15 Asian Actresses Dominating Horror/Thrillers Lately

Asian horror and thrillers keep reaching wider audiences through global streamers and international theatrical runs. As studios back franchises and bold one offs, a growing group of actresses has become closely tied to the genre with lead roles, scene driving antagonists, and franchise defining turns.

This list spotlights recent projects across film and television that put these performers at the center of suspense. You will find titles that expanded long running universes, festival premieres that traveled worldwide, and streaming hits that drew new viewers to regional cinema and series.

Bae Doona

Bae Doona anchors period horror and modern thrillers with projects that put survival and investigation first. She led the royal court fight against a fast moving plague in the series ‘Kingdom’ and brought measured intensity to disaster and creature features including ‘The Host’ which paired grounded character work with large scale scares.

Her work often links procedural elements to supernatural outbreaks. In ‘Kingdom’ she navigates palace intrigue and field medicine while facing escalating threats. Alongside this, she has maintained a steady presence in contemporary crime stories where forensic detail and tactical decision making drive the plot.

Jun Ji hyun

Jun Ji hyun expanded the ‘Kingdom’ universe with ‘Kingdom Ashin of the North’ where her character’s backstory explains the origin of the plague. The special episode connects frontier survival, vengeance, and folklore to the main series and sets up future storylines.

She also headlines high stakes capers and manhunts in films like ‘The Thieves’ and ‘Assassination’ which blend espionage beats with precision set pieces. These roles highlight cross border crews, double identities, and coordinated operations that keep the tension high from scene to scene.

Han So hee

Han So hee fronted the revenge driven series ‘My Name’ where undercover infiltration and close quarters combat define the thriller arc. The show follows identity shifts inside a drug syndicate and a police unit with each episode building toward controlled payoffs.

She continued in creature horror with ‘Gyeongseong Creature’ which combines wartime occupation settings with lab born monstrosities. The series uses confined spaces, period technology, and ethical gray zones to push its characters into decisive action under constant threat.

Park Shin hye

Park Shin hye starred in the phone linked thriller ‘The Call’ opposite a time hopping antagonist. The film’s structure uses a single location and branching timelines to escalate consequences with each conversation and decision.

She also carried survival drama in ‘Alive’ where urban isolation and limited resources create a step by step escape plan. The story tracks improvised communication, floor by floor navigation, and coordination with strangers to outpace an outbreak inside a locked down city.

Jeon Jong seo

Jeon Jong seo delivered a widely discussed villain turn in ‘The Call’ that drives the film’s temporal chess match. Her character’s choices reshape past events and trap the present in a tightening loop which the protagonist must decipher in real time.

She brought similar intensity to the heist thriller ‘Money Heist Korea Joint Economic Area’ by taking on a role that mixes negotiation scenes with breakout attempts. The adaptation uses a newly formed financial zone as the staging ground for high pressure standoffs and tactical pivots.

Kim Da mi

Kim Da mi broke out with the action horror hybrid ‘The Witch Part 1 The Subversion’ and returned to the universe with ‘The Witch Part 2 The Other One’. The films follow human experiments and fugitive escapes where pursuit teams and enhanced abilities collide.

Her thriller work places her in the middle of conspiracies run by private labs and shadow units. Each entry tracks movement between safe houses, remote facilities, and crowded public spaces while outlining the rules behind the project that created the fugitives.

Kim Hyun joo

Kim Hyun joo took on apocalyptic prophecy and public panic in ‘Hellbound’ where sudden decrees condemn targets and summon lethal apparitions. The series studies new religious groups, media amplification, and state response as fear spreads across the city.

She continued with ‘The Bequeathed’ which ties inheritance disputes to buried crimes in a rural community. The plot unpacks land records, family registries, and forensic details while mapping how a disputed property links to a string of disappearances.

Tang Wei

Tang Wei’s turn in ‘Decision to Leave’ anchors a romantic thriller that threads a homicide investigation through interrogations and stakeouts. The film tracks evidence handling, translation gaps, and surveillance work as a detective navigates conflicting motives.

Her filmography also includes espionage narratives where code words, drop sites, and shifting loyalties shape the outcome. These stories rely on methodical information gathering and careful timing rather than spectacle which keeps the focus on character choices.

Chicha Amatayakul

Chicha Amatayakul headlines the anthology series ‘Girl from Nowhere’ as a transfer student who exposes wrongdoing through elaborate traps. Each episode functions like a standalone case file that blends school settings with moral reckoning and sharp twists.

The show’s structure lets her move through different institutions with new targets and rules in each story. It uses diaries, rumor chains, and social media footprints to uncover patterns before pushing the guilty into situations that reveal their secrets.

Nadine Lustre

Nadine Lustre led the techno horror film ‘Deleter’ which follows a night shift content moderator in a high security office. The plot uses screen recordings, access logs, and surveillance blind spots to chart a descent that blurs work protocol with personal risk.

The role connects to a wider local slate of thrillers where urban workplaces and digital traces become sources of threat. Production design emphasizes cramped cubicles, multiple monitors, and locked server rooms which turn routine tasks into pressure points.

Tara Basro

Tara Basro fronts the modern revival of Indonesian folk terror with ‘Satan’s Slaves’ and continuation ‘Satan’s Slaves Communion’. The films place a family inside a community haunted by ritual history where blackouts and storm seasons heighten vulnerability.

Her performances guide audiences through evacuation plans, generator failures, and stairwell chases inside aging buildings. Sound design and practical effects support the tension while the scripts weave regional beliefs into a contemporary survival story.

Chelsea Islan

Chelsea Islan stars in ‘May the Devil Take You’ and ‘May the Devil Take You Chapter Two’ which follow occult bargains and their fallout. The narrative sends the lead back into abandoned houses, orphanages, and ritual sites to confront a curse tied to family debts.

The films use handheld photography, trap doors, and hidden rooms to stage confrontations with demonic forces. Each installment expands the rules of possession and exorcism while connecting new survivors to the original incident.

Triptii Dimri

Triptii Dimri headlined the Gothic horror ‘Bulbbul’ which reframes a haunting through folklore and colonial era settings. The film builds its mystery through letters, childhood memories, and village rumors that lead to a reveal rooted in local myth.

Her later work in psychological dramas continues to use unreliable narration and music driven sequences. These projects rely on carefully placed clues and visual motifs rather than jump scares which keeps attention on the evolving investigation.

Taapsee Pannu

Taapsee Pannu has anchored multiple thrillers including ‘Badla’ which unfolds through layered testimonies and strategic cross examination. The film tracks timelines and alibis with each meeting tightening the account of what happened inside a locked room.

She also produced and starred in ‘Blurr’ where a photographer confronts vision loss while pursuing a case tied to her family. Along with ‘Game Over’ which traps a gamer inside her home against masked intruders these titles emphasize home security plans and mental resilience under siege.

Radhika Apte

Radhika Apte spans streaming and theatrical thrillers with projects like ‘Ghoul’ where an interrogation center becomes a site of supernatural revenge. The series uses curfews, prisoner transfer logs, and blackout protocols to build a contained yet escalating scenario.

She is also central to twist heavy features including ‘Andhadhun’ and ‘Monica O My Darling’ where fraud investigations and corporate crimes overlap with murder. Her roles often sit at the junction of suspicion and cooperation which keeps the plot turning through new disclosures.

Share the names and performances you would add to this list in the comments.