The Best Horror and Thriller K-Dramas of 2023
From huge Netflix hits to the hidden gems you don’t want to miss
(From left to right: Gyeongseong Creature, Mask Girl, The Deal, The Killing Vote, Taxi Driver S2, Revenant
Gone are the days when K-dramas almost exclusively meant love stories, period pieces and family dramas. Today, South Korea produces some of the most chilling and outrageously violent TV shows you’ll ever see—while also continuing to release the more traditional, wholesome fare that longtime K-drama fans fell in love with years ago.
The diversification of genres in recent years can largely be attributed to the rise of global streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+. In the past, most K-dramas were aired on broadcast TV, which comes with certain guidelines around what can and cannot be shown (no sex or excessive violence, for example). By contrast, streamers aren’t bound by such rules around content.
The result? More extreme and graphic K-dramas, with Korean original series on OTT services like Netflix often featuring plenty of gore and violence, and sometimes some sex and nudity as well. This year saw a host of Korean thrillers and horror series, and here we’ve compiled 12 of the best ones for you to check out, in no particular order. From crime-fighting vigilantes to superhuman spies to paranormal creatures, these K-dramas will show you a bloody hell of a good time. And if you thought Squid Game was violent, wait till you watch some of these.
Image: Disney
Vigilante (비질란테)
Action thriller Vigilante was all the rage in Korea when it aired in November, becoming the #1 show in the country across all OTT platforms upon its release. Based on the hit Naver webtoon of the same name, the eight-episode series stars K-drama heartthrob Nam Joo-hyuk (Start-Up, Twenty Five Twenty One) as Kim Ji-yong, a top police academy student who leads a double life as a vigilante, hunting down and punishing criminals during his free time to make up for the shortcomings of Korea’s justice system. His actions garner national media attention and widespread public support, but they also draw the ire of local police, who are intent on taking him down. Will Ji-yong ever be captured and exposed?
From its opening scene, in which we see the life-altering tragedy that sets Ji-yong on his path, Vigilante grabs your attention and never lets go. It’s dizzyingly fast-paced, with nonstop action and suspense that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat. Just don’t forget to breathe.
Available on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally
Image: Jun Hea-sun/Netflix
Mask Girl (마스크걸)
Also adapted from a popular Naver webtoon, Mask Girl became a huge hit among domestic and international audiences earlier this year, nabbing the top spot on Netflix’s Global Top 10 list of the most-watched non-English language shows shortly after its premiere. Over the course of just seven episodes, a sweeping, decades-spanning saga unfolds through the eyes of anti-heroine Kim Mo-mi (played by three different actresses, including K-drama icon Go Hyun-jung) and several other people who are connected to her.
Plagued with insecurity about her looks, Kim Mo-mi is an ordinary office worker by day and a masked internet celebrity by night. But offline encounters with a couple of her fans quickly spiral out of control and lead to tragic, far-reaching consequences. Dark, gripping and offbeat with numerous shocking plot twists and reveals, Mask Girl is a cinematic masterpiece that gives off a mix of Park Chan-wook’s The Vengeance Trilogy and the K-drama Little Women vibes. The show also explores a wide array of issues that feel highly relevant today, like 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 nods to Korean pop classics like “The Dance in the Rhythm” by Kim Wan-sun (dubbed “the Korean Madonna”) and “Saturday Night” by Son Dam-bi.
Available on Netflix
See the full list on TheWrap.