K-Horror to shake you to your core (and more)! Scroll down and check out some of the scariest Korean horror movies and series you can watch right now!
Whether you’re a big fan of K-Dramas, horror films or just entering into the wonderful world of K-Horror you’re definitely in for a treat!
Similar to Japanese horror, Korean horror generally centers around family, and is intertwined with various themes ranging from classism, the education system, and existing problems reflective of the times (i.e., obsession with social image, overwork culture, etc.). The Western counterpart is great, but Asian horror is on a league of its own.
Don’t know where to start? Below are some of the best Korean horror movies and series that are so good, they’ll demand a rewatch so you can catch the hidden clues!
Strangers from Hell (타인은 지옥이다), 2019
Available on Netflix
A young writer finds work as an intern in a reputable company that leads him to move to Seoul. To save some money, he decides to move in to a cheap place despite his gut feeling telling him he really shouldn’t. After a while, his fears start to materialize as he notices that the other tenants aren’t exactly what they seem.
Bonus: the super dreamy Lee Dong Wook (이동욱) plays a creepy dentist in the show! Try not to get too distracted!
If you liked Strangers from Hell, you should try Breakout: The Town
Similar to the Korean series, in Breakout: The Town, you’ll meet strangers that’ll have you second guessing what their true intentions are. From barely escaping an organ-trafficking ring, you have no choice but to trust in the kindness of strangers — but you’re suddenly thrusted in the most sinister of places, can you make it out alive?
Check it out here.
The Call (콜), 2020
Available on Netflix
The Call is one of the most recent entries in this list. It was already set for theatrical release but, was instead released on Netflix due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The film follows Seo Yeon (played by Park Shin Hye, 박신혜) who visits her childhood home and discovers an old landline phone. To her surprise, that phone actually connects to someone also living in the same place but 20 years prior. Unlike Seo Yeon, the girl is living a nightmare and she attempts to save her despite obstacles in the way.
Loved The Call? Then you’ll love GOMO: Diner from Hell
You discover a close friend is in distress and receive a note asking for help. The note states to meet them in a specific diner. Just like in the film, you’ll slowly find out that the whole place, already creepy as it is, holds a frightening secret! You fall asleep and wake up in a completely different dimension to save your friend. Will you be able to save your friend, can you even save yourself?
Check it out here.
Time To Hunt (사냥의 시간), 2020
Available on Netflix
For those wanting more thriller and just a little bit of horror, Time To Hunt can be the next film you watch? It’s set in a dystopian South Korea following a group of friends who plan a casino heist in the hopes of escaping the dystopian nightmare. Unfortunately, they’re eventually hunted down by a mysterious man…
Want the same thrill from Time to Hunt? Play GOMO: Haunted Casino [Expert Level] now!
Can something good ever come out of gambling houses no matter how promising it may seem? In this game, just like in the film, you think your plan was a success but it later on comes crashing down when you realize cover was blown. Stuck in the backroom of a casino, will you be able to escape with your life?
Check it out here.
Forgotten (기억의 밤), 2017
Available on Netflix
Forgotten starts off with the protagonist, Jin-seok, (played by Kang Ha-neul, 강하늘) and his family moving into a new home. After a short while, his brother suddenly gets abducted then things start to get weirder and more mysterious from then on.
If you liked Forgotten — Breakout: BFF is for you!
If there’s anyone closer to you than your family, it’s definitely your BFF but things start to get strange and creepy. Similar to the movie, after one critical event, the person closest to you may actually not be the person you’ve known all this time.
Check it out here.
Nightmare High (악몽선생), 2016
Available on Netflix
For all the Melodies out there, this one is ESPECIALLY for you! Nightmare High is a series that has BTOB’s Lee Min-hyuk (이민혁) as one of the main characters. It follows a group of students and substitute teacher who from the beginning, seems a bit odd. Ever since his arrival, each student experiences dream-like situations wherein they get what they’ve always wanted but those scenarios seem just too good to be true [and they are!].
Fan of Nightmare High? Then Breakout: Fairy’s Tale is for you!
You visit your late grandmother’s home and discover more than just pleasant memories. You’ve found an entrance to a whole other fairytale-like world that’s just too good to pass up.You enter and after some time realize that you can’t get out as easily as you got in. Sometimes, things that look too good to be true can actually lead to your demise… Can you make it out in time?
Check it out here.
Metamorphosis (변신), 2019
A loving family excitedly moves into a new home but soon after settling in, things turn bizarre. Could something sinister be lurking in their new home? Metamorphosis is one of the most underrated Korean horror movies that definitely deserves a watch (or a re-watch, if you’ve seen it before)!
Looking for something equally frightening? Here you go– play Breakout: The Red Door
Moving into a new home is always fun and exciting until strange things start happening. It could make you second guess moving in in the first place. Just like in Metamorphosis, mysterious incidents start to happen in a family home and it’s up to you to find out if it’s just a freak accident, foul play, or something beyond human understanding.
Check it out here.
When the Devil Calls Your Name (악마가 너의 이름을 부를 때), 2019
When The Devil Calls Your Name is a series that follows a successful songwriter with a dark secret. Several years prior, he actually sold his soul to the devil to get the fame, fortune, and success he’s always wanted. As the contract is set to expire soon, he attempts to make another deal with the devil using his life as collateral.
Escape Room To try if you loved this show: Dead End
What would you do for a million dollars? Fame, fortune, and everything you’ve always wanted right at your reach but what you thought was fun and games actually turned out to be a nightmare. Just like in the film, the allure of fortune was just too good to pass up but you later on realize that your life is on the line. Can you escape or will you have to pay the ultimate price?
Check it out here.
Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질), 2013
Lead character Sung-soo, a successful businessman, has everything he wanted in life: a loving wife, children, and a penthouse apartment to boot. However, as with any horror film, all things seemingly good have a dark secret hidden underneath. From missing keys to mysterious engravings, he starts to feel that there’s someone breaking into his home — and his life.
Be in the center of a cat-and-mouse chase in GOMO: Number 1 Fan [Expert Level]
Just like in the film, you have everything you could ever want: success, fame, and money. But one fan’s adoration turns into an obsession — and you get locked in your own dressing room! Can you even manage to escape?
Check it out here.
White Christmas (화이트 크리스마스), 2011
A group of students from an elite school decide to stay behind during the winter break in the hopes of advancing their studies and to find out who’s been sending mysterious letters to them. Unable to leave due to the heavy snow, they then find out that there’s actually a murderer amongst them…
Love whodunnits with a deadly twist? Try Breakout: The Reunion
You and your friends receive a letter from a “Dungeon Master”. Thinking it was one of you hosting a party that has been passed up for too long, you all go– expecting a number games and reuniting with your long-time friends. But, you then find out that this mysterious host has malicious intentions… Can you and your friends get to the bottom of the mystery and make it out alive?
Check it out here.
Train to Busan (부산행), 2016
Available on Netflix
One of the most talked about Korean horror movies of all time, Train to Busan stars the ageless Gong Yoo (공유), a workaholic man who takes his daughter on a birthday trip to Busan via train. But the ride turns out to be a nightmare when passengers slowly realize that South Korea has been infected by a deadly virus that turns people into zombies.
Want the same thrill to keep you on the edge of your seat? Try GOMO: Room 13 [Expert Level]!
You’re tired from your car breaking down so you find the nearest motel where you can get a hot shower and much needed rest for the night. Unfortunately for you, your car breaking down is the least of your problems when you suddenly hear ominous sounds of scraping metal and see mysterious things in the corner of your eye. Like in the film, you’re trapped and your only solace is a shabby room and it’s up to you to fend off threats and escape from death’s grip.
Check it out here.
Loving this list of Korean Horror Movies so far? Check out more of SHOOR’s Online Experiences here!
