The Holidays Are Long! Recommended Foreign Dramas to Binge-Watch During Chuseok

I am busy. Why? Because, as mentioned in the previous article 'Recommended Korean Dramas', I am struggling to decide what to recommend to the readers. Of course, I am exaggerating a bit. Generally, diligent workers are usually busy. (I am definitely not making excuses) Anyway, if you are wondering what to watch to make this long holiday enjoyable, I hope you will consider the dramas below as candidates. Although it was not intentional, it has become a collection of popular works by platform, so no matter which OTT service you subscribe to, you should be able to find at least one work. I hope the readers of this article have a happy holiday, and I will introduce the recommended works from the reporters.

Kim Ji-yeon - Apple TV+ 〈The Studio〉

I doubted my eyes. I thought it was just someone who looked like him. There is a drama featuring none other than Martin Scorsese. He even acts well. Martin Scorsese has been nominated for an acting award for the first time in his career with 〈The Studio〉. Scorsese is nominated for the 'Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series' at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Apple TV+ 〈The Studio〉 is a comedy series directed, produced, and starring comedian Seth Rogen, satirizing the Hollywood film industry. The plot of the first episode, in which Martin Scorsese makes a special appearance as 'Martin Scorsese', is as follows. The protagonist accidentally becomes the head of a Hollywood film production company. Due to the success of 〈Barbie〉, it has become a trend in Hollywood to acquire various IPs. Since the production company has acquired the IP of a drink called 'Kool-Aid', the protagonist finds himself in a position where he must make a 'Kool-Aid' movie. Let's say 'Kool-Aid' is similar to our country's 'Coolpis'. So, he has to make a movie about 'Coolpis' instead of 〈Barbie〉. Meanwhile, the master Martin Scorsese expresses his desire to make a movie about the 'Jonestown Mass Suicide'. In reality, the Jonestown Mass Suicide is known to have involved cult members mixing poison into a drink similar to Kool-Aid... So, isn't this a 'Kool-Aid' movie? Let's buy the script right away! That's the story.

The subsequent episodes of 〈The Studio〉 are all structured around episodes, making it easy to watch one episode at a time. Episode 2, 'One Take', is a chaotic comedy reminiscent of the movie 〈Spiderhead〉's obsession with 'plancessance', and it is cleverly directed as if it were truly one continuous shot (one continuous short). Additionally, cameos that make you think, “Why is this person here?” like Martin Scorsese appear in every episode, making it a great pleasure to discover such surprises. 〈The Studio〉 can also be viewed on Tving's Apple TV+ brand channel.

Joo Sung-cheol - Disney+ 〈Alien: Earth〉

The crew slowly awakens one by one from artificial hibernation. If you are a fan of the 〈Alien〉 series, your heart will race at the first scene, which starts with the same hibernation machine and frame structure as the first part directed by Ridley Scott in 1979. Disney+ 〈Alien: Earth〉 is a new work and the first TV series following the feature film 〈Alien: Romulus〉 (2024), and it is a prequel to the first part. Set in Earth in 2020, dominated by five companies including Prodigy, Weyland-Yutani, Lynch, Dynamic, and Threshold, a new entity called 'Hybrid' appears alongside the 'Synthetic Androids' that have been familiar in the series. The mysterious space exploration vessel USCSS Maginot crash-lands on Earth, and while searching the interior, Hybrid Wendy (Sydney Chandler) and soldiers engage in a battle with unidentified alien life forms. In addition to the familiar Xenomorph, various alien life forms appear. The initial atmosphere was good. As new characters and settings emerged, I wondered if the pace was too slow, but as it progressed into the middle, I realized, 'Ah, there is a plan!' However, the lack of momentum left an overall sense of disappointment (fans of the Xenomorph might be angry about the reduced presence and weak combat power), but as a fan of the 〈Alien〉 series, I could definitely feel the 'homage' vibe like in the aforementioned first scene. In a situation where there are no recommended foreign series for the Chuseok holiday, 〈Alien: Earth〉 is worth spending time on.

Sung Chan-eol - Netflix 〈The Residence〉

Who do you think is Netflix's famous detective? If you say 'Benoit Blanc', it's time for an update. In 2025, Netflix released several new mystery genre works, one of which is the movie 〈The Thursday Murder Club〉 and the other is the drama 〈The Residence〉. Since I need to recommend a foreign drama, let me explain the latter: the crime scene is none other than the White House. During a state dinner centered around the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Australia, the body of Chief Administrator AB Winter is discovered. Although they try to cover it up for fear it might cause international issues, the famous detective Cordelia Kupp has a different idea. He struggles to uncover the truth, of course, while never letting go of the most important 'birdwatching'.

〈The Residence〉 not only deals with a murder mystery but also shows the circumstances of revisiting a human life. As various faces of AB Winter, who has spent many years as a White House administrator, are vividly portrayed, Cordelia Kupp's typical 'genius detective' antics captivate the audience. AB Winter is played by Giancarlo Esposito, who is currently more active than anyone else, and Cordelia Kupp is played by Uzo Aduba, who became a star with 〈Orange Is the New Black〉. Korean-American actor Randall Park delivers his unique 'bingu' as Edwin, an FBI agent (who often gets swayed by Cordelia Kupp). The conflicts between characters, sharp humor, and various 'scandals' that sometimes cross the line create a uniquely entertaining experience that is hard to grasp. If you want a drama that continuously releases dopamine, give it a try this time.

Choo Ah-young - Netflix 〈Adolescence〉

The Netflix series 〈Adolescence〉 follows the story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) who is arrested on suspicion of murdering a classmate. The work is filmed in one take for each episode, capturing the subtle psychological changes of the characters in real-time amidst the whirlwind of uncontrollable events. 〈Adolescence〉 has established itself as this year's work, enhanced by the astonishing filming and the brilliant performance of 15-year-old actor Owen Cooper, along with the presence of director Philip Barantini and actor Stephen Graham.

Reflecting the dark side of society, 〈Adolescence〉 addresses issues of social media alienation and the online group culture of teenagers. It delicately examines the problems occurring among today's teenagers to the extent that it is used as educational material in countries like the UK, France, and the Netherlands. It also captures the landscape of schools where students focus on their smartphones and do not pay attention to teachers, showcasing the decline of teacher authority. Additionally, it targets the issues of male supremacy and incel culture that rationalize hatred and violence against women. If you are interested in the increasingly accelerating social issues, I recommend binge-watching this drama. 〈Adolescence〉 won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Program in 2025.