'Beef' Review: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun Knocked Out in Netflix's Oversized A24 Drama

A blaring horn. A recalcitrant cry. A raised middle finger. Drivers around the world know this simple sequence of events all too well, but they constantly recount heated debates, enduring hostilities and a not insignificant amount of anxiety. In retrospect, road rage often seems inexplicable. Why was I so angry? What made me say that, or do that, or take it this far? At best, such questions can lead to introspection: what really caused me to react like that while driving? At worst, questions are drowned out by resentment, and we continue to run down the road of fury.

In “Beef,” a new Netflix series from creator Lee Sung Jin and cool kids studio A24, the aftermath of the horn, the exclamation, and the knocked-down bird stretch far and wide, as Amy (Ali Wong) and Danny (Steven Yeun) engage in an escalating interpersonal feud that should have ended in the hardware store parking lot. They know that. We know that. But everyone also recognizes the irrational and almost inevitable nature of road rage. Once you feel offended, it's hard to back down.

As the titular fight stretches from those early moments into days, weeks, and months, "Beef" does a great job of balancing Amy and Danny's practical intelligence and unrealistic passions; their bitterness towards the other driver comes and goes as their personal life improves or deteriorates, and it is in these moments that the half-hour drama thrives. The series is not interested in choosing sides. It's designed to evoke empathy for each fighter, while exploring their shared humanity and collective struggles. Along the way, their grudges prompt shocking choices — some justified by character and circumstance, others feeling compelled to raise the stakes — but even when “Beef” goes too far, it's held down by Wong. , Yeun and the understanding that this kind of rage does not always make sense.

Ali Wong in "Beef"

Andrew Cooper / Netflix

It's only after Amy and Danny's initial altercation (which you can watch for free via YouTube) that we learn who each driver is outside of their respective vehicles. Amy is a self-made business owner, whose plant and homeware store is about to make a big sale. She's been courting a wealthy buyer for some time (played with happy right by Maria Bella), and more than the teased massive check, what Amy really wants is time off. She wants time for her daughter, without constant interruptions from work. She wants Time to be the kind of parent her husband George (Joseph Lee) already is, as June's loving, patient, and attentive daily caretaker. She also wants time...