5 Best Bone-Chilling K-Drama Thrillers, Ranked By IMDb Rating

5. Dark Hole (Apple TV, Viki) — 6.1 on IMDb

Let’s make a pandemic even more mysterious and terrifying, shall we? In Dark Hole, humans mutate after inhaling enigmatic dark smoke from a sinkhole, and the world plunges into chaos. Two detectives — one active, and one former — have to survive this nightmare if they wish to meet their goals against all odds and the apocalypse.

The great mix of a personal tragedy and a global tragedy with the apocalypse as a backdrop hits differently, especially when the blend of fantasy, action, and mystery is done as beautifully as in Dark Hole. Despite its low IMDb score, this TV show is already considered one of the best South Korean thrillers, and rightfully so.

4. My Name (Netflix ) — 7.8 on IMDb

Overwhelmed with grief after her father’s sudden death, a young woman joins a powerful crime syndicate to find whoever’s responsible for the murder. The syndicate bosses decide to infiltrate her into the police force as a mole which helps her private investigation but also exposes her to many new dangers, including being discovered.

My Name keeps you on edge as you watch the protagonist struggle with her loyalties, morality, and utter secrecy while still dealing with her trauma. The young woman can’t decide who she’s really loyal to — the police or the mafia — but this question has to wait as only one thing matters: avenging her father’s untimely death.

3. Happiness (Viki) — 7.9 on IMDb

A new virus called Lytta is infecting people left and right. Similar to the classic zombie virus, it overtakes the host’s brain and makes them crave human blood and become unhinged. A young woman who’s seemingly immune to Lytta and her detective friend try to uncover the virus’s origin and unveil a shocking conspiracy.

An interesting take on the all-too-familiar concept of the zombie apocalypse, Happiness is full of anything but its name. Brutal, dark, and provocative, this thriller TV show isn’t afraid to bend the boundaries of what’s considered a human in a new way. Tune in for Season 1 and join the army of those thirsty for Season 2.

2. Beyond Evil (Netflix, Viki) — 8.1 on IMDb

When a serial killer is on the loose and the authorities fail to capture them, two very different detectives decide to take matters into their own hands. To stop the monster, they are ready to break the law themselves over and over again, and over time, it becomes hard to spot the moral difference between the hunter and the hunted.

Asking difficult but important questions, Beyond Evil unveils the very nature of evil. For how long can a noble goal justify crooked means? Is justification even enough to call oneself a hero and not a villain if they have to step over the law and morality? This TV show dares to venture into the depths of our psyche for the dark truth.

1. Mouse (Apple TV, Viki) — 8.7 on IMDb

A tale as old as the detective genre: a young, naive, and righteous rookie gets partnered up with an experienced, cynical, and disappointed police veteran. They might not understand each other too well, but to find and face the serial killer who keeps the entire nation in fear, they must join forces and learn to be real partners.

It’s always interesting to watch a dynamic between a naive youngling and their cynical veteran partner when the characters are written well — and in Mouse, they most definitely are. But apart from that, this series is a truly terrifying detective thriller that shows just how far a person can come beyond the norms of morality and soul.