In Search of the Frog Boys (2019) Review: Awfully Heartbreaking

In Search of the Frog Boys is a documentary series with two episodes, each 45 minutes long.

Netflix’s description reads:

This documentary looks into unanswered questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of five boys whose remains were found 11 years later.

– In Search of the Frog Boys review contains no spoilers –

Cases involving children are always hard to watch. More so when five young children disappear without a trace. The case of the missing frog boys from 1991 is a confusing and baffling one – one that has shocked investigators and common people alike.

The incident took place in Daegu, South Korea. On the day of the first democratic elections, five boys aged between 9 and 13 – Woo Cheol-won, Jo Ho-yeon, Kim Young-gyu, Park Chan-in and Kim Jong-sik – went out to find salamander eggs in the western outskirts of Daegu. What was supposed to be an innocent day out for the kids who were thick as thieves, turned into a nightmare for their families and the public.

Of course, no one really thinks the worst at first. Their parents search around and call their friends. But when they realise that none of these kids had come home, they were worried. The same happened with a journalist in In Search of the Frog Boys. People thought that they were just late, how kids usually are.

But then comes the most frustrating part – when the parents went to the authorities, they brushed it off as a runaway case. If you’re a fan of true crime, like me, then you know how frustratingly common this is.

In Search of the Frogs Boys is horrifying to watch. The documentary does a great job of instilling that fear by getting the parents of the boys to talk about the incident. They painfully put forth their own versions of the story and as it gets deeper, you feel more dread. At the same time, your heart will break for these fathers. We don’t see any other members of their families, however, seeing the fathers’ expressions and sadness is mortifying.

You can feel through the screen how sad they are, so many years after the incident. In Search of the Frog Boys touches you more because there is actual footage of everything mentioned by the parents. You see people calling on the phone lines during the live broadcast event, people forming lines and searching everywhere. However, as one of the fathers mentions, by then it was too late.

Also Read: Netflix’s Elize Matsunaga: Once Upon A Crime Review: Honest Crime Documentary

If you thought that was the end of the story though, you’d be mistaken. There are mentions of shadowy organisations following the parents around which will give you goosebumps.

There are enactments also in In Search of the Frog Boys. However, it’s not five boys getting abducted or anything (thank god). It’s more general stuff to give more emphasis on the narration. In Search of the Frog Boys is absolutely visceral and the twists and turns that the story takes are shocking.

It was 11 years later that the fathers could finally say goodbye to their missing boys. However, the mystery still lingers.

Also Read: Zee5’s Dial 100 Review: Swoops High and Then Falls Way Too Easy

Summing up: In Search of the Frog Boys

In Search of the Frog Boys is heartbreaking in every aspect. The incident is absolutely horrible and should never have happened. The documentary does a good job of bringing the facts together and presenting them in a simple and no-nonsense way. I was driven to tears more than once, so take that for what you will.

In Search of the Frog Boys is streaming on Netflix.

Also Read: Aftermath (2021) Review: Decent Thriller Keeps It Going