5 Thriller K-Dramas You Should Watch if You Liked Parasyte: The Grey

Since its release in 1989, Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga Parasyte spawned many adaptations over the years. But Netflix’s recent adaptation of Parasyte: The Grey truly stands out by giving us a new story with original characters, making it a unique experience for loyal Iwaki fans and new audiences alike. The series follows Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee) as she tries to survive an alien invasion of parasitic creatures taking over the human body and being able to shapeshift their heads. She is also attacked by a parasite, but instead of dying as the host should, Su-in survives and now she must share her body with the alien.   

Although there are only 6 episodes, the series makes full use of each of them and doesn’t waste any time. Each episode is packed with action and drama, paired with amazing performances from Koo Kyo-hwan as a small-time gangster, Lee Jung-hyun as the team leader of a special task force, and Kwon Hae-hyo as a senior detective. Even though there is a lot going on in the series director Yeon Sang-ho successfully keeps everything balanced, with intricate plotlines and dynamic character arcs. We are given a story with underlying environmental and social messages, all while keeping the action engaging and enjoyable. While there’s no news of a second season yet, here are 5 more thriller K-dramas to watch if you’ve enjoyed Parasyte: The Grey. 

5. The Tyrant (2024)

This action-spy drama is the shortest series on the list, with only 4 episodes. Written and directed by Park Hoon-jung, The Tyrant is a spin-off of The Witch movie series and follows what happens when a top-secret bioweapon is lost. We watch as Choe (Kim Seon-ho), the young director of South Korea’s national intelligence agency, tries to navigate the loss of the weapon, while Chae Ja-gyeong (Jo Yoon-su), an assassin, is tasked with stealing the final sample of the weapon.

The story doesn’t waste any time, as we’re thrown into the midst of greedy and dangerous individuals all trying to get their hands on this deadly weapon. With original characters and amazing performances, The Tyrant is a thrilling and exciting series. Much like Parasyte: The Grey, it dives into questions of morality, power, and the consequences of secret experiments. We watch as greed, betrayal, and revenge endanger millions of people. It gives us an idea of the lengths governments and secret services can go to for power and how helpless the public can be to what’s going on behind closed doors. The themes of morality and ethics are explored in each episode, which is combined with captivating performances and intense action.  

4. Hellbound (2021)

Based on the webtoon created by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok, and directed by Yeon Sang-ho, the Netflix series has already released two seasons. The story follows ordinary people who receive public decrees condemning them to hell, with a specific countdown to their death. When the time runs out, three demons appear to brutally incinerate the condemned, dragging them to hell.

There are many supernatural series out there, including numerous high-profile K-dramas, but Hellbound is one of the rare ones that successfully combines the supernatural with brutal action in a single series, making it perfect for fans of both genres. In the first season, we watch Yoo Ah-in portray cult leader Jeong Jin-soo, and in the second season, he is replaced by actor Kim Sung-cheol. Despite this abrupt change in the lead, both actors do an amazing job portraying the calm and collected leader. The cast in this show is very important because the topic is very heavy and can sometimes be overwhelming. These talented actors successfully complement the subject with their amazing performances, delivering a powerful plot that matches the intensity of their portrayals.

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3. A Shop For Killers (2024)

In this series, we follow Jeong Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun), a young woman who becomes caught in the middle of a deadly shootout when her uncle Jeong Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook) unexpectedly takes his own life. She starts to uncover the secret life of her secretive uncle while trying to survive several assassins who are after her. Now, she must draw on her uncle’s wisdom and guidance from before his tragic death, using them as a crucial tool to fight for her survival.  

Within the first few minutes of the show, we immediately find ourselves caught in the bloody clash between Ji-an and a group of assassins. Like her, the audience is initially confused, trying to piece together what’s happening. The chaotic action and Ji-an’s ability to quickly adapt to life-threatening situations are reminiscent of the tense atmosphere in Parasyte: The Grey, where survival depends on rapid and decisive action. Through flashbacks to her time with her uncle, we gradually learn how she’s able to remain focused in the heat of battle and how she’s able to even use a gun. Side-by-side with Ji-an, we also put pieces together to figure out the mystery of her uncle’s secret life. Each episode is packed with action and cleverly shifts between the past and present without confusing the audience.

2. Family Matters (2024)

With an amazing cast and an original story, Family Matters is definitely one of the most underrated K-dramas of 2024. The series follows the Han family with the mother, Han Young-soo (Bae Doona), father Baek Cheol-hee (Ryoo Seung-bum), grandfather Baek Kang-seong (Baek Yoon-sik), and teenage children, Baek Ji-hoon (Lomon) and Baek Ji-woo (Lee Su-hyun) as they move to a new place, trying to live a normal life. However, it quickly becomes clear that they are far from ordinary. Bound not by blood but by choice, the family shares a haunting secret and a shadowy past they are desperately trying to escape.

The cast complement each other so well and although there are some cliches (like the moody teenage daughter), these work very well. Doona gives an amazing performance, as always, portraying a woman who has experienced unspeakable horrors and it’s also great to see the talented Seung-bum return after his long break with his timid yet determined character. We’ve seen a rise in r-rated K-dramas, and Family Matters falls into this category. This is another TV show that has put female characters at the center, especially Young-soo. Her gender is vital to the plot because the dark past she’s running from is also a woman. Much like Parasyte, the show explores themes of survival and moral ambiguity.

1. Killer Paradox (2024)

In this acclaimed Netflix series, Lee Tang (Choi Woo-shik), a college student, discovers he can identify evil people after accidentally killing a serial killer. Along with his sidekick, Roh Bin (Kim Yo-Han), the two become vigilantes, hunting down and killing bad people. Their actions attract the attention of detective Jang Nan-gam (Son Suk-ku), who is tasked with solving the murders.

The series takes the familiar concept of public vigilantes and gives it a unique twist. The century-old question lingers in every episode: Is it ok to kill a bad person? This leads to more questions, such as how far is the public allowed to go for justice? Which in turn raises more questions. The show tackles a very heavy subject, but by mixing it with humor it gives us a thrilling and dark comedy. By successfully adding this, the show doesn’t get too grim, yet the seriousness of the moral questions never loses its impact, either. It also does an amazing dive into the psychology of everyone involved. We get to see the emotional and psychological consequences of taking the law into one’s own hands through Tang, and actor Woo-shik does an amazing job with his portrayal of a man forced into a world he never imagined. This exploration of moral ambiguity, in turn, forces us to question our views on justice and what length we would to uphold it.