If The Scandal left you wanting more, here are five picks I’ve watched myself. Some are close in mood, and a couple are totally different but scratch a similar itch.
1. The Handmaiden (아가씨)
My hands-down top pick. Park Chan-wook’s 2016 film, set in 1930s Korea, is full of complicated, tangled emotions, and the cast is incredible. It’s actually adapted from a British novel, moved to Japanese-occupied Korea, and the plot keeps turning on itself in ways I didn’t see coming. The tempo is similar too, not too fast and not too slow. Heads-up: it’s even more explicit than The Scandal, so maybe not one for family movie night.
2. Mr. Sunshine (미스터 션샤인)
History, romance, and a lot of mixed emotions. If you liked how The Scandal uses its historical setting to shape who its characters can and can’t be, this one does that beautifully. It’s a long watch, but I never felt the length. Everyone’s individual story kept me curious episode to episode.
3. Bridgerton (브리저튼)
A completely different vibe, but I really enjoyed it. It’s another country’s traditional look combined with a modern storyline, which is a fun comparison after watching a Joseon-era drama. Lighter and faster, but the same love of scheming high society. The soundtrack alone, classical covers of pop songs, is worth it.
4. Thirty-Nine (서른, 아홉)
Not really a romance, but if you came to The Scandal for Son Ye-jin, this is a great next stop. It follows three girlfriends going through their late 30s, with a medium tempo and a lot of mixed emotions. It’s quieter than The Scandal, but it stays with you. It leans on ordinary conversations instead of big dramatic moments, which somehow makes it hit harder.
5. Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착)
Very popular already, so you may have seen it. But if you haven’t, this is the one that made Son Ye-jin a global name, and it’s fun to see how different she is here compared to Lady Cho. It also mixes in a lot of comedy, so it’s a good palate cleanser after something as heavy as The Scandal.