Check out the best action and thriller/suspense dramas to watch right now – we've got something for everyone!

Must-Watch Action Dramas

Having long dreamt of the day she could move into a place of her own, Police Officer Yoon Sae Bom (Han Hyo Joo) is counting down the days until the construction of the city’s brand-new high-rise apartment building is complete. With her long-time friend and fellow officer, Detective Jung Yi Hyun (Park Hyung Sik) planning to move into the complex as well, Sae Bom is certain her new home is going to be nothing short of perfect. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be more wrong. Not long after moving in, a strange sickness begins to spread throughout the building, leaving the city with no choice but to quarantine the residents. Cut off from the outside world, will the uninfected residents find a way to save themselves from this living nightmare? This 2021 South Korean fantasy action thriller series was directed by Ahn Gil Ho.

Happiness

One of the three hallowed mountains of Korea, Mount Jiri has been attracting visitors to its majestic grounds long before the park surrounding it was created. Founded in 1967, Jirisan National Park is the oldest and largest of the country’s national parks, managed by a dedicated team of rangers who have devoted their lives not only to protecting and preserving the park, but the countless visitors who trek through the extensive grounds every year. Among these rangers is the incomparable Seo Yi Kang (Jun Ji Hyun). Considered by many to be the best of the best, Yi Kang’s knowledge of the park and skill as a tracker has saved countless lives. At her side stands Kang Hyun Jo (Joo Ji Hoon), an ex-military lieutenant who decided to become a ranger after experiencing a horrific incident on the Jiri mountain. Though he may be only a rookie, his military experience makes him an exceptional ranger and a reliable partner for Yi Kang. Reporting to Jo Dae Jin (Sung Dong Il), the head of the Haedong Branch Office, Yi Kang, Hyung Jo, and the very practical Jung Goo Young (Oh Jung Se), make up an impressive team of rangers who daily risk their lives to save others. But when mysterious rumors start floating around about the mountain’s unexplored regions, the strength of each member of this intrepid crew is put to the test. Will their skill be enough to unravel the mysteries of Mount Jiri, or will the untamed wilds of the mountain prove to be too much?

Jirisan

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Thirty-five years ago, the nation was rocked by a series of explosions that claimed the lives of numerous victims. Set off by a serial killer with a sick and twisted agenda, the string of horribly violent crimes became known as the Chimera Case. After leaving a trail of chaos and carnage in his wake the Chimera Killer eventually disappeared. Despite the high profile of the case, what became of the killer has remained a mystery. Until now.

When an explosion, very similar to those that rocked the nation in 1984, brings the Chimera Killer to the forefront of everyone’s mind, Detective Cha Jae Hwan (Park Hae Soo) is eager to take the case. Convinced this recent explosion is connected to the serial killings of the past, Detective Cha is determined to catch the criminal responsible for these heinous acts. Teaming up with Yoo Jin (Kim Soo Hyun), a former FBI agent who now works as a criminal profiler, and a skilled surgeon by the name of Lee Joong Yeob (Lee Hee Joon), the three work tirelessly to track down the killer. But the deeper they dig into the case, the more horrifying things become.

Endlessly taunting the detective and his team, the Chimera Killer pushes each of them to the brink. Fighting against the panic that’s beginning to set in, does the trio have what it takes to catch the killer before they strike again?

Full of heart-pounding action and suspense, “Chimera” is a 2021 thriller crime drama directed by Kim Do Hoon.

Chimera

Chimera Team

Kang Yo Han (Ji Sung) is the “Devil Judge” – the head judge of the highest court in the land. In a dystopian South Korea of the future, his word is the law, but his courtroom is also a television studio, and the court has become the ultimate TV reality show, with viewers invited to participate in a live, self-styled “people’s court.” Here, greed and corruption are apparently exposed for all the nation to see, and punishments meted out accordingly. A divisive figure, the public is unsure as to whether Kang Yo Han is a true popular hero or a malicious force sowing the seeds of chaos in his court.

Meanwhile, Jung Sun Ah (Kim Min Jung) is a tough, intelligent, and ambitious woman with a hunger for power. She has formed a bitter rivalry with Kang Yo Han and has risen from poverty to become the director of a corporate social responsibility foundation. She wields considerable behind-the-scenes power, maintaining close ties with politicians and business leaders alike – and is hellbent on promoting her own vision of the future. She is also gunning for the “Devil Judge” himself – hopeful of uncovering her rival’s darkest secrets.

Into this turbulent world step two childhood friends on a quest for true justice: a rookie orphan judge called Kim Ga On (Jinyoung) and a police officer named Yoon Soo Hyun (Park Gyu Young). Do they have what it takes to take on the scheming Jung Sun Ah...and the “Devil Judge?”

“The Devil Judge” is a 2021 South Korean drama series that was directed by Choi Jung Gyu.

The Devil Judge

Huo Yan (Gong Jun) is a steel-willed, determined firefighter whose outstanding bravery, strength, and resolve has led him from the Civil Defence Academy to rising star status in the fire and rescue service. Within just a few years, he has risen to become the vice-captain of his unit. But as he is married to his job, he has never spared a thought for romance – and has never even liked a woman. But all that changes on the fateful day his team is forced to call on the help of a group of medics from the Emergency Department. Among their number is an equally devoted, but bubbly young female doctor named Yan Lan (Zhang Hui Wen).

When the duo are forced to team up to save the life of a woman trapped in the debris of a traffic accident, they become drawn to one another. Soon, a range of other incidents, including a raging inferno in an apartment complex, forces Huo Yan’s fire unit to work together more closely with Yan Lan’s medical professionals. Soon, the teams – and their star members Huo Yan and Yan Lan – are forced to spend more time together. Huo Yan quickly realizes he is falling for Yan Lan, although he is not sure how he should proceed about this. And in the meantime, some of his coworkers also begin to fall for Emergency Department medics. Can this love-struck duo continue to help save lives? And will their romance ever have time to fully bloom?

“The Flaming Heart” is a 2021 Chinese drama series that was directed by Zhang Li Chuan.

The Flaming Heart

💖 Flaming Hearts Team 🔥

Former Special Forces officer Kim Do Ki (Lee Je Hoon) has always lived an honest life, but his world is shattered when his mother is murdered. Driven by a desperate need for justice, Do Ki meets Jang Sung Chul (Kim Eui Sung), who recruits him to work for his company Rainbow Taxi, a secret organization masquerading as a taxi service. Rainbow Taxi specializes in avenging victims of crimes that the law fails to address. Excelling in his new role, Do Ki grapples with the true meaning of justice. Meanwhile, prosecutor Kang Ha Na (Esom) finds her sense of right and wrong challenged as her investigation into Rainbow Taxi uncovers the organization's effectiveness. Based on the webtoon “The Deluxe Taxi (Red Cage)” by Carlos and Lee Jae-jin, this 2021 South Korean series was directed by Park Joon Woo.

Taxi Driver

Working as a member of the regional investigation unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Detective Lee Hwa Sun’s (Kim Ok Bin) life has never been easy. A widow, whose husband was brutally murdered, Hwa Sun has dedicated her life to helping others, despite the fact that the mystery behind her own husband's death remains unsolved. Trying her best to move forward, Hwa Sun’s life is turned upside down the day she receives a phone call from her husband’s killer.

Following the murderer’s lead, Hwa Sun travels to Mujishi in search of answers but what she finds is a scene beyond all human comprehension. Situated on the edge of a deep sinkhole, the entire city is permeated with a mysterious dark smoke which rises from its inky depths. Worse than the eerie vapor are the effects this smoke seems to be having on the city’s residents. No longer human, the citizens of Mujishi have mutated into living nightmares. Teaming up with Yoo Tae Han (Lee Joon Hyuk), a former detective and Mujishi native, Hwa Sun must find a way to save the city and catch her husband’s killer before it’s too late.

Against impossible odds, Hwa Sun and Tae Han prepare to take on a city overrun by monsters in a quest for answers that could very well cost them their lives. Are they up to the challenge or will they succumb to the mysterious power of the dark hole?

A chilling mystery from start to finish, “Dark Hole” is a 2021 sci-fi action thriller drama directed by Kim Bong Joo.

Dark Hole

Not Quite a Dark Team

Rookie cop Jung Ba Reum (Lee Seung Gi) is dedicated to justice and his job. While he’s content with his life, everything changes when a psychopathic serial killer terrorizes the nation. Teaming up with his partner, Go Mu Chi (Lee Hee Joon), Ba Reum hunts down the elusive murderer, but surviving a deadly encounter with the killer alters his life forever. Shaken by the experience, Ba Reum becomes obsessed with understanding the mind of a psychopath, diving into a dark and dangerous quest for answers. As the line between right and wrong begins to blur, Ba Reum must confront terrifying truths that may shatter everything he thought he knew. This 2021 South Korean mystery drama was directed by Choi Joon Bae and Kang Cheol Woo.

Mouse

🐭 The Mouseketeers Team 🐭 

Ji Oh (Kim Rae Won) is a man in possession of unearthly powers and fighting skills – the only problem is, he has no idea who he is, how he got where he did, and why he is being pursued by people keen to capture him and learn his secrets. He isn’t even sure he is fully human.

The intrigue deepens as he learns about a mysterious group of scientists at an institution named Human Tech, and a secretive genetics and biotech project codenamed L.U.C.A.

This shadowy group, assembled by a secretive mastermind, is conducting curious experiments in a bid to create the perfect human, The group wants to learn Ji Oh’s secrets – as does another fearsome individual, a special forces agent named Lee Son (Kim Sung Oh) who also possesses otherworldly powers.

Ji Oh’s only ally is a female detective named Gu Reum (Lee Da Hee) – a woman on a quest to discover the truth behind her parents’ deaths.

Together, they hunt for answers – but who is hunting them?

“L.U.C.A.: The Beginning” is a 2021 South Korean drama series that was directed by Kim Hong Sun.

L.U.C.A.: The Beginning

The Children of LUCA 

The residents of Hera Palace, a luxury penthouse apartment with 100 floors, have many secrets and hidden ambitions. Sim Su Ryeon, who was born into wealth, is the queen of the penthouse apartment. Cheon Seo Jin, the prima donna of the residence, does all she can to give everything to her daughter. Oh Yoon Hee comes from a poor family background, but she strives to enter high society by becoming the queen of the penthouse, the pinnacle of success in her eyes.

The Penthouse

The Penthouse Tangles Team

Seo Jin and Dan Tae eventually get rid of everyone who was in their way. They shamelessly frame Yoon Hee for the murder of Su Ryeon and even cover up the death of Seol A. The residents of Hera Palace believe everything will return to how it used to be. However, the tides change when Yoon Hee escapes prison and Eun Byeol discovers the truth. Their mysterious fates are still yet to be seen. Will they manage to protect their precious palace until the very end?

The Penthouse 2

💥 The Penthouse Tangles II 💥

To outside observers, it looks like metal-worker Baek Hee Sung (Lee Joon Gi) and homicide detective Cha Ji Won (Moon Chae Won) have a perfect life: they’re happily married with a beautiful young daughter. But Hee Sung is hiding secrets from his family… and when Ji Won is dispatched to a puzzling and violent new case, she learns that her husband is somehow implicated. As she investigates, she begins to discover that the man she loves may not be who she thinks he is. Could he have taken on a secret identity? And if he is lying about his real identity, what other skeletons could be lurking in the family closet? This 2020 South Korean drama series was directed by Kim Cheol Kyu.

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