Fear. Anger. Resolve. An exhausting cycle of accepting failure as an only option.

The first two episodes of the Korean BL Gray Shelter takes all of this and delivers it in a powerfully raw manner that tugs at the heart and leaves you hoping both men will find solace and success in love.

Starring Lee Jae Bin as Lee Yoon Dae and Jang Woo Young as Cha Soo Hyuk, Gray Shelter is about survival. Yoon Dae is a domestic abuse victim who learned to avoid anger while lashing out at himself and others, all while fearing being alone. Soo Hyuk is trying desperately to survive while supporting a family whose income is being sucked dry by his father.

Emotional abuse. Physical abuse. Both play a pivotal role in Gray Shelter’s story and cinematography, with abrupt transitions and dark tones that pull viewers into a turmoil of emotions that dig themselves under the skin and don’t let go.

And that’s both powerful and terrifying.

As the daughter of a violent gambling addict and alcoholic, I’ve been in both men’s shoes. It’s a cold and lonely hell that you become resolved to stay in because you become too tired to climb free of it, so used to the struggle of existence that you begin to believe there’s no other way of living.

Until something saves you.

Even the title and the title sequence of the Gray Shelter hits poignantly. The painting-like opening is artistically sad and hopeful, ending in a hug that promises peace beyond a storm.

Gray. A color that feels calm and indifferent. Neutral. Uneasy.

Shelter. A basic human need for a roof. Food. Water. Companionship.

Both words are prominent in the film style and acting, with Lee Jae Bin and Jang Woo Young delivering impressive performances full of tension and understanding that draws them together and keeps them apart. There’s an undertone of yearning and need that is beautifully threaded throughout and promises light within an otherwise dark world.

And that’s enough to keep one watching. Because nothing fills one with relief more than the promise of walking into a warm home before drowning out the dark by switching on the light.

For a series that promises both pain and hope in an impressive display of good filmmaking, acting, and chemistry, check out Gray Shelter now on iQiyi.

Rating- 4 out of 5