Beef: Season 1

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 88 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	Your Score
7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 88 Ratings

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Beef

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Season Details & Credits

Netflix | Season Premiere Date: April 6, 2023

Summary: A road-rage episode leads to a contentious feud between a struggling contractor (Steven Yeun) and a successful entrepreneur (Ali Wong) in this dark comedy created by Lee Sung Jin.

Creator: Lee Sung Jin

Genre(s): Comedy, Drama

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E10. Figures of Light
Air Date: April 6, 2023
tbd
S1:E9. The Great Fabricator
Air Date: April 6, 2023
tbd
S1:E8. The Drama of Original Choice
Air Date: April 6, 2023

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Peter Travers

Apr 7, 2023

Polish up those Emmys for the year’s best and most addictive new series—a tale of LA road rage starring Stephen Yuen and Ali Wong (both perfection) that explodes with fun, feeling and rule-breaking experimentation. Nobody who sees it is going to shut up about it. Read full review

100

James Poniewozik

Apr 5, 2023

What makes this one of the most invigorating, surprising and insightful debuts of the past year is how personally and culturally specific its study of anger is. Every unhappy person in it is unhappy in a different and fascinating way. Read full review

Saloni Gajjar

Apr 3, 2023

Seriously, Emmy voters better be watching. Boosted by tremendous editing, cinematography, and an impressive supporting cast, Beef is ready for its (Michelin) star. Read full review

Shane Ryan

Apr 5, 2023

Through three episodes (out of an eventual 10), the direction and acting continue to be superb. Read full review

Joel Keller

Apr 6, 2023

A story that’s full of drama and emotion, punctuated with moments of comedy that are truly dark. Read full review

Roxana Hadadi

Apr 3, 2023

[Beef] is like picking at a scab or pushing on the edge of a bruise — a paradoxically pleasurable sensation of anxiety and satisfaction — and Yeun and Wong’s vibrating, hostile chemistry makes for engaging feel-bad TV that critiques the very notion of inner peace. Read full review

Hannah Bae

Apr 5, 2023

What makes “Beef” compellingly watchable is the crackling chemistry between Wong and Yeun. ... For the most part, the heavy absurdity in “Beef” works, but there are a few off notes. ... Its use of this weapon feels painful when considering the deadly toll of gun violence in the United States, especially after the Monterey Park killings shattered Asian American communities so recently. I also took issue with the series’ casting of millionaire graffiti artist David Choe as Isaac, Danny’s volatile, villainous cousin. Read full review

SEE ALL 35 REVIEWS

User Score

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7.4

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Mixed:

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User Reviews

antelope123

Apr 9, 2023

Great acting, great directing, a truly original piece of work. Many laugh out loud moments - yes over the top, but bring it on! More like this!

7 of 11 users found this helpful74

bstrdbwn

Jul 28, 2023

Amazingly human series. Starting with rage ended with love. Worth watching.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

jzathajenius

Apr 7, 2023

Binged the first 4 eps last night, and unless they really drop the ball this might be my fave show of the years so far.

Ali Wong is in BEAST MODE god damn.

5 of 9 users found this helpful54

Slowave

Apr 17, 2023

There's some good moments and some good acting and some good editing and some good this and that - but it's a bit of a mystery to more than some viewers as to why it has become such a critical darling. In that regard it seems like anything with Asians in it is having a moment and in manyThere's some good moments and some good acting and some good editing and some good this and that - but it's a bit of a mystery to more than some viewers as to why it has become such a critical darling. In that regard it seems like anything with Asians in it is having a moment and in many cases it is fully deserved - such as with The Glory. In my opinion - not this one. It's comes off as a hollow version of Big Little Lies. Heavy on premise but weak on execution. I found myself quite able to not focus on it while washing dishes or checking my phone and not finding a reason to hit pause. Dressed up to be something it really isn't and critics need to get off the bandwagon.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

JLuis_001

Apr 9, 2023

What can you know about the people you will encounter in your day-to-day driving? Honestly, nothing, but anyone who gets their hands on a steering wheel will sooner or later face a road rage incident, but what are the odds that in that encounter you will meet a person who seems to be asWhat can you know about the people you will encounter in your day-to-day driving? Honestly, nothing, but anyone who gets their hands on a steering wheel will sooner or later face a road rage incident, but what are the odds that in that encounter you will meet a person who seems to be as damaged as you are? That's Beef's premise and it sounded, to say the least, very interesting. Especially since it didn't sound like it was going to use a simplistic comedic device. The first episode sets the tone and makes it quite funny; it invites you to keep going. Unfortunately for this series is that its screenwriters run out of avenues to explore when only in episode 3 it becomes clear that the development of the characters will stagnate, as it can be easily deduced and understood that both characters are unconsciously seeking self-destruction.
Both have unresolved traumas and after that we do nothing but circle back to the same concept over and over again until they decide to address the confrontation in their last episode.

Beef isn't a bad series per se, and Steven Yeun and Ali Wong's performances are what sell the concept impressively, but as I said, the concept only works up to a point and the plot never does anything to offer a game-changing narrative variety that would have made it a more proactive experience.

A friend who was watching it at the same time told me it was from A24, so that meant it was automatically good and that I was putting too much thought into it and making too many demands of what was intended to be just a black comedy, but I don't know, I think more like some people were just impressed with too little.… Expand

4 of 7 users found this helpful43

shekt

Apr 9, 2023

There's no way the critics showering it with praise watched past episode 4 or so. It starts to fall apart and becomes almost incoherent and nonsensical by the middle to end of the season. Drama is more than one act -- critics do your job.

4 of 8 users found this helpful44

erolsabadosh

Apr 10, 2023

This is supposed to be funny? I watched this with two friends and we couldn't believe how bad it was, we like Ali Wong but this is awful.

2 of 10 users found this helpful28

SEE ALL 17 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

82

Series Overview
Season 2

77
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: April 16, 2026
Season 1

86
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E10. Figures of Light
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E9. The Great Fabricator
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E8. The Drama of Original Choice
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E7. I Am a Cage
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E6. We Draw a Magic Circle
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E5. Such Inward Secret Creatures
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E4. Just Not All at the Same Time
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E3. I Am Inhabited by a Cry
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E2. The Rapture of Being Alive
  Air Date: April 6, 2023
- tbd
  S1:E1. The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech in Pain
  Air Date: April 6, 2023