10 More Thrilling Female-Led Thrillers
The 12-episode K-drama Little Women finally came to an end after six consecutive weeks of plot twists and even more plot twists! The show was full of intense thrills, action, melodrama, and fantasy. It’s certainly not your typical K-drama with genres of romance and comedy mixed together. However, it’s Kim Go-eun’s innocent acting skills that managed to give fans a few laughs.
There were also elements of romance with Nam Ji-hyun and Kang Hoon’s characters In-kyung and Jong-ho respectively as well as angst with Kim Go-eun and Wi Ha-joon’s characters In-joo and Do-il.
However, the fantasy thriller was loved by mature fans who enjoyed action-packed sequences backed up with great storytelling and fantastic cinematography.
If you’ve finished this one and are looking for something similar, we’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing. We present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming Little Women.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Similarities: Secret society, Fantasy, Feminist fiction
The American show The Handmaid’s Tale is adapted from the classic novel by Margaret Atwood of the same name. The show narrates the tale of life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States.
After a staged attack that killed the President of the United States, a religion-based autocracy has taken over most of the country to be called Gilead. In this country, women are second-class citizens. Anyone trying to escape is punished. One such person is June named Offred, who is captured while trying to escape with her husband and child and is sentenced to be a handmaid, bearing children for childless government officials.
You can read our thoughts on The Handmaid’s Tale in our full season review here!
The Devil Judge
Similarities: Mystery, Angst
The dystopian Korean drama, The Devil Judge is set in a time of chaos in the country. A judge turns the court into something like a reality show and punishes evil people mercilessly. Kang Yo-han (played by Ji Sung) is a judge who punishes corrupt and greedy men with power.
Jung Sun-a (played by Kim Min-jung) is an executive director of the Social Responsibility Foundation. She is smart and beautiful and also is Kang Yo-han’s enemy. She has the power to control the country by using her relationships. Kim Ga-on (played by Park Jin-young) is a rookie judge who has experienced difficult times after he lost his parents as a child. Yoon Soo-Hyun (played by Park Gyu-young) is a detective. She is Kim Ga-on’s long-time friend and chases after Kang Yo-han’s secret.
You can read our thoughts on The Devil Judge in our full season review here!
Who Killed Sara?
Similarities: Mystery, Melodrama, Thriller
The Mexican mystery thriller series follows Álex Guzmán, who, after spending 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, is hellbent on finding out who killed his sister Sara and getting revenge on the Lazcano family who wronged him.
While the later seasons do tend to deviate a little too wildly into melodrama, this is still well worth a watch.
You can read our thoughts on Who Killed Sara in our full season reviews here!
Alice In Borderland
Similarities: Fantasy, Drama, Thriller
The fantasy Japanese drama Alice In Borderland narrates the story of Ryohei Arisu, an unemployed young man, whose life has not been very happy. One day, a mysterious light appears and, afterwards. everybody disappears except for Arisu and his two friends.
Set in post-apocalyptic Tokyo, Arisu and his two friends are forced to take part in a survival game with their lives at stake.
You can read our thoughts on Alice in Borderland in our full season review here!
Big Little Lies
Similarities: Mystery, Thriller
The American dark comedy narrates a tale of murder. The show narrates a tale of mystery through the eyes of three mothers – Madeline, Celeste and Jane. The show’s narrative explores society’s myths regarding perfection and its romanticisation of marriage, sex, parenting and friendship.
Starring actors Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley as the three prominent “mothers of Monterey”, Big Little Lies follows the life as well as the lies of doting moms, successful husbands, beautiful children, and stunning homes in a community that runs on rumours and is split between the haves and have-nots, exposing fractured relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children.
You can read our thoughts on Big Little Lies in our full season review here!
Mad Dog
Similarities: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Crime
The crime thriller Mad Dog narrates the story of Choi Kang-woo, former police and leader of Taeyang Insurance’s investigator’s team. One day he decides to create his own investigation team called Mad Dog after an airplane crash that took the life of his wife and son.
Two years later, he meets Kim Min-joon, a genius former swindler who is the younger brother of Kim Beom-joon, the co-pilot of the crashed JH 801 airplane, who was touted of crashing the aircraft on purpose in a suicide attempt.
Inside Man
Similarities: Mystery, Thriller
The 2022 American show narrates the story of Tucci, a man on US death row. Tucci is seeking atonement as he faces execution. On a train in England, a journalist named West is looking for a story. In a quiet little village, a vicar named Harry Watling is picking up his son’s maths tutor, Wells, from the station. All four are about to be entangled in a dilemma that could lead one of them to murder.
Hellbound
Similarities: Fantasy, Thriller, Drama
Hellbound is a horror thriller that revolves around the plot where people hear predictions on when they will die. When that time comes, a death angel appears in front of them and kills them. Jung Jin-soo is the head of the new religion, Saejinrihwe.
Bae Young-jae is a PD for a broadcasting station. He tries to dig out the truth about the religious group Saejinrihwe.
You can read our thoughts on Hellbound in our full season review here!
Abyss
Similarities: Crime Fiction, Fantasy
The Korean drama Abyss narrates the story of Ko Se-yeon, a beautiful prosecutor who is great at her job. After dying in a car accident, Se-yeon is mysteriously revived with a different appearance. The mysterious bead Abyss revives dead persons, but they gain a different appearance. Their appearance depends on how good their spirit was.
Meanwhile, Cha Min is the successor of a cosmetics company. He is smart, humble and has a good heart but is unattractive. Cha Min gets into a fatal accident but the bead revives him to have a handsome appearance.
The King: Eternal Monarch
Similarities: Fantasy, Action
Riding on the idea of the existence of a parallel Universe, the 2020 K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch narrates the story of King Lee Gon who governs the Kingdom of Corea. Years after his uncle murdered his father and acquired one-half of the Manpasikjeok, a legendary flute that holds supernatural powers, Lee Gon is further motivated to find Lieutenant Jeong Tae-eul from the future who saved his life.
Meanwhile, in another world, Jeong Tae-eul is a detective in the Violent Crimes Division at the Seoul Police Station in the Republic of Korea. Divided between two parallel universes, Lee Gon and Tae-eul are riddled with finding Lee Gon’s uncle who is responsible for multiple violent deaths in both universes.
You can read our thoughts on The King: Eternal Monarch in our full season review here!
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished with Little Women on Netflix!
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!