sang-eun do not meet during the opening week’s episodes but they are clearly on a collision course. Given their stark social differences, perhaps Sang-eun will develop a desire to elevate herself to Joo-ran’s status after they meet. After all, the show has already shown its Parasite influence.

We do not yet know what the story of Lies Hidden in My Garden is, let alone where it is heading. This presents us with a double-edged sword – as viewers we are curious about what is to follow, but is the hook strong enough to draw us in for the whole ride?

Lies Hidden in My Garden is streaming on Amazon Prime.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuaqyxKyrsqSVZLhuvM6pZqRllKeurq2OmqmtoZOhsnB%2FkWtsaWpoZK6urdmopWaoop66pnnKZpurmZ2Weq21xKxkoaGUmbKvecyyZKCZopmyr3nKoqRmrJGaeqmxxGajoqVdn7ZuxcSopWacmZx6o77OqJuippdivbTFwqGmpaeXnrCiuA%3D%3D