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1. Youth of May, 2021

Youth of May is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a straightforward spring-set coming-of-age drama where young adults chase after their dreams, if they have any, and try to figure out what they want otherwise. Like plenty of other K-dramas, this usually involves a romance. But in between the ordinary romance, life strikes. Students fight for democracy, and at the time, the government cracked down on them brutally, but because the show spent time getting to know Myung-hee and Hui-tae, the consequences of these events make it all the more poignant. Youth of May reminds us of the humanity behind the brave students that fought for South Korea’s democracy, and the lives that have been tragically cut short for it.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Geum Sae-rok, Go Min-si, Lee Do-hyun, Lee Sang-yi, Oh Man-seok

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While more people are familiar with its US adaptation, Il Mare is far more striking and emotionally resonant. The Korean romance, separated by timelines, depicts two lonely people who lived in the same seaside residence. They form a bond through the titular house’s mailbox, by sharing letters, voice recorders, and suggestions to deal with loneliness. As they receive each other’s messages, the film slowly reveals the reason for their loneliness– that they’ve been left behind. Matched with shots of creeping urbanization, migration, and the Y2K scare, Il Mare understands modern isolation, but it also underscores how solitude helps us connect with other people.

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance

Actor: Cho Seung-yeon, Choe Yun-yeong, Hong So-yeong, Ji-hyun Jun, Jun Ji-hyun, Jung-jae Lee, Kim Moo-saeng, Kim Mu-saeng, Lee Jung-jae, Mu-saeng Kim, Nam Jeong-hee, Seung-yeon Jo

Director: Hyun-seung Lee, Lee Hyeon-seung, Lee Hyun-seung

Rating: N/A

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3. Train to Busan, 2016

A zombie virus breaks out and catches up with a father as he is taking his daughter from Seoul to Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city. Watch them trying to survive to reach their destination, a purported safe zone.

The acting is spot-on; the set pieces are particularly well choreographed. You’ll care about the characters. You’ll feel for the father as he struggles to keep his humanity in the bleakest of scenarios.

It’s a refreshingly thrilling disaster movie, a perfect specimen of the genre.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller

Actor: Ahn So-hee, An So-hee, Baek Seung-hwan, Cha Chung-hwa, Chang-hwan Kim, Choi Gwi-hwa, Choi Woo-shik, Choi Woo-sung, Dong-seok Ma, Eui-sung Kim, Gong Yoo, Han Ji-eun, Han Sung-soo, Jang Hyuk-jin, Jeon Ye-eun, Jeong Seok-yong, Jung Seok-yong, Jung Young-ki, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Chang-hwan, Kim Eui-sung, Kim Jae-rok, Kim Joo-heon, Kim Joo-hun, Kim Ju-hun, Kim Keum-soon, Kim Soo-ahn, Kim Soo-an, Kim Su-an, Kim Won-Jin, Kim Woon, Lee Joo-sil, Lee Joong-ok, Lee Jung-ok, Ma Dong-seok, Ok Joo-ri, Park Myung-shin, Sang-ho Yeon, Seok-yong Jeong, Shim Eun-kyung, Sohee, Song Ji-hyuk, Soo-an Kim, Soo-jung Ye, Terri Doty, Woo Do-im, Woo-sik Choi, Ye Soo-jung, Ye Su-jeong, Yeon Sang-ho, Yoo Gong, Yu-mi Jeong, Yu-mi Jung

Director: Sang-ho Yeon, Yeon Sang-ho

Rating: Not Rated

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4. Lies Hidden in My Garden, 2023

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

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5. My Lovely Boxer, 2023

In the era of behind-the-athlete documentaries, the timing of a series like My Lovely Boxer is perfect. The series follows a young boxing prodigy, Lee Kwon-Sook (Kim So-Hye), who suddenly disappears at the height of her career to escape the toxicity of her home life and avoid becoming commodified as a boxer. In its first two episodes, it's clear that this isn't about the sport itself. Rather, as Kwon-Sook and sports agent Kim Tae-Young (Lee Sang-yub) cross paths, the exploitative practices in the sports industry are quickly exposed, showing the disconnect between sports as a profession - both a passion and a way to make ends meet - and sports as entertainment at any cost. The show wastes no time glamourizing an athlete's life but instead illuminates every dark corner waiting to make a quick buck. And like the tell-all documentaries, the horrors behind the scenes are upsetting, but keep you watching.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Kim Hyeong-mook, Kim Jin-woo, Kim So-hye, Lee Sang-yeob, Park Ji-hwan

Director: Choi Sang-yeol, Hong Eun-mi

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6. Trillion Game, 2023

While live-action manga adaptations are known to have a bad rap, Netflix’s Trillion Game is quite entertaining. Striving to earn a million, maybe even a trillion dollars, is something that many people aspire to do, but the way Haru and the team do it is so unexpected. Ren Maguro keeps a great balance between Haru’s unpredictable yet charismatic nature, while Hayato Sano keeps the shyness of Gaku endearing. They go into the most random situations such as winning millions of yen in investments, going into a hacking tournament, and faking an AI. Is this really how aspiring trillionaires succeed? Maybe not, though they do teach some start-up strategies. But, it’s definitely still a fun ride as Haru bluffs his way into ballsy situations for Gaku to solve through computer engineering.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Hayato Sano, Jun Kunimura, Kanako Momota, Kenjiro Tsuda, Kimiko Yo, Koji Kikkawa, Mio Imada, Ren Meguro, Riko Fukumoto, Ryosuke Sota, Takashi Tsukamoto, Terunosuke Takezai, Tomoya Maeno

Director: Kenta Tanaka, Kentarō Takemura, Murao Yoshiaki

Rating: TV-14

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7. Midnight Runners, 2017

Midnight Runners is a hilarious and action-packed buddy comedy that delivers both laughs and thrills in equal measure. The film follows two police cadets who find themselves embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy after witnessing a kidnapping. The chemistry between the two leads is electric, and their banter and antics provide some of the film's funniest moments. However, it also has its share of intense and suspenseful scenes, as the cadets race against time to save the victim and uncover the truth. Midnight Runners is a highly entertaining and enjoyable film that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama

Actor: Bae Yoo-ram, Byeon Woo-seok, Cha Si-won, Cho Joon, Dong-il Sung, Go Joon, Ha-Neul Kang, Ha-seon Park, Ha-sun Park, Hwang Chan-seong, Hwang Chan-sung, Jeong Da-eun, Jung Won-joong, Kang Ha-neul, Kim Gyu-baek, Kim Kyu-baek, Ko Jun, Kwon You-na, Lee Eun-saem, Lee Ho-jung, Lee Jun-hyeok, Lee Seung-hee, Oh Yu-jin, Park Ha-seon, Park Seo-joon, Park Seo-jun, Seo Jeong-gyu, Seo-Joon Park, Shin An-jin, Suh Jung-yeon, Sung Dong-il

Director: Joo-hwan Kim, Kim Joo-hwan, Kim Ju-hwan

Rating: Not Rated

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8. When I Fly Towards You, 2023

Meeting a cute boy at the corner store, sneaking snacks into camp, leaving gifts at your crush’s desk… These are things that got lost for high schoolers who had to take online classes during the pandemic. Because of this, When I Fly Towards You is a timely blast from the past as schools get back on-site. This show captures the classroom experience before it went online, in such a cute and nostalgic manner. With moments that have to be ripped straight from someone’s high school diary, it’s easy to root for the sometimes cringy but mostly charming main characters in this series. The funny misunderstandings and assumptions between them feel all the more sweet as they try to make it up to each other.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Soap

Actor: Bian Tianyang, Gao Wen-feng, Hao Wenting, Miaoyi Zhang, Wang Yu, Zhang Lei, ZhiNan Jiang, Zhou Yiran

Director: Shuang Yuan

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9. The Wailing, 2016

In rural Korea a policeman starts to investigate peculiar and violent events that most of the people in his village attribute to the arrival of a new Japanese resident. As the occurrences keep multiplying, and different perspectives in the film are shown, you start to lose touch with reality in the face of what can only be described as genius film-making. As critic Jada Yuan puts it, the film operates on a level “that makes most American cinema seem clunky and unimaginative”. For this reason, and while The Wailing is a true horror flick with a great premise, it’s also more than just that: it boosts a mind-boggling, interesting plot that will have you thinking about it long after the credits roll. Protip: grab the person next to you and make them watch this movie with you so you can have someone to discuss it with after!

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Actor: Bae Yong-geun, Cho Han-cheul, Chun Woo-hee, Do-won Kwak, Han-Cheol Jo, Heo Jin, Hur Jin, Hwang Jung-min, Hwang Seok-jeong, Hwang Suk-jung, Jang So-yeon, Jeon Bae-soo, Jeong-min Hwang, Jo Han-chul, Jo Yeon-hee, Jun Kunimura, Jung-min Hwang, Kim Do-yoon, Kim Hwan-hee, Kim Ki-cheon, Kim Ki-chun, Kwak Do-won, Lee Jung-eun, Lee Seon-hee, Lee Sun-hee, Lee Yong-nyeo, Moon Chang-gil, Park Seong-yeon, Park Sung-yeon, So-yeon Jang, Son Kang-gook, Sung-yeon Park, Woo-hee Chun, Yoo Soon-woong, 赵汉哲

Director: Hong-jin Na, Na Hong-jin

Rating: Not Rated, TV-MA

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10. Swing Kids, 2018

When it comes to being a drama with a cohesive and understandable message, Swing Kids falters, and doesn’t make it clear whether or not the film advocates for either pro-capitalist or pro-communist ideas– understandably so, considering how to this day, the peninsula remains split in part due to foreign intervention. The film is a bit too long, and struggles to juggle multiple tones, being a violent war drama, slapstick comedy, and fun tap-dancing musical all at once. But, when the film revels in dance and celebrates the connections made through it, the film shines, creating an incredible sonic soundscape composed entirely of rhythmic taps and sweeping brass, with the five leads dancing in pure joy. Swing Kids is not perfect, but it has heart and it recognizes the waste and tragedy of the human side that is lost due to war.Genre: Drama, War
Actor: A.J. Simmons, Doh Kyung-soo, Hye-soo Park, Jared Grimes, Jeong-se Oh, Joo Hae-eun, Kim Kyu-baek, Kim Min-ho, Kim Min-jae, Kyung-soo Do, Lee Da-wit, Lee Kyu-sung, Matthew D'Arcy, Oh Gyeong-hwa, Oh Jeong-se, Oh Jung-se, Park Hye-su, Park Hyeong-su, Park Hyoung-soo, Park Jin-joo, Ross Kettle
Director: Hyeong-Cheol Kang, Kang Hyoung-chul, Kang Hyung-chul
Rating: TV-14

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11. I Told Sunset About You, 2021

I Told Sunset About You isn’t the most original series out there. The school setting, the tense rivalry, and the years spent apart are familiar tropes, even for heterosexual coming-of-age dramas, though the added dimension of Teh’s Chinese Thai background is new. That being said, it doesn’t hold up the series alone. I Told Sunset About You gets specific, and in delving deep into Teh and Oh-aew’s characters, it’s clear how heartfelt and genuine the show is in depicting its story. There are moments that can be cheesy, but with the sweet way the show depicts these tender teenage years, it’s no wonder I Told Sunset About You easily reminds queer people about their own experiences in navigating these feelings.Genre: Drama
Actor: Arachaporn Pokinpakorn, Chayapak Tunprayoon, Christiaan Churaporn Bos, Jirayus Khaobaimai, Krit Amnuaydechkorn, Naphat Vikairungroj, Nat Kitcharit, Oabnithi Wiwattanawarang, Parada Thitawachira, Pongpol Panyamit, Putthipong Assaratanakul, Putthipong Assarattanakul, Theethat Suk-im
Director: Naruebet Kuno

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12. Be with You, 2018

When a woman that looks like the love of your life randomly shows up at an empty train station, but strangely has no memory of you, maybe you should try to confirm their identity first– doppelgangers do exist, after all. But aside from this detail, there’s a certain charm in the way Be With You unfolds, as the family gets a second chance to cherish a loved one, and as Woo-jin indulges in sharing their love story, a story that Woo-jin understandably doesn’t want to forget. Be With You doesn’t reinvent the entire genre, and it would inevitably be compared to the 2004 Japanese original, but this Korean remake does it so well, celebrating the way love transcends lifetimes.Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Actor: Bae Yoo-ram, Gong Hyo-jin, Jo Ha-seok, Kim Hyun-soo, Kim Ji-hwan, Ko Chang-seok, Lee Jun-hyeok, Lee You-jin, Park Seo-jun, Seo Jeong-yeon, Shin Woo-hee, So Ji-sub, Son Ye-jin, Son Yeo-eun
Director: Lee Jang-hoon

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13. Bad Genius, 2017

It looks like something you’ve already seen before: a student genius turns a simple high school cheating scheme into a full-blown, high-stakes heist. But layered with great acting, taut writing, and sharp observations about the ways in which education (and society in general) fails its students, Bad Genius turns a familiar premise into something genuinely exciting and impressively affecting. It’s everything you want a caper movie to be: smart and thrilling, with almost no moment to breathe, and of course, peppered with characters you can’t help but root and be nervous and excited for.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Aokbab Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Chanon Santinatornkul, Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Ego Mikitas, Eisaya Hosuwan, Kanjana Vinaipanid, Nopawat Likitwong, Pasin Kuansataporn, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Sarinrat Thomas, Suquan Bulakul, Teeradon Supapunpinyo, Thaneth Warakulnukroh, Valerie Bentson, Vittawin Veeravidhayanant

Director: Nattawut Poonpiriya

Rating: PG-13, TV-MA

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14. 100 Days My Prince, 2018

A delightful blend of romance, humor, and intrigue (as expected of many historical K-Dramas), this series takes us on a whimsical journey as Crown Prince Lee Yul, suffering from amnesia, is convinced to wed the headstrong Hong Sim due to his own decree. The drama plays into the comedic potential of his lost memory as he maintains his air of nobility—rendering him useless at daily chores and acts of labour to everyone's dismay. As the effects of political secrets and conspiracies affect the poor of the kingdom, Yul begins to use his intelligence, martial arts skills, and literacy to help people learn and protect themselves. Doh Kyung-soo and Nam Ji-Hyun beautifully perform a fun enemies-to-lovers dynamic of a foolish prince and a justice-oriented woman. 100 Days My Prince delivers ornate kingdoms, cherry blossom-filled sets, and secret coups, all in a comfortable watch.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Ahn Suk-hwan, Cho Han-cheul, Cho Seong-ha, Do Ji-han, Doh Kyung-soo, Han So-hee, Heo Jung-eun, Heo Jung-min, Ji Min-hyuk, Jo Han-chul, Jo Hyun-sik, Jung Hae-kyun, Jung Ji-hoon, Kim Jae-young, Kim Ki-doo, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Jun-hyeok, Lee Min-ji, Nam Ji-hyun, Oh Yeon-ah

Director: Lee Jong-jae

Rating: N/A

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15. Juror 8, 2019

Based on the first jury trial in South Korea, Juror 8 tells the story of eight ordinary citizens with different backgrounds who are summoned to be the jurors of a case that's believed to be a murder. These characters who have no background or knowledge in law find themselves able to decide someone's fate. Unlike 12 Angry Men, Juror 8 delivers a lot of cunning and humorous dialogue between the characters. It’s a good mix between comedy and mystery.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Baek Soo-jang, Cha Mi-kyeong, Cho Soo-hyang, Choi Ri, Choi Young-woo, Go Seo-hee, Jeong Do-won, Jo Han-chul, Kim Hak-seon, Kim Hak-sun, Kim Mi-kyoung, Kim Sun-young, Kwon Hae-hyo, Lee Kyoo-hyung, Lee Yeong-jin, Lee Yong-i, Lee Yong-yi, Moon So-ri, Park Hyung-sik, Park Jae-wan, Park Jin-young, Pierce Conran, Rie Young-zin, Ryu Deok-hwan, Seo Hyun-woo, Seo Jeong-yeon, Seo Jin-won, Seo Jung-yeon, Seo Young-ju, Shim Dal-gi, Yeom Hye-ran, Yoo Soon-woong, Yoon Kyung-ho, Yum Dong-hun

Director: Hong Seung-wan

Rating: Not Rated

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