SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "The Mantis: Original Sin" (directed by Byun Young-joo, written by Lee Young-jong) is a taut crime thriller set two decades after the capture of a notorious serial killer known as "Mantis." When a spate of copycat murders erupts, a detective is forced into an unlikely partnership with the very person he's hated his whole life―his mother, the original Mantis. Ko Hyun-jung stars as the Mantis, with Jang playing Cha Soo-yeol, her son and a detective, setting the stage for a prestige genre piece with serious pedigree.
Ahead of its Sept. 5 premiere, the production unveiled new stills and posters. Jang commands attention with steely eyes, razor-sharp intensity, and a gun drawn in high-stakes standoffs―trading softness for searing charisma. The imagery teases a combustible mother-son dynamic, primed to deliver maximum tension and emotional payoff.
Long cherished for his gentle aura and easy warmth, Jang pivots here to physically demanding set pieces and a performance that swings from controlled restraint to raw vulnerability. As a detective in relentless pursuit of a killer―who also happens to be his mother―he tackles bruising action and deep, conflicted emotions. Word from set is that his transformation drew raves.
Jang isn't limiting himself to acting this year. He wrote and directed the feature film "The Yeast," a finely observed piece about family conflict and reconciliation set against the collision of tradition and modernity. The film was invited to the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, where it earned strong notices―further proof that Jang is a storyteller with a keen eye behind the camera.
In the back half of 2025, Jang continues his ascent as a multi-hyphenate, moving fluidly across platforms, formats, performance, and direction. With a familiar face channeling unfamiliar emotions―and a knack for letting silence land the loudest beat―all eyes are on how far he'll stretch his range when "The Mantis: Original Sin" premieres Sept. 5 on SBS.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)