Looking for a Korean drama that will get your adrenaline pumping? Try a psychological thriller! These exciting K-dramas give you the thrill of the chase while also exercising your brain. As the stories go deeper, you start questioning if you can trust what you see and hear and you wonder whose motives are truly sincere. Read on for eight psychological thrillers you shouldn’t miss.
Psychological Thriller K-Dramas
1. God's Gift: 14 Days (2014)
Who’s in it: Lee Bo Young, Cho Seung Woo, Kim Tae Woo, Jung Gyu Woon, Kim Yoo Bin
TV writer Kim Soo Hyun (Bo Young) finds herself in the middle of a tragedy when her daughter, Saet Byul (Yoo Bin), gets kidnapped and killed. When she discovers that she can turn back time to 14 days before Saet Byul’s murder, she goes all out to find the culprit responsible and prevent the incident. She gets help from Ki Dong Chan (Seung Woo), a private investigator to prove his mentally ill brother is not a murderer. As the clock ticks and they start uncovering secrets, they realize there’s something bigger happening. Will they be able to solve everything before the time is up?
2. Liar Game (2014)
Who’s in it: Kim So Eun, Lee Sang Yoon, Shin Sung Rok
This mystery thriller gives us an inside look at the human psyche while also giving a commentary on society. It revolves around pure-hearted Nam Da Jung (So Eun). Being knee-deep in debt, she decides to participate in the survival reality show Liar Game. Contestants must use their smarts to con each other, and the last one standing gets a whopping 10 billion won. But she needs more than just “good moral character” if she wants to survive, so she enlists the help of Ha Woo Jin (Sang Yoon), an ex-convict who was once a psychology professor. Together, they work to outwit the other contestants.
3. Save Me (2017)
Who’s in it: Ok Taecyeon, Seo Ye Ji, Jo Sung Ha, Woo Do Hwan
After her brother dies, Im Sang Mi’s (Ye Ji) parents become brainwashed by charismatic leader Baek Jung Ki (Sung Ha), and she has no choice but to join the dangerous religious cult Goseonwon and suffer in their hands. Three years later, she meets Han Sang Hwan (Taecyeon), the son of a politician and her former classmate. When she asks to be saved, Sang Hwan and his friends go on an all-out mission to infiltrate the cult and get her out. Dark twists and turns dog them every step of the way. This is one disturbing and absorbing drama, so make sure you’re in the right mood when you watch this.
4. Children Of Nobody (2018)
Who’s in it: Kim Sun Ah, Lee Yi Kyung, Nam Gyu Ri, Cha Hak Yeon
This powerful drama is unlike anything we’ve ever watched before. Kim Sun Ah of My Lovely Sam Soon fame continues to impress with her nuanced acting as Cha Woo Kyung, a child psychologist with a mysterious past. She becomes embroiled in a case involving a series of homicides connected to child abuse when clues keep leading back to her. Woo Kyung ends up helping Detective Kang Ji Hyun (Yi Kyung) and his partner, Jun Soo Young (Gyu Ri), while also dealing with her own trauma.
5. Trap (2019)
Who’s in it: Lee Seo Jin, Sung Dong Il, Lim Hwa Young
Be warned: There are some pretty graphic elements here from the first episode, so watch at your own risk. This drama messed with our heads until the end! Throw away your image of cutie grump Lee Seo Jin from his variety shows like Youn’s Kitchen and Three Meals A Day, and get ready for a mind-boggling puzzle like no other. Here, he plays popular anchorman Kang Woo Hyun who goes to the mountains with his wife and son. Their leisurely vacation turns into a tragedy when they become a crazy huntsman’s prey. Detective Go Dong Kook (Dong Il) and profiler Yoon Seo Young (Hwa Young) are on the case, but the more they investigate, the more unclear everything becomes.
6. Strangers From Hell (2019)
Who’s in it: Im Si Wan, Lee Dong Wook, Lee Jung Eun, Lee Hyun Wook, Park Jong Hwan, Lee Joong Ok, Hyun Bong Sik
Here’s another OCN drama that made it hard for us to sleep at night. Based on a popular webtoon, tells the story of Yoon Jong Woo (Si Wan), a country boy who moves to Seoul for a company internship. Being poor, he decides to stay at a dubious but cheap dorm called Eden Studio, where he finds himself getting annoyed by his weird neighbors. Among them is Seo Moon Jo (Dong Wook), a handsome dentist, who seems to be normal compared to the rest. When strange things start happening at Eden Studio, Jong Woo fears for his life but decides to investigate.
7. 365: Repeat the Year (2020)
Who’s in it: Lee Joon Hyuk, Nam Ji Hyun, Kim Ji Soo, Yang Dong Geun
What would you do if you could go back in time and repeat the past year? In this drama, 10 people who have gone through hell receive a precious chance to turn back the clock and change their lives, but what they end up getting is another tragedy as they start dying one by one. Detective Ji Hyung Joo (Joon Hyuk) uses his skills to solve the case and save their lives, aided by Shin Ga Hyun (Ji Hyun), a popular webtoon artist who decides to reset her life to prevent an incident that leaves her wheelchair-bound. Can they get to the bottom of the deaths, or will they end up getting killed first?
8. Squid Game (2021)
Who’s in it: Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo, Wi Ha Joon, Lee Ji Ha
In this Netflix original series, 465 down-on-their-luck people are invited to play the Squid Game, a survival contest where the last person standing gets 45.6 billion won. All they need to do is play a bunch of children’s games. Easy, right? But what they don’t realize is the consequences of losing the games are deadly—literally. Leading the charge is Ki Hoon (Jung Jae), a gambler deep in debt. He initially thinks the Squid Game is going to solve all his problems, but he soon realizes the real game is to kill or be killed. The contestants must find a way to outsmart their captors, but with all their moves being watched, is there really a way out?
9. Flower of Evil (2020)
Who's in it: Lee Joon Gi, Moon Chae Won
Baek Hee Sung (Lee Joon Gi) is a man hiding his cruel and mysterious past from his wife who happens to be a detective. His wife, Cha Ji Won (Moon Chae Won) will then begin investigating a series of unexplained and unsolved murder cases. However, little did she know that her seemingly perfect husband might be the main perpetrator of the crime.
The couple are parents to an adorable six-year-old daughter, making their marriage life look perfect. They will be faced with the reality of choosing between love and justice.
10. Extracurricular (2020)
Who's in it: Kim Dong Hee, Park Ju Hyun, Jung Da Bin, Nam Yoon Su
Extracurricular is about high school students trying to live by their financial situations and the high expectations of their parents. Oh Ji Soo (Kim Dong Hee) a high school student with good grades happens to be involved in an illegal online business. It appears that his job funds his education and other living expenses. The story takes a dark turn as his classmates get involved with the monstrosity of the illegal job.
11. Voice (2017)
Who's in it: Lee Ha Na, Jang Hyuk, Lee Jin Wook, Song Seung Heon
Aside from telling crime stories that require the help and expertise of the emergency call center and dispatch team in South Korea, Voice will revolve around a pair of detectives trying to catch the serial killer responsible for the death of their loved ones.
Moo Jin Hyuk (Jang Hyuk) was a grieving detective, still hung up on the murder of his wife. As he reaches his lowest point in life, he will secretly hunt down the real killer and achieve justice on his own. On the other hand, Kang Kwon Joo is a professional voice profiler who also has a dark memory of her father. Her father was a former police and was killed during an investigation. The cases of their loved ones will intertwine and together they will chase down the serial killer.
12. Hellbound (2021)
Who's in it: Yoo Ah In, Kim Hyun Joo, Won Jin Ah, Park Jung Min
Hellbound explores the dark and twisted world of an established cult in recent times. If you think that's the worst of it, think again. The K-drama also introduces otherworldly creatures that have come to Earth. These creatures make humans perish. In the midst of the chaos, the cult rises and delivers so-called prophecies for humans to believe and anchor on.
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