Netflix’s newest hit show ‘Squid Game’ has taken the entirely streaming world by storm. By now anybody who is anybody has seen the South Korean dystopian thriller and now knows the joys of overcoming the one-inch subtitle barrier. However, for those who are still yet to be inducted into the lush, imaginative realm of Korean dramas, the end of the 9 episode miniseries brings an impending feeling of “what now”. Thankfully, as a veteran watcher of 7 years, I can easily point to the “what next” for the casual viewer.
If you liked the suspense : Tunnel
Not to be confused with the 2019 Thai remake available on Netflix, this crime drama aired in 2017 and starred veteran actor Choi Jin-hyuk in the lead role of detective Park Gwang-ho. While working on a homicide case in 1986, Gwang-ho finds himself 30 years in the future instead of chasing the culprit in what is now the past. In an effort to get back home to the right time period the detective teams up with the lead investigator on the case of a serial killer with a strangely familiar ‘modus operandi’. This drama kept me on my toes from start to finish. The writing was a lot darker and grittier than my normal fare of corny romance dramas, but the talented cast and brilliant writing brought the show to life. Despite what seems like a rather far-fetched premise- and time-travel and murder being a rather strange combination- the show has a healthy dose of realism that doesn’t romanticize the harsh truths of working the beat.
If you liked the premise: Alice in Borderland
There’s just a special something about the loveable layabout being launched into a series of games with deadly stakes. Unlike the main character in ‘Squid Game’, our protagonist is a bit of a rich, spoilt brat. Arisu and his two best friends find themselves in a series of games with deadly stakes. The trio doesn’t know how they got in, but they definitely know there’s no way out except to continue playing these bind-bending logical puzzles. The first episode is admittedly a little slow. The writers take their sweet time introducing the main cast and building up the tension for every eventual plot twist. Much like ‘Squid Game’, this 2020 Japanese drama had me at the edge of my seat with my stomach twisted into anxious knots over the fate of these characters. The Netflix show is a similarly short series, standing at a mere eight episodes, and is an easy binge for the brave-hearted.
If you liked the foreshadowing: Missing Nine
While I shamelessly admit to starting this drama to watch one of my favorite singers, I also stuck with the drama because the story was such a unique take on the niche genre of being marooned on a deserted island. There is a fair bit of the classic ‘Lord of the Flies’-esque power tripping, but this band of misfits is a rather strange and ill-suited lot to be stranded in the middle of nowhere, what with most of them being high-profile celebrities. The story is largely told from the perspective of Ra Bong Hee: a newly hired stylist and the only normal person on this venture. Bong Hee happens to be the only one to make it back to civilization. As the drama unfolds the timeline shifts between the present as Bong-Hee tries to aid in further rescue efforts, and the past that she can’t quite seem to recall. The writers do a fine job of setting up hints for events that come to pass, but the grand reveal will leave you itching to rewatch the entire series to find all the details you initially missed.
If you like a the cast: Prison Playbook
Admittedly, Lee Jung Jae is the most famous member of the ‘Squid Games’ cast, and his plethora of movies can be found quite easily. I don’t particularly enjoy a lot of his filmography which often are of the action and thriller genres. On the other hand, the tvN drama starring Park Hae-soo (Cho Sangwoo in ‘Squid Game’) is a much more subtle and poignant piece that I truly enjoyed. In my somewhat-not-really, unbiased opinion tvN has some of the best writing in comparison to other networks, and their hidden ace Director Shin Won-ho has a penchant for dramas that take a magnifying class to the seemingly meaningless minutiae of day to day life. This drama follows a star baseball player who is sentenced to prison and learns to navigate the delicate ecosystem of the detention center. The supporting cast is incredibly strong and is made up of many veteran actors who deliver honest and heartfelt performances.
If you liked the special effects: Memories of the Alhambra
I recommend this drama with a huge disclaimer. I hated the romance and I especially hated the lead female character that is (in my humble opinion) one of the worst performances in Park Shin-hye’s career. There, I said it. Now that THAT is out of the way, this was a drama that made clear it had an incredibly high production value. I had no issue suspending my disbelief when it came to this AR game gone wrong. The sets are stunning and filming was split between picturesque locations in both Spain and South Korea. The plot follows entrepreneur Yoo Jin Woo on his search for the developer of a new video game that seamlessly integrates hyper-realistic fight scenes and the history of the Ottoman stronghold Granada. If you ignore the sloppily pieced-in attempt at romance, you might find yourself a halfway decent drama.
If you liked rooting for the underdog: The Guardian
Apart from the ending, this drama is perfect in my eyes. The lack of romance was a real selling point, but this miniseries manages to tick off a lot of other boxes. We have a strong female lead in beat cop Jo Soo Ji, played by actress and amateur boxer Lee Si Young. The supporting cast beautifully plays into the found family trope in a joint mission for vengeance against the broken judicial system, In all honesty, though, the real star is Kim Young Kwang who plays the eccentric and wily lawyer Jang Do Han, Despite having a smaller cast, the writers allow for each individual to shine as fleshed-out characters with unique motives, fascinating backstories, and zany personalities.