One of the best Korean movies of the past decade, Parasite was a masterclass in psychological thrillers, and this K-drama from 2019 is the perfect show for fans of Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film. Released at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, Parasite stars Song Kang-ho and Lee Sun-kyun and tells the story of the Kims, a low-income family that schemes and takes advantage of their rich employer.

To this day, Parasite remains one of the most influential South Korean movies. It became the first non-English film to win an Academy Award and received great reviews from critics and audiences, paving the way for other Korean movies and TV shows to become even more popular worldwide. While Parasite is in a league of its own, there’s a K-drama that fans of the movie should check out.

Strangers From Hell Is A Psychological Thriller About A Small Town Man Moving To Seoul

Strangers From Hell Is A Psychological Thriller With Deep Themes

Released in 2019, Strangers From Hell, or Hell Is Other People, is based on the webtoon of the same name by Kim Yong-ki. The horror K-drama follows Yoon Jong-woo, a 26-year-old man who relocates to Seoul from a small town after he gets a job in the city. Due to his financial status, Jong-woo is unable to afford an apartment in a nice neighborhood. He reluctantly moves into Eden Studio, a broken-down building where he has to share the kitchen and bathroom with the other residents.

Because of how dilapidated his new living space is, Jong-won doesn’t plan to live there for a long time. Instead, he wants to move out of his apartment as soon as he saves up enough money. During his stay, strange things began happening. Jong-woo not only has to deal with his suspicious neighbors, such as Lee Dong-wook’s Seo Moon-jo, but also has to face his demons. Strangers From Hell is an intense psychological thriller that will keep you guessing. The K-drama’s cast is incredible, and the plot twists and dark themes make it a joy to watch.

Strangers From Hell Explores A Lot Of Deep Themes (While Also Being Scary)

Strangers From Hell Offers Smart Commentary

Although Strangers From Hell is a horror, the K-drama doesn’t solely rely on jump scares. Instead, it draws audiences in with the fact that things are not as they seem. The Korean television series uses its dark tone and setting to create a scary environment. The mental torture and paranoia that Jung-woo goes through as he tries to figure out what’s really going on in his sinister apartment building play on the fact that horrors don’t have to be bloody to create fear, but can be just as good when they rely on mental anguish.

Like most psychological thriller K-dramas, Strangers From Hell includes deep themes that make audiences think and go beyond the surface of the story. Jong-woo, the show’s protagonist, lives with PTSD from his time in the army. As such, it’s difficult to tell whether he is a reliable narrator. Jong-woo is also incredibly lonely and has to figure things out by himself, an experience that many people pursuing their dreams go through.

Apart from the mental health themes, Strangers From Hell also raises one of the most famous questions about human nature. The tenants in Eden Studios engage in morally reprehensible acts, which may lead one to wonder if humans are born evil or become like that due to the circumstances they find themselves in. Further, Strangers From Hell shows that everyone has a breaking point. It takes one action to turn someone who tried to be good their whole life, and make them into a version of themself they tried to suppress.

If You Liked Parasite, You Should Check Out Strangers From Hell

Strangers From Hell And Parasite Have A Few Things In Common

Although many K-dramas and Korean films explore similar themes to Parasite, Strangers From Hell is the perfect watch for fans of Bong Joon-ho’s movie. Parasite, like Strangers From Hell, explores subjects like inequality and the struggles that both rich and poor people deal with.

Due to how Strangers From Hell is more than a psychological thriller and the fact that it is deeper than audiences initially perceive it to be, it is the perfect Parasite follow-up. The K-drama’s twisty ending and social commentary are some of its biggest draws, so if you liked Parasite but are looking to watch something that is even darker, then Strangers From Hell should be your next K-drama.