Gone are the days when Korean dramas consisted almost exclusively of love stories, period dramas, and family dramas. Today, South Korea produces some of the creepiest, most outrageous violent TV shows you'll ever see, while also continuing to launch more traditional, healthier shows that longtime fans of Korean dramas from years ago.
The diversification of the genre in recent years is largely due to the rise of global streaming** platforms such as Netflix and Disney+. In the past, most K-dramas were broadcast on broadcast television, which had certain guidelines for what could and couldn't be (e.g., no sex or excessive violence). In contrast, streamers are not bound by such content rules.
Outcome? More extreme and vivid Korean dramas, such as Korean originals on OTT services like Netflix, often contain a lot of gore and violence, and sometimes some sexual and ** content. With a slew of thrillers and horror films coming out of South Korea this year, we've put together 12 of the best films for you** in no particular order. From crime-fighting vigilantes to superhuman spies to supernatural creatures, these K-dramas will show you the bloody hellish good times. If you think Squid Game is violent, just wait and see these.
《vigilante》(비
The action thriller "Vigilante" was a hit in South Korea when it aired in November, and upon its launch, it became the number one show on all OTT platforms in South Korea.
Based on the popular webtoon of the same name by N**er, the show stars Korean drama heartthrob Nam Joo-hyuk ("Entrepreneurship", "Twenty-Five Twenty-One") as Kim Ji-yong, a top student in the police academy who lives a double life as a vigilante, using his spare time to hunt down and punish criminals to make up for the shortcomings of South Korea's justice system. His actions have attracted national attention and widespread public support, but they have also caused outrage among the locals, who are determined to capture him. Will Zhiyong be captured and **?
From the beginning of the film, we see Zhiyong embark on a life-changing tragedy, and "The Vigilante" grabs your attention and never lets go. It's dizzyingly fast-paced, with non-stop action and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just don't forget to breathe.
"Masked Girl" (
Also based on the N**er hit webtoon, earlier this year, Masked Girl was a hit with domestic and international audiences, quickly reaching number one on Netflix's list of the 10 most-watched non-English shows worldwide. After the premiere, in just seven episodes, a saga spanning decades unfolds through the eyes of anti-heroine Kim Mo-mi (played by three different actresses, including Korean drama icon Ko Hyun-jung) and several other characters.
Jin Momei is insecure about her appearance, an ordinary office worker during the day and a masked Internet celebrity at night. But her offline encounters with several fans quickly spiraled out of control and led to tragic and far-reaching consequences. Dark, gripping, and offbeat, with a myriad of shocking plot twists and revelations, "Masked Girl" is a cinematic masterpiece that blends Park Chan-wook's revenge trilogy and the atmosphere of the Korean drama Little Women.
The show also has a series of issues that are highly relevant today, such as bullying, loneliness, hypocrisy, sexism, society's obsession with beauty, and more. Not to mention, it gives viewers a glimpse into Korean culture from the late '80s to the 2000s, including homages to K-pop classics such as Kim Wan-sun (known as "Korean Madonna") with "Dance in Rhythm" and "Saturday Night" by Son Tam-hee.
"Gyeongseong Creature" (
One of the most anticipated Korean dramas of 2023, "Gyeongseong Creature" is a unique mix of monster horror and historical drama that is thrilling and sometimes brutal and heartbreaking.
Written by Kang Eun-kyung (Bread, Love and Dreams, Nine Books) and directed by Jung Dong-yun (Hot Stove Alliance), the play takes place in Gyeongseong (present-day Seoul) in 1945, when Korea was still a vassal state. Japanese colony. Wealthy pawnbroker Jang Tae-sang (Itaewon class and Marvel's Park Seo-joon) must use his connections to find the missing ** of the Japanese police chief, or he will be in danger of losing everything. Criminal policeman Yoon Chae-ok (played by Han So-hee in "My Name") has not given up looking for his long-lost mother for ten years. When all the clues point to the mysterious Urn City Hospital, Tae-sang and Chae-yu go there to investigate, only to encounter terrifying monsters that threaten their survival. Although "Gyeongseong Creature" blends imagination and sci-fi elements, the show also offers a glimpse into some of the real discrimination and tragic horrors that Koreans suffered under Japanese colonial rule. "Gyeongseong Creature" (
Undead (
Written by acclaimed Korean drama screenwriter Kim Eun-hee (Kingdom, Signal) and co-directed by Lee Jung-rim and Kim Jae-hong, this captivating supernatural suspense horror film is not just a creepy ghost story, it's a masterclass in constructing a horror story. Tense and eerie atmosphere while maintaining the (mostly) PG of broadcast television.
Talented A-list star Kim Tae-ri ("Twenty-Five Twenty-One," "Mr. Sunshine," "The Handmaid") plays Goo San-young, a young woman who is possessed by an evil spirit after coming into contact with a mysterious object she left behind. Deceased father. Veteran actor Oh Jung-seh ("It's Okay Even If You're Not Healthy," "Sweet Home") plays Yeom Hae-sang, a professor of Korean folklore who can see ghosts, including those attached to San-young. When the people associated with her begin to die, Sanying teams up with Professor Lian to investigate the truth behind these deaths and uncover the identity of the ** creature that is slowly taking control of her.
While the horror factor of The Revenant lies primarily in the show's clever use of suspense, and the ghosts themselves don't look scary for the most part (it's made for the TV broadcaster SBS, after all), the storytelling is so convincing and disturbing that you might find yourself believing there are ghosts just by the end of the series.
Transactions (
Fresh out of the military, gambling addict Lee Joon-sung (played by former child star and current K-drama heartthrob Yoo Seung-ho) now finds himself having to pay off a huge debt he owes. Medical student Song Jae-hyo (Kim Dong-hui in the second season of "Missing: The Other Side") is about to be expelled from school. One day, the two meet their former high school classmate Park Min Woo (Yoo so-bin in "DP Season 2" and "Crash Landing on Love"), who comes from a wealthy family. Desperate to get out of the situation, Jae-hyo and Jun-sung decide to kidnap Min-woo and extort a ransom. But things quickly go awry, as their impulsive decision leads to unforeseen and fatal consequences.
There's plenty of action, tension, and intrigue in just eight episodes, and the eye-catching performances alone make this webtoon adaptation worth watching.
《moving》(무
Based on the Kakao webtoon created by webtoon pioneer Kang Full (who also wrote the screenplay for the show), "Moving" garnered a lot of attention earlier this year, becoming the most popular Korean original series on Disney+ and Hulu, as well as the most popular Korean original series. A Korean drama that has been expensive to produce so far.
Its all-star cast reads like South Korea's "Avengers" movie series or "Ocean" film series, which includes Yoo Seung-ryong ("Kingdom", "Extreme Work"), Han Hyo-ju ("Inner Beauty", "The Believer 2"), Cho In-sung (Escape from Mogadishu; That winter, the wind was blowing), Cha Tae-hyun ("My Sassy Girlfriend," "Walking with God: Two Worlds") and Park Hee Soon ("My Name," "Dr. Brain") — just to name a few.
Moving tells the story of a group of high school students who have inherited special abilities from their parents. Children try to hide their superpowers from the world, but when it is clear that the forces are targeting and exploiting them, their parents go to great lengths to protect them. While often depicted as a superhero drama or spy thriller, at its core, Touching is a story about relationships and the sacrifices people make for their loved ones.
Although the show made the list with some memorable horror scenes, it also blended romance, comedy, coming-of-age, and a myriad of other genres – a key factor in its global success. Viewers may find the first half of the series a little slow-paced, but the second half quickly hits the ground running, culminating in an epic three-part finale.
Taxi Driver ( Season 2
Inspired by the webtoon Limousine (or Red Cage) and real-life brutal crimes committed in South Korea, this action-packed black comedy follows a rabble of vigilantes.
Work for Rainbow Transport, a taxi service company that not only provides rides but also delivers justice to wronged customers. A quick flashback shows that Team Rainbow parted ways after the first season, but when a father's son disappeared in Vietnam, the gang reunited to find him. They eventually discover that his disappearance and all the subsequent cases are linked to a powerful underground criminal syndicate.
Paired with a fantastic retro soundtrack, Taxi Driver has the same level of high-octane kick-ass and wacky humor that is sure to delight fans of Korean action comedies like Rogue or Roundup.
The show has been a huge success in South Korea, and the third season has been confirmed, which is a rare feat for a non-Netflix Korean TV series.
"Bloodhound" (
Kim Keon-woo (Woo Ye-hwan in "The King: Eternal Monarch") is a talented boxer who uses the prize money he earns from boxing matches to help his mother keep her struggling café running during the pandemic.
Boxer Hong Woo-jin (Lee Sang-yi in "My Demon" and "Hometown Cha Cha Cha") is initially dissatisfied with Jian Woo's excellent boxing skills, but the two become good friends after discovering that Jian Woo is also a former Marine like him.
When Jian-woo's mother falls into the hands of ruthless loan shark Kim Myung-gil (Park Sung-woong of "One Vote to Kill"), Keon-woo and Woo-jin join forces with selfless moneylender Choi Tae-ho (played by veteran actor Heo Joon), and Ho--hwa of the kingdom and designated survivor: 60 days) take down Myung-gil and his followers.
Widely acclaimed for its gripping fight scenes and incredible chemistry between Oh Yee Hwan and Lee Sang-yi, Bloodhound, based on the N**er webtoon, does know how to punch: it reached number one on Netflix's weekly hottest list of non-English shows shortly after the show's release and remained in the top 10 worldwide for more than a month.
"Killing Vote" (
Adapted from the Kakao webtoon, Killing Vote is another cop and bandit Korean drama that you want to **.
It's definitely one of the more modest episodes on this list in terms of gore and violence, but it's still a heartbreaking crime thriller. Every two weeks, a mysterious figure named gaetal (Korean for "dog mask") sends a nationwide survey text message to all South Korean citizens over the age of 18, asking them if the death penalty should be imposed on a certain criminal who has escaped proper punishment. If more than 50% of the citizens vote for the death penalty, the guettar executes the criminal.
Police officers Kim Moo-chan (Park Hae-jin in Man to Man and Cheese Trap) and Joo Hyun (Lim Ji-yeon in Man to Man and Cheese Trap Glory) race against time to stop Gettar from creating more victims, no matter how despicable their past crimes may be. Kill Vote is full of twists and turns that leave you guessing the true identity of the masked vigilantes.
DP ( Season 2
If you've ever thought your life was tough, thank your lucky star for never serving in the Korean ** team (that is, assuming you're not a Korean male citizen).
If you're wondering what this experience looks like, just ** the popular military drama dp. The drama premiered in 2021 and became the most watched and talked about drama in South Korea, and it realistically portrays the horrors experienced by many Korean men. Unlike elsewhere, the problems they face in the performance of compulsory military service hit the nail on the head.
DP went on to win several domestic awards, including Best TV Series at last year's prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards, and was even voted one of the best TV shows of 2021 by The New York Times.
Although the show has left many Korean men suffering from PTSD, the show was renewed for a second season and launched earlier this year. Jung Hae-in and Goo Kyo-hwan play Private Ahn Joon-ho and Corporal Han Ho-yeol, respectively, who are two members of the Han ** Deserter Pursuit Team ("DP") tasked with tracking down and bringing back soldiers who have been abandoned.
This season picks up where Season 1 left off, further expanding the challenges within Team Han ** in Season 1, while also introducing other issues such as LGBTQ+ discrimination.
Glory (Part 2.)
This wonderful revenge story is written by legendary Korean drama screenwriter Kim Eun-sook ("Fairy", "Descendants of the Sun"), and A-list actress Song Hye Kyo ("Descendants of the Sun") plays Moon Dong-eun, a former victim of school bullying who has suffered massive psychological and physical abuse at the hands of her high school classmates. Determined to get revenge on the previous bullies because they left her with lasting trauma and forced her to drop out of school, Dong-eun silently devises an elaborate plan to knock them out one by one.
Glory was released in two parts, the first half was launched at the end of 2022, and the second half premiered in March this year. The second part is where we see Dong-eun's orchestrated revenge really unfold in full swing. According to Netflix's inaugural engagement report, "Glory" was the third-most-watched Netflix title globally in the first six months of 2023.
"The Night Is Coming" (been
It's absolutely insane to meet Alice from Borderlands in this teen mystery horror film. A high school student who is on a class retreat is suddenly forced to play a life-and-death ** party game.
Those who fail or break the rules of the game (such as not voting when instructed or trying to flee the premises) mysteriously turn into zombie-like creatures who go berserk and commit suicide in extremely horrific ways.
Will the unfortunate teen be able to find out who the ** is before they're all dead? Nightfall is arguably the bloodiest and scariest show on this list, so if you're feeling inhibited, you might want to ...... with a friend (or two).or more) together**. Just maybe don't eat any food while you're doing it.