The Silent Sea () is a South Korean television series starring Bae Doona, Gong Yoo and Lee Joon. Director Choi Hang-yong created the series of eight episodes as an adaptation of his 2014 short film, The Sea of Tranquility, with the help of writer Park Eun-kyo. It was released on Netflix on December 24, 2021. The title The Silent Sea comes from the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon; the story follows a crewed mission to retrieve samples from a lunar research base. Mostly science fiction, it also blends genres like thriller and mystery. It received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences.
On a near-future Earth suffering from extreme desertification, draconian measures have been put in place for potable water rationing. Scientist Song JiAn (Bae Doona) joins a hand-picked team of elite personnel on a mission to the Moon. They are headed to an abandoned research facility, Balhae Station, where her sister died five years prior, after 117 personnel were killed in an incident. The circumstances surrounding the incident are secret. Their mission is to retrieve a mysterious and sensitive sample. The captain of the team, Han YunJae (Gong Yoo), is a soldier for the space agency. Lieutenant Ryu Taeseok (Lee Joon) of the Ministry of National Defense volunteers to be part of the crew.
At the lunar facility, Song ascertains that the higher-ups have floated a bunch of half-truths and outright lies regarding the mission and the facility, and the nature of the accident that wiped out the staff. The sample turns out to consist of a new element that ostensibly looks like water, but multiplies like a virus when it comes in contact with living cells such as human blood. The team is attacked by a violent superhuman girl on the space station, one who is immune to the effects of lunar water. Meanwhile, they must contend with the fact that some members of their own party may have ulterior motives that lead to betrayal.
Members of the mission
Space and Aeronautics Administration (SAA)
In December 2019, Netflix announced that it would produce the television series The Silent Sea, adapted from the 2014 eponymous short film directed by Choi Hang-yong. He will also be directing the series, with Jung Woo-sung standing in as the executive producer.
In April 2020, Bae Doona and Gong Yoo were cast in lead roles. In September 2020, they were officially joined by Heo Sung-tae and Lee Moo-saeng.
The site's critical consensus reads, "The Silent Sea marks one small step for man, one overlong leap for television, but it delivers enough intrigue and menace to satisfy patient viewers."