The best thrillers in k-dramas: Vol. 1
Get ready to feel scared! MFC is bringing you the best recommendations on the most frightening k-dramas ever. Let’s begin with crime investigation and psychopaths. These serial killers are cruel, ruthless and some are dangerously attractive. Murders, investigation, mystery, and psychological suspense are famous themes around the cinematographic world. And we dare say that the South-Korean productions are the best in the field. Well-written plots, focused on the development of a few characters, which gives us a deep insight on the criminal mind and on the investigation process, along with talented actors who only need a simple facial expression to make us feel on edge are definitely some of the features that highlight these Koreans dramas.
There are many great titles and MFC has selected just a few that are a must-watch. Without further ado, let’s see if you have a good instinct to find out who the murderer is.
Beyond Evil (2021)
In a small town, two young girls disappear, one is found dead and the other presumed dead. The crime shocked locals with its brutality, and the mystery remained because the second body was never found. Twenty years later, a detective is transferred to this small town at the same time that another murder takes place, one very similar to that one twenty years ago. The new detective has to work with a local police officer, who was once considered the culprit, and try to find out the truth behind those crimes. One thing he knows for sure, everyone that lives in this town is a suspect.
Broadcast: JTBC. Director: Shim Na-yeon Cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Yeo Jin-Goo, Choi Dae-Hoon, Heo Sung-Tae, Kim Shin-Rok, Shim Wan-Jun, Yoo Byung-Hoon, Park Bo-Kyung. Genre: Suspense, mystery, drama.
Mouse (2021)
A rookie police officer has to face his first homicide investigation, which leads to a series of brutal murders. Then, he joins forces with a detective, who is a survivor of one of Korea’s famous serial killers, willing to become a criminal himself to apprehend the culprit. Meanwhile, a scientist states that his research can uncover the psychopathic gene in the womb, leading to the psychological discussion of whether a killer is born or created.
Broadcast: TvN. Director: Choi Joon-Bae Cast: Lee Seung Gi, Lee Hee Joon, Park Joo Hyun, Kyung Soo Jin, Ahn Nae Sang, Hyun Bong Sik. Genre: Suspense, action.
Tunnel (2017)
Park Gwang-Ho is a relentless detective trying his best to catch a serial killer in 1986. He finally gets a lead and follows the murderer through a tunnel, but when he reaches the other side he discovers that he traveled three decades into the future. Trying to go back home, Park Gwang-Ho stumbles upon a killer that has the same modus operandi from the one in 1986. The theory is that, if he can catch this murderer, he can go back in time and change the outcome of the future.
Broadcast: OCN. Director: Shin Yong-hwi, Nam Ki-Hoon. Cast: Choi Jin Hyuk, Yoon Hyun Min, Lee Yoo Young, Lee Shi Ah, Kang Ki Young, Kim Byung Chul. Genre: Suspense, sci-fi.
Stranger from Hell (2019)
Jong Woo moves to Seoul after his college friend offers him a job. Still struggling financially, he tries to find a decent place to live, but he can only afford an awful but cheap hostel that has the strangest residents. There, he witnesses weird events and discovers the neighbours’ dark secrets as well as his own. And to make things even more interesting, the neighbours start to get killed, one by one. Will Jong Woo survive and find out who the murderer is?
Broadcast: OCN. Director: Lee Chang-hee. Cast: Im Si-wan, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Jung-eun, Lee Hyun-wook, Park Jong-hwan, Lee Joong-ok. Genre: Psychological thriller.
Voice (2017)
Kang Kwon-Joo is a professional voice profiler that works at the police emergency call center. With a super sensitive hearing, she has the ability to pick up every single sound detail. For her misfortune and despair, while answering an emergency call, she listenes to the murder of two people: her father and the wife of detective Moo Jin-Hyuk. Now, she has to convince the police force and the detective that she can catch the serial killer through her hearing.
Broadcast: OCN. Director: Kim Hong-Sun. Cast: Lee Ha-Na, Jang Hyuk, Kim Jae-Wook, Lee Do-Kyung, Yesung, Son Eun-Seo, Kwon Jae-Hwan. Genre: Thriller, crime.
These serial killers will certainly send chills down your spine. So go make popcorn and call someone to binge-watch these thrilling k-dramas with you. It’s worth it. And wait for Vol. 2, terrifying things are coming…
Don’t forget to tell us which one frightened you the most or which one you are more excited to watch. Let us know in the comments or on our social media!
While the specific titles are not mentioned in the comment, it suggests that MFC has curated a list of must-watch K-dramas in this genre. The comment concludes with a challenge to the reader’s instincts in identifying the murderer within these thrilling dramas.