Dive into Will Poulter’s curated K-drama picks, featuring a mix of thrilling, thought-provoking, and emotionally rich films and dramas. From pulse-pounding zombie action and psychological masterpieces to heart-wrenching plotlines and morally ambiguous characters, this collection highlights stories with suspense, depth, and layered social commentary.

Will Poulter's K-Drama Watchlist

In the late 1980s Seoul, five childhood friends from the Ssangmundong neighborhood navigate their challenging teen years together. Seong Deok Seon (Lee Hye Ri) struggles with her low school ranking, Kim Jeong Hwan (Ryu Jun Yeol) is soccer-obsessed, Seong Seon Woo (Ko Gyung Pyo) is the perfect student, Ryoo Dong Ryong (Lee Dong Hwi) is a knowledgeable geek, and Choi Taek (Park Bo Gum) is a genius baduk player who dropped out of school. As they support each other through various misadventures, they form unbreakable bonds that will shape their future lives. Their shared experiences and friendship become a testament to the power of youth and community during a transformative era in South Korean history. This is a 2015 South Korean nostalgic drama series directed by Shin Won Ho, the third installment in the "Reply" drama series.

Reply 1988

The Lucky Eights Team

In a quiet South Korean village, a Japanese stranger (Kunimura Jun) arrives, triggering a series of disturbing events. Policeman Jong Goo (Kwak Do Won) investigates mysterious sightings of a flesh-eating, red-eyed demon and a spreading, inexplicable sickness. When his already-ill daughter falls sick, Jong Goo's desperation intensifies. Teaming up with a shaman named Il Gwang (Hwang Jung Min) and a mysterious woman in white, he fights to save the village from impending doom. As supernatural forces threaten to consume everything, Jong Goo must confront the terrifying evil that has descended upon his community. This is a 2016 South Korean horror movie directed by Na Hong Jin.

The Wailing

The Wailling Team

Fund manager Seok Woo (Gong Yoo) is a workaholic father who reluctantly agrees to take his daughter to Busan on the KTX train. As they board with other passengers, a sudden zombie outbreak transforms the high-speed train into a terrifying battleground for survival. When an infected passenger turns into a zombie, the infection spreads rapidly through the train, turning most passengers into flesh-eating monsters. Seok Woo must protect his daughter and work with the remaining survivors to navigate the zombie-infested train and landscape. With the military establishing a potential safe zone in Busan, the group fights desperately to avoid infection and reach safety. Their journey becomes a heart-pounding struggle against the zombie pandemic, testing their courage, resourcefulness, and will to survive. This is a 2016 South Korean horror-action film directed by Yeon Sang Ho.

Train to Busan

🧟‍ Next Stop Zombieland 🧟‍

JTBC

After serving the Jin family and Soonyang Group faithfully for years, Yoon Hyeon Woo (Song Joong Ki) is embroiled in their succession battle and tragically murdered as collateral damage. Miraculously, fate gives him a chance to exact his revenge when he finds he’s brought back in time inside the body of Jin Do Jun, the youngest grandson of Jin Yang Cheol (Lee Sung Min), the CEO of Soonyang Group. Using his new identity and knowledge of the future, Do Jun plots a hostile takeover of the Soonyang Group. Will Do Jun succeed in his revenge and find his murderer? Based on the webtoon of the same name by San Kyung, this 2022 South Korean drama series was directed by Jung Dae Yoon.

Reborn Rich

🥊Reborn to Avenge Team🎯

Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) is devastated by the sudden and tragic death of her favorite star, Ryu Sun Jae (Byun Woo Seok), a former swimmer turned K-pop idol. But in the midst of her anguish, she magically time slips back to 2008 – when Sun Jae is still only 19 years old! Delighted that she has a chance to help him avert his unhappy future fate, Sol makes it her mission to change the future... and maybe find love along the way. Will her efforts to divert the course of the past prove successful – or could they have unexpected consequences? This 2024 South Korean drama was adapted from a web novel named “The Best of Tomorrow” by Kim Bbang and was directed by Kim Tae Yeop and Yoon Jong Ho.

Lovely Runner

✨ The Marvellous ✨ team

TVING

Despite Youn Ga Min's (Hwang Min Hyun) natural gift in martial arts, he dreams of academic success. However, the school he attends is notoriously attended by troubled students, making it difficult to succeed, and carries dark secrets – including a past teacher's murder. Determined to boost his grades, Ga Min forms a study group with Kim Se Hyun (Lee Jong Hyun) and other like-minded students, but the group soon finds itself targeted by bullies, led by Pi Han Ul (Cha Woo Min). Ga Min refuses to let his study group get beaten down, unleashing his fighting skills to defend them. Idealistic teacher Han Kyeong​ (Han Ji Eun), Ga Min's former tutor, also wants the school to do better, but she harbors some secrets of her own. Can Ga Min and Han Kyeong help this disastrous school?

Study Group

📝  The Diligent  📚  team

A modern-day college student suddenly finds her soul transported into the body of Cha Sun Chaek (Seohyun), a minor character in her favorite historical fantasy web novel. As she tries to adjust to her new world, Sun Chaek accidentally gets drunk and runs into Yi Beon (Taecyeon): the cold, handsome Prince Gyeong Seong and male lead of the novel. In her intoxication, Sun Chaek and Yi Beon seem to spend the night together... and the next morning, Yi Beon insists that they get married! Alarmed, Sun Chaek tries to steer Yi Beon back toward Cho Eun Ae (Kwon Han Sol), the original female lead, but Yi Beon remains undeterred, completely changing the novel's plot. Will "Sun Chaek" manage to make it back to her own world and set the story straight – or will she pursue a happy ending with the prince? This series was adapted from the web comic of the same name by Hwang Do Tol.

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