With the Halloween season in full effect and the holiday itself on the horizon, it is the perfect time of year to watch a spooky K-drama series. The K-drama genre consists of everything from romance to supernatural horror, and because of this, there are some perfect picks for the spooky season, both terrifying and more lighthearted. Many of these shows stand out among the best K-dramas of 2024, showing the quality that goes into even less traditional series.
Many spooky K-dramas feature incredible scares and creatures that would feel at home in any Halloween movie. Spook-tinged K-dramas can even be romantic, with sweet storylines and even sweeter love interests. Featuring ghosts, ghouls, and all manner of Halloween-themed topics, plenty of K-dramas are sure to get viewers in the mood for this holiday season.
10 Sell Your Haunted House
Its Unique Premise Can Be Quite Funny At Times
Written as a dark comedy, Sell Your Haunted House follows a real estate broker who is also an exorcist and a con artist who uses ghosts to trick people out of their money. The premise is a fun one, but things quickly turn serious when the exorcist, Ji Ah, is forced to confront some of the skeletons in her own closet. This series is not afraid to offer moments of levity, however, knowing when to keep things fun and light and when to dive into its heavier topics.
One thing that this show is not stingy about is the fact that there are plenty of ghosts and supernatural elements throughout the series. The ghosts met along the way are interesting and make an impact on the story in a big way. While it is more tame compared to some similar K-dramas, it is perfect for anyone looking for a thrilling odd-couple situation.
9 Hellbound
Webtoon Turned Netflix Hit Series
Based on the Webtoon of the same name, Hellbound is the story of a group of people who have been condemned to ell. Monstrous angels have appeared on earth, and though very few know when their time will come, it quickly becomes clear that hell is very real and some people, even a newborn baby, are destined to end up there. The premise of being condemned to hell is a chilling one, rife with the anxieties that many people face as a part of religious life.
The premise of being condemned to hell is a chilling one, rife with the anxieties that many people face as a part of religious life.
Hell and the creatures living there have long been a part of the Halloween celebration. Films such as Hellraiser and even Constantine have cemented themselves as Halloween classics, and both of them address themes of Heaven and Hell. Hellbound should be added among these, offering the perfect insight into the human condition while depicting unique versions of angels and demons.
8 Revenant
This Story Of Possession Takes Things A Step Further
Released in 2023, Revenant is the story of a woman who has been possessed by a mysterious entity. This woman, Gu San Yeong, eventually meets a professor who has a unique talent for seeing ghosts. Together, the two of them begin to investigate the mysterious suicides that plague the city as well as how their situations might be linked.
San-yeong, haunted by a demon after receiving a relic from her late father, joins forces with a professor who can see spirits and a detective investigating mysterious deaths. Together, they uncover dark secrets and confront the malevolent entity threatening their lives.
In a world full of stories about possession and malevolent spirits, Revenant stands out as an interesting tale more concerned with its characters than getting into the details of how the supernatural elements work. Even so, the series is incredibly detailed, with some chilling moments that shake the viewer to their core. Offering a more nuanced and altogether different look at possession than films like The Exorcist, Revenant could very well be one of the next Halloween K-drama classics.
7 Zombie Detective
It Is The Most Unique Detective Story
One day out of the blue, Kang Min Ho wakes up with no memories of his past. This is made even more complicated by the fact that he is also a zombie, covered in scars and later struggling to appear human. To find some answers about his condition, who he is, and how he became a zombie, Min Ho takes the name Kim Moo Young and pretends to be a private detective.
Despite how the series may appear from the trailer alone, it is filled to the brim with comedic moments. At its core, it is a comedy with a horror premise, finding light in the monstrous zombies that were once used to scare viewers. Compared to many other Halloween dramas it is much lighter, with sweet moments interspersed throughout the mystery of the series’ premise.
6 The Uncanny Counter
It Is Another One Of Netflix’s Gems
Another Netflix series, The Uncanny Counter is equal parts supernatural mystery and slasher horror. Told from the perspective of a group of hunters called the Counters, the series follows the group as they hunt down all manner of demons and spirits that mean to prey upon the weaknesses of humans. It is based on the Webtoon Amazing Rumor and has received generally favorable reviews for both of its seasons since its launch.
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The Uncanny Counter has its fair share of blood and horror, often shown in flashy and over-the-top scenes. Each character feels unique, and the show has an incredible personality unlike many of its competitors. For this Halloween season, it would make the perfect watch for any K-drama or horror fan looking for something with its own sense of style.
The Uncanny Counter is a South Korean television series that follows a group of demon hunters called Counters, who disguise themselves as employees in a noodle restaurant to track down and banish evil spirits.
5 Sweet Home
Song Kang Stars In An Incredibly Human Horror Series
Being another series based on a Webtoon of the same name, Sweet Home had a lot to live up to. The series is a post-apocalyptic horror romp in which people have started turning into monsters, forced to change when the things they desire most ultimately consume them. It is a gruesome affair through and through, but at its heart, it is an interesting look into the human condition and what it means for a person to desire something so much that it turns them into a monster.
It is a gruesome affair through and through, but at its heart, it is an interesting look into the human condition and what it means for a person to desire something so much that it turns them into a monster.
Although the gore can sometimes be a bit too much, the series has an incredible emotional heart. There are plenty of eye-catching scenes that will either delight viewers or bring them to tears, and anyone watching will no doubt be rooting for the main characters by the end of the first episode. With its three seasons now out and streaming, Sweet Home is the perfect Halloween binge for any fan of gruesome, bloody horror.
4 Kingdom
It Is A Period Drama With A Zombie Makeover
Filled to the brim with politics and drama, Kingdom is an interesting take on what a fictional period piece can look like. Taking place years and years in the past, it begs the question of what 17th-century Korea might be like if it were plagued with a disease that turned people into zombies. In a series that is both intriguing and terrifying, Kingdom manages to bring together moving parts that many would never have expected to see together so well that it feels as though they belong together.
Based on the webtoon The Kingdom of the Gods, Kingdom is a 2019 South Korean historical drama-horror series created for Netflix. Lee Chang, the crown prince of a fictional interpretation of 16th-century Korea, is forced to stand in for his ailing father as a plague begins to ravage their homeland, all while fighting off would-be-usurpers to the throne.
One of the more frightening K-dramas to have ever been released, Kingdom has plenty of moments meant to make the viewer uneasy. It does not shy away from its brutality, showing the zombies in all of their contemptible glory. It also makes the reader begin to wonder if the real monsters are the zombies or the different people scheming their way to power throughout the series.
3 Hotel Del Luna
A Romantic Series Set In The World Of The Dead
Beginning with a clever hotel manager by the name of Jang Man Wol, Hotel Del Luna revolves around a sprawling hotel that caters to a more ghostly clientele. Despite its spooky setting, the series is a particularly dedicated love story. It features Man Wol and the stoic Koo Chan Sung, who assists Man Wol with the management of the hotel throughout the series.
Not only is it the perfect Halloween romance, but Hotel Del Luna is the perfect romance for any season. It has some of the most romantic moments out of any K-drama, managing to tug on viewers’ heartstrings despite a setting so mired in death. It would be a charming addition to any Halloween binge, adding the spice of romance that so many Halloween films and shows so often miss for the sake of scares.
2 Strangers From Hell
A Thriller In Which Obsession And Mutually Assured Destruction Coexist
Also known as Hell is Other People, Strangers from Hell is an incredibly claustrophobic tale about an intern named Jong Woo and his struggles with money. Seeing no other options available to him, Yoon Jong Woo opts to stay in a cheap dormitory with neighbors that seem pulled straight from any horror movie. He soon meets Seo Moon Jo, played by the incredible Lee Dong Wook, who slowly begins to torture and manipulate Jong Woo.
Strangers From Hell is a South Korean psychological thriller series directed by Lee Chang-hee. The show follows Yoon Jong-woo, a young man who moves to Seoul for a job and ends up in a sinister, rundown apartment complex. As he encounters strange and unsettling neighbors, he becomes entangled in horrifying events, questioning the reality around him.
Strangers from Hell is perhaps so frightening because it feels like something that could happen in real life. Danger can lurk around any corner, both in real life and in cinema, and Moon Jo feels as real as any serial killer. There are no supernatural threats to fall back on here, making Moon Jo and his manipulation of Jong Woo that much more chilling.
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1 All Of Us Are Dead
It Is One Of The More Brutal Zombie Outbreak Shows
Documenting a zombie outbreak through the eyes of a group of high school students, All of Us Are Dead is a horrifying example of apocalyptic horror. With zombies originating from a science experiment gone wrong, these students must navigate a new life of survival, attempting to keep themselves safe from the outbreak. The visuals are particularly insidious, with swarms of zombies and plenty of blood to be seen.
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Compared to other zombie films and series of the same type, All of Us Are Dead manages to stand out with its erratic cast of characters and frantic style of filming. There is no downtime like there is in The Walking Dead. Every moment feels dangerous, as if one of the series protagonists could die at any moment, making it one of the best Halloween K-dramas to watch this season.
