If you thoroughly enjoyed the first four episodes of Revenant and need something to fill the void while you desperately wait to know what’s going to happen next with San-Yeong, then here’s a list that’ll do just that. The Korean entertainment industry is fantastic at getting a scream out of viewers and has some really innovative and exciting new ideas to do this. Zombies, ghosts, serial killers, cults, and all, this list will contain some or all of your nightmares to make your July viewing extra terrifying. Let’s quickly get into a list of the best K-horror shows to watch while waiting for Revenant.
Save Me (2017)
The now star-studded Save Me includes superstars like Ok Taec-Yeon, Woo Dohwan, and Seo Yea-Ji in pivotal roles as students who are fighting a religious cult that threatens to destroy the leading lady’s life for good. This one is a slow burn, but with this banger cast, it’s totally worth it. It has a similarly eerie and dark atmosphere to Revenant. We’ve seen Seo Yea-Ji play the frightener, but in this show, she’s the frightened, which is refreshing. The detective business by the students in Save Me is similar to San-Yeong and Hae-Sang figuring out the puzzle pieces in Revenant, making for a perfect filler. A drama that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat for all 16 episodes
All Of Us Are Dead (2022)
This zombie show that got everybody reeling is filled with the grit and gore that any Korean zombie content has to offer, but only a few have the heart that this one does. The show is thrilling right from the get-go, with only ten fantastic episodes that are spine-chilling from beginning to end. While the only connecting thread between “All Of Us Are Dead” and “Revenant” is that they fall under the larger umbrella of the “horror” genre, the eerie atmosphere and chase-fests can keep you hooked to this show during your weekly wait. Additionally, just like San-Yeong’s internal battle with the evil spirit that’s taken over her, there are half-zombie-humans called hambies who grapple with similar turmoil in this show. The show is also based in high school and has some fantastic child actors who can carry the weight of the industry on their shoulders. Who are these little wonders? So, if you are looking for someone as skilled as Kim Tae-Ri, they’ve got that covered too. Additionally, there’s friendship, romance, bullying, and studying all of the common tropes of any Korean high-school drama to distract you from the zombie-like nature of the show.
Strangers From Hell (2019)
This show really looks like it came out of hell. There’s a lot of eeriness and darkness, similar to that of Revenant. While there is nothing supernatural about Strangers From Hell, it’s a psychological show that delves into the dark side of humanity, and one could argue that Revenant is doing something similar, specifically focused on suicide. Of course, since only four episodes are out, there’s a lot left to learn. The show follows a young man who moves to Seoul with a new job, but because of his poor background, he decides to live in a shady building to save up some money. He then realizes his neighbors are strange (I had to), and things start to get weird. Watch this one with caution; it’s really dark and all about the psychological. The actors do a phenomenal job of being absolutely terrifying.
Sweet Home (2020)
We all know about the Netflix show Sweet Home, starring Song Kang, Lee Do-Hyun, Instagram genius Lee Si-Young, Go Min-Si, Park Gyu-Young, and many more fantastic actors. This show tackles depression as its overarching theme, along with fighting unworldly monsters and humans alike. There is obviously a pattern here: humans or monsters, who is worse? What if we’re the same? Is there really a large difference? It seems like the K-drama world is constantly curious about the evil in humans, and so we get some mind-blowing shows on the subject. We already know that the Korean entertainment industry is well-versed in making zombie shows, as we saw previously on this list, but apart from standing out as a monster show rather than a zombie one, even though the premise is quite similar, the show does an incredible job at making us feel for the wide number of characters.
Let’s Fight, Ghost (2021)
This one is for those who really enjoy the combination of horror, comedy, and romance. There’s an equal share for all, and just like Casper and Wendy, there are sparks between a human and a ghost. Starring Ok Taec-Yeon and Kim So-Hyun. An abundance of ghosts of all kinds can be seen in this show, just like in Revenant. There’s a fun shaman rather than one who sacrifices children, and you can expect a cute happy ending. But, just because there’s a lot of cute and sweet, it doesn’t lack in the dark aspect, and there are some frightening scenes for sure. This one is especially fun to watch with people, so bring your family or your friends to join the party. Bong-Pal, an exorcist, meets a ghost named Hyun-Ji, and together they solve the problems of ghosts to save humans and help ghosts! It’s thrilling and fun, and it’s also got an old-school charm since it came out back in 2016.
Kingdom (2019)
This will come as no surprise to anyone, considering this show is highly spoken about by K-drama and non-K-drama fans alike. It has a unique premise, as it brings an ancient touch to the world of zombies. Or should we say, it brings zombies to the Joseon dynasty? It’s got an especially fantastic origin story, and of course, the cast is the icing on the cake. Starring Bae Doo-na, Ju Ji-Hoon, and Kim Sung-Kyu, we can’t forget the special starring Jun Ji-Hyun, who thrives in an action role. A crown prince trying to figure out what the sinister disease the King died from is a very common plot line, but when the King is a zombie, it changes things drastically. This show is a masterpiece not just in storytelling but in cinematography, creativity, and soundtrack; everything fits in beautifully to make this one-of-a-kind. There are also two seasons and two specials to enjoy while waiting for Revenant. This is definitely the furthest in terms of similarities with Revenant, but it’s got the thrill, violence, and fear to fit in this category.
How many of this genre of K-dramas have you seen? Revenant is getting better by the episode, and we can’t wait to see where it goes next. Until then, we’ll wait with a rewatch of one of these or perhaps find some more of the terror.
