Chilling & Creepy Thrillers
Thrillers come in all sorts of formats, with subgenres embedded within them or some intersecting with other themes like horror, crime, and the supernatural to dually provide an adrenaline rush and keep audiences entertained.
Below is a list of some coveted favorites that any fan of thrillers should mark off their list!
Black is a 2017 drama starring Song Seungheon and Go Ara that centers around death, as a Grim Reaper by the name of Black (Song Seungheon) inhabits the body of a detective, soon encountering Kang Haram (Go Ara) who has been given the cruel gift to see shadows of death. Rules of divinity are broken as the two try to prevent crimes from occurring, but complications arise as the body possessed by Black is further affiliated with his own past life.
The drama is all dark ambiance and heavy subject matter that puts death center stage with an intensely complicated plot that either satisfies or leaves viewers feeling lost. It is, however, more mystery than supernatural, with the Grim Reaper components more of an accessory and the plot more convoluted as Black’s human identity unravels.
The Guest is a 2018 drama starring Kim Dongwook, Kim Jaewook, and Jung Eunchae that brings new meaning to horror as possessive demons and the occult world are chillingly divulged. Based on folklore about a spirit from the Eastern Sea that is rumoured to possess humans, its first victim is a man named Park Il do, with the spirit adopting the human name for centuries to come. As a superiorly demonic spirit, Park Il do has been offered ritual sacrifices but begins to inhabit humans one after the other, and it takes Yoon Hwapyung (Kim Dongwook), a man with psychic abilities who is born from a shaman clan, Mateo (Kim Jaewook), a priest who exorcises evil spirits, and Detective Kang Gilyoung (Jung Eunchae) to drive the unwanted guest out of human beings and save their souls.
Horror meets crime with plenty of bloodshed as The Guest shapes out to be a truly oppressive thriller that is gritty and dark. The drama offers something bold and unique, imbuing terror with an increasing body count and numerous demonic possessions.
Save Me is a 2017 drama starring Ok Taecyeon, Seo Yeji, Woo Dohwan, Lee David, Ha Hoejung, and Jo Sungha based on the webcomic - Sesang Bakeuro by Jo Geum San. It follows the story of four friends, Han Sanghwan (Ok Taecyeon), Suk Donchul (Woo Do hwan), Woo Junghoon (Lee David), and Choi Manhee (Ha Hoejung) from a quiet and sleepy countryside town, all of whom become enamored with the new girl, Im Sangmi (Seo Yeji) who moves from Seoul. Sangmi’s family makes the move on account of going bankrupt after the father is conned by someone close to him. Their unfortunate circumstances worsen as the farm they live on is exposed to having connections with a religious organization that influences the leaders and elders of the town. The boys discover Sangmi in an alleyway one night, her whispered cry of “save me” plummeting the friends into the world of a religious cult that has been thriving within their unassuming hometown.
The drama is truly eerie and thrilling, and despite the cult being a fictional entity, it resembles real religious organizations and practices; it’s this rawness which develops Save Me into an engrossing and compelling series. Moreover, the synergy between the main cast really cements the drama and makes it a delight to watch since the boys must work together to save their friend from certain doom.
Voice is a 2017 drama starring Jang Hyuk and Lee Hana focusing on the significance of sound as Voice Profiler Kang Kwon joo (Lee Hana) and Detective Moon Jin hyuk (Jang Hyuk) hunt for an elusive killer while handling call center emergencies covering a variety of cases. A once famous detective, Jinhyuk is in despair after the death of his wife, who was brutally murdered. He suffers a fall from grace, presently spending all his energy tracking her killer. Kwon joo on the other hand, is an ace from the police academy who was injured as a child, resulting in an enhanced sense of hearing which she utilizes in order to uncover the death of her father and the many criminal cases at the call center.
Voice is action-packed and full of titillation as the evasive killer remains shrouded in mystery, hardly unmasked throughout most of the series. The characters are embroiled within their own emotional traumas which slowly surface and add an additional layer of enjoyment.
Tunnel is a 2017 drama starring Choi Jinhyuk, Yoon Hyunmin, and Lee Yooyoung which tells the story of Detective Park Gwongho (Choi Jinhyuk) who finds himself in the year 2017 after chasing a potential serial killer through a tunnel in 1986. Discovering that the murderer is still roaming freely and unidentified in the future, he works with modern Detective Kim Sunjae (Yoon Hyunmin) and criminal psychologist, Shin Jaeyi (Lee Yooyoung) to end a nightmare that has been existing for over thirty years.
Tunnel is ultimately a fusion drama bringing time travel and mystery together. This is where much of the fun lies, as Park Gwongho feels like a fish out of water while deploying his old school methods to bring about conclusive results. What makes the drama even more interesting is its depiction of the romantic relationship between Sunjae and Jaeyi to the disapproval of Gwongho, which sets things on a lighter note amidst all the murder and laws of time travel.
K-Drama thrillers are some of the most memorable dramas out there, providing audiences with something entertaining, exceptional, and fresh! What are some of your favorite thrillers?