2 Best Movies to Watch by Lim Ji-yeon

A mysterious rotting smell and hard thuds heard from above start the series off on an eerie note. Moon Joo-ran (Kim Tae-hee) is a seemingly perfect housewife, but under the guise of her well-kept home are a secretive husband and a son who possibly resents her (currently unknown) condition. Meanwhile, Chu Sang-eun (Lim Ji-yeon) is trapped in an abusive marriage and dreams of escape. As Joo-ran becomes paranoid about the smell in her backyard and Sang-eun gathers evidence to leave her husband, the two women find a harrowing revelation. Leads Kim and Lim immediately offer memorable, haunting performances, while the setup described above is a captivating start to a psychological thriller that promises a web of secrets and lies.

Genre: Crime, Mystery

Actor: Baek Hyun-joo, Cha Mi-kyeong, Cha Sung-je, Choi Jae-rim, Im Ji-yeon, Kim Sung-oh, Kim Tae-hee, Lim Ji-yeon

Director: Jung Jee-hyun

The Killing Vote takes the "vote to kill" storyline and pairs an anonymous vigilante with an ambitious yet apathetic officer, creating an intriguing setup that questions how everyday inequalities extend to the justice system. The first episode is quite disturbing as it tackles child pornography, but with this pilot, the series is able to cement an expectation it fulfills in succeeding episodes: this is a severe show that tackles severe cases and severe criminals. Coupled with immersive performances across the board (the star-studded cast includes K-drama staples Park Hae-jin, Park Sung-woong, and Lim Ji-yeon), The Killing Vote is already off to a high-intensity start. If it keeps this up, it very well could be one of 2023's best.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Kim Yu-mi, Lim Ji-yeon, Park Hae-jin, Park Sung-woong, Shin Jung-geun

Director: Park Shin-woo