The world of South Korean dramas is vast, ranging from endearing romances to electrifying thrillers, and the industry has thrived on international audiences for over a decade. The popularity of “K-dramas” as they are known around the world has undoubtedly skyrocketed thanks to Netflix. By browsing their streaming library, viewers can catch thrillers, dramas, and some of the best South Korean romances on Netflix.
It may be that suspenseful K-dramas are always a top choice for movie fans due to their unique storytelling, complex characters, suspenseful plots, cultural awareness, and cultural values. high production. However, there is another very interesting genre, with more disturbing qualities, these are somewhat dark and sordid dramas, whose quality is disconcerting, while dealing with the darkest human emotions and impulses, which makes them interesting. to watch. From Stranger to The Silent Sea, Netflix has plenty of mind-blowing series that will keep viewers satisfied.
-
Extracurricular (2020)
A unique high school series on Netflix, Extracurricular features a college student named Oh Ji-soo (Kim Dong-hee), who leads a double life as a part-time criminal to earn money to support himself. Things take a dark turn, however, when he hooks up with a classmate who also leads a double life as a sex worker. The two find themselves caught in a dangerous web of crime and violence, with their lives and futures on the line.
With its well-crafted plot and sustained pace, Extracurricular succeeds in keeping the audience in suspense, with each episode building on the tension and suspense of the previous episode. Beyond a balanced mix between the crime, thriller and coming-of-age genres, with unique twists and turns that set it apart from other series in the category, the cinematography and soundtrack are also top-notch. order, which adds to the general atmosphere of the series.
-
The Silent Sea (2021)
Set in a dystopian future where Earth faces a catastrophic water shortage, The Silent Sea follows a team of scientists led by Han Yoon-jae (Gong Yoo), a former astronaut haunted by a tragic incident from his past, whose mission is to recover a mysterious sample from an abandoned research station on the Moon. Han Yoon-jae is accompanied by a group of experts, including a biologist, a doctor and an engineer.
In The Silent Sea we are immersed in an innovative sci-fi mystery with many unexpected twists and turns and, despite an uneven pace, the immersive digital effects make up for it by making the improbable engaging. The show also hasn’t fully developed its characters, but fans of the genre can easily miss that because it’s the tension that keeps the audience in suspense.
-
Mine (2021)
K-drama fans who have watched SKY Castle and are intrigued by the materialistic motivations of rich and beautiful people will rejoice in Mine’s presence on their viewing list. This drama about the 1% revolves around women who strive to protect their families and achieve the highest levels of acclaim and wealth. Their lives will, however, intertwine and they will discover terrible truths about their friends, their families, their peers and themselves.
When it comes to thriller elements, Mine carries more weight than SKY Castle because over the course of a single episode, the average viewer’s emotions range from sympathy to rage to utter confusion. This drama undermines personal greed and shows the difficulty of finding one’s true identity outside of the perception of others, in this case extremely rich and perfect individuals.
-
Little Women (2022)
Although it’s one of the newer dramas on this list, Little Women revolves around the Oh sisters, who grew up working for scraps and eventually have the opportunity to make big money enjoyed immediate success. By releasing two episodes per weekend for six weeks, Netflix allowed viewers to be “served in doses”.
If the youngest becomes close to the family of a mayoral candidate, the middle one is a competent and very intuitive journalist who tries to knock him off his pedestal, while the oldest becomes friends with a colleague work that has many secrets and hidden skills. The actors of this tense and twisted drama, full of unpredictable moments and harsh truths about greed have done a remarkable job and many Squid Game fans will also be happy to see Wi Ha-joon in another interesting role.
-
My Name (2021)
In My Name, we discover the story of Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee), a young woman who joins a drug cartel to avenge the death of her father, a police officer murdered while investigating the cartel in question. The more she gets involved, the more she finds herself drawn into the dangerous and complex world of drug trafficking, all while keeping her true identity a secret.
With My Name, Netflix delivers a complex and well-written revenge-themed K-drama, keeping viewers in suspense until the very end. The series also delves into Ji-woo’s psychological and emotional costs and the repercussions of his choices while tackling questions such as loyalty, revenge and the fragile line between good and evil with twists and turns that make puzzled viewers. Without being a thriller in the classic sense of the term, the series excels in its psychological complexity and emotional depth.
-
Beyond Evil (2021)
Released on Netflix in 2021 without generating much interest, Beyond Evil will certainly attract the attention of fans who have watched Signal and want to continue the wave of disturbing and mysterious thrillers. Its plot, however, is anything but boring and, once again, can be easily spoiled if too much is said.
Long story short, the story is about serial murders in a small South Korean village where the lead detective is one of the oldest and most respected police officers in the village. However, the authorities consider it appropriate to hire a young junior inspector from Seoul, given that the cases are not new. The difference between the two detectives is not only due to their age gap, but also to their vision of life, the police profession and the case itself. Despite its rather slow pace, Beyond Evil offers audiences who are not expecting it a series of twists and turns that may not suit everyone.
-
signals (2016)
One of the South Korean gems that everyone loves, Signal is an excellent representation of the thriller/mystery genre in K-dramas. The story revolves around a private detective who finds a mysterious walkie-talkie while on a case, forcing him to team up with another detective who might know more.
Inspired by the unsolved mysteries that have marked South Korea for years, the series is based on the Hwaseong affair, which is the best example. It is impossible to say more without spoiling the story, but those who have never seen the series should know that it is a detective story, full of tense and unpredictable moments, in which a time loop and time travel are likely to be involved. Do you want to know more? Signal is worth watching and generating hype that isn’t always easy to match.
-
Stranger (2017 – 2020)
Aside from being one of the first K-dramas to break into the mainstream and gain global recognition, Stranger was also one of the first Korean dramas to premiere on Netflix in 2017. he story revolves around a courageous detective who receives help on a case from a talented and well-liked prosecutor but is nevertheless incapable of feeling emotions and lacks adequate social skills for various situations.
The particularity of this prosecutor devoid of empathy seems to work in his favor since he is capable of understanding and assimilating the facts from a more objective and more logical point of view, but can we conclude that this is a good thing ? Netflix is offering fans two seasons of this gripping thriller with unexpected twists and turns, and for those who need more convincing, the fantastic Doona Bae stars as the detective in charge of the case.
-
SKY Castle (2018 – 2019)
SKY Castle satirically depicts South Korean elite families who live in a gated community called SKY Castle. The Hwang family, not the most typical of residents, turns everything upside down when they move in. For their part, the housewives in the community try hard to stir things up as they don’t trust the Hwang family, especially the wife, Soo-im (Yum Jung-ah).
In this drama, there are plenty of twists and turns and it is often difficult to know who is telling the truth and who is distorting reality. A very strict university entrance tutor with a 100% success rate is also at the center of the story; she is almost determined to see the inhabitants of SKY Castle fail. The families’ materialistic desires often clash with their inability to be human at Sky Castle. This Korean series not to be missed on Netflix has something to intrigue viewers, because a major and significant shock occurs from the first episodes.
-
Flower of Evil (2020)
Flower of Evil is one of those dramas with twists and turns so shocking that, even if they are expected, they are no less surprising. This drama features an ambitious and intelligent detective who seems to have the perfect family life, but realizes that her husband might be more than a perfect partner when she begins to uncover new clues from a series of similar murders.
Although this suspense thriller can get a little soapy at times, which is the case with many K-dramas, it still manages to deliver an excellent and gripping story. The main role of the mysterious husband is played by Lee Joon-gi, who is widely known as the prince of K-dramas and his unusual features along with his discreet but strong acting make his character even scarier to the point that it is difficult to put down. to trust him.
Which of these Netflix K-dramas did you like the most?