'Beef': Ali Wong, Steven Yeun have extreme road rage in new Netflix obsession

When road rage turns into a full out revenge battle, the viciously funny dark comedy Beef (now on Netflix) is born, starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, and shines as one of the most exciting new shows of the year.

Created by Lee Sung Jin with production studio A24, Beef builds tension in a surprising cycle of disaster for its two protagonists, Amy (Wong) and Danny (Yeun), in a satisfying emotional, funny and very LA thriller.

What is 'Beef' about?

A yell, swearing, a middle finger are all ways people regularly cope with aggravations on the road, but Amy and Danny take it much farther.

It all starts with Danny. He's struggling financially and frustrated that he can't return hibachi grills at a Forsters big-box retail store, because he can't find his receipt. Danny goes back to his car in the parking lot and gets honked at by Amy in a white SUV as he's pulling out of the spot. Instead of letting it go, this starts a chase through the streets of LA.

Things finally come to a halt, but neither Danny nor Amy can fully let it go.

Amy lives in swanky Calabasas home with her husband George (Joseph Lee) and her daughter June (Remy Holt). She's trying to sell her business Kōyōhaus to a pretentious local businesswoman, Jordan (Maria Bello), in an effort to be able to spend more time at home with her daughter. Until then, she has try to stay afloat in the "women can have it all" way of life, but things are far from the seemingly perfect facade she puts up.

Danny tracks down Amy's address and when he arrives he says, as a contractor, that something is wrong with her roof. It was all a ploy to get in her home and he pees all over her newly renovated bathroom floor in retaliation for the road rage chase. Amy responds by posting terrible Yelp reviews about his contracting business, but it continues to escalate from there.

While Danny and Amy may live in different neighbourhoods, in different tax brackets, both these characters feel like their lives are unravelling. Beef reflects on the person we put out to the world in public, and our private selves.

What makes 'Beef' so good?

Lee's story is a unique exploration of expectation and unhappiness, from family pressure and generational trauma, to faith, sexism, racism and Asian American immigrant experiences.

As things get darker, Lee also matches the plot with comedy, tapping into those laughs that help us get through things that are difficult or serious.

The music used throughout the series is also an absolute highlight, adding to the creativity and context of each moment, including O-Town's "Liquid Dreams" and "Today" by The Smashing Pumpkins playing in the first episode alone.

When it comes to stories about women trying to cope with the pressure of having to "do it all," it can often come across as a bit superficial with only a surface-level look at what that really means displayed in TV and movies. But leave it to Wong, known for her brutally honest stand-up comedy, to execute that storyline in a more refreshingly honest way.

Yeun so endearingly navigates the emotional rollercoaster of Danny's storyline, bringing this witty, emotional and anxiety-inducing character to us in such a striking way. Paired together, these two actors create such a great balance in their parallel worlds.

Beef is not only a series you're going to want to watch, but it's a hard show to not binge. So clear your calendar.