Where Fans of ‘The Glory’ Should Turn Next Among Netflix’s Darker Thrillers

‘The Glory’ remains a natural starting point for anyone searching for a Netflix psychological thriller that rewards patience. The story follows Moon Dong-eun, played by Song Hye-kyo, a woman whose life was derailed by brutal bullying in high school and who later plots to dismantle the lives of those who tormented her. It is a deliberate, calculated kind of revenge, which makes the next pick surprisingly hard to settle on.

Finding a worthy follow-up means looking past the plot and toward the feeling the series leaves behind. The drama premiered on Dec. 30, 2022, and is described as a revenge and psychological thriller with a script by Kim Eun-sook. Recent streaming guides and long-running similar show lists offer several options for the next thing to watch, and each one captures a different part of what made the original so gripping.

Why ‘The Glory’ Set the Bar for a Netflix Psychological Thriller

Kim Eun-sook and Song Hye-kyo previously teamed up on ‘Descendants of the Sun’, and ‘The Glory’ was the screenwriter’s first attempt at the revenge genre. The series also arrived as competition in the Korean content landscape was growing.

Netflix’s first six month engagement report placed the first season third among all content on the platform, with 622.8 million hours viewed worldwide. The second season followed on March 10, 2023.

The series earned eight nominations at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards and took home three honors, including Best Drama, Best Actress for Song Hye-kyo and Best Supporting Actress for Lim Ji-yeon.

Writing for Tom’s Guide, Alix Blackburn describes the show as intense and unsettling, offering the catharsis a well built revenge story can deliver. She also notes some bland visual effects, though the central performances keep viewers invested in each character.

Shows Like ‘The Glory’ That Build Dread Slowly

Viewers who want atmosphere and unease may start with ‘Wayward’. The series premiered in September 2025 and is a dark psychological thriller set in a picture-perfect small town with secrets underneath, anchored by Toni Collette. It was created by and stars Mae Martin as Alex.

The story unfolds in 2003 in the fictional town of Tall Pines, Vermont, where two students try to escape Tall Pines Academy, a school for troubled teens. Alex, a local police officer, begins to question the motives of Evelyn, the charismatic leader of the academy played by Collette.

‘Black Rabbit’ offers a different flavor of tension. It centers on brothers Jake and Vince Friedken, played by Jude Law and Jason Bateman, as an estranged Vince returns to town and pulls Jake’s restaurant into dealings with loan sharks and organized crime. The reviewer was reminded of ‘The Bear’, ‘Ozark’ and ‘Succession’, and says its layered timelines turn the story into a puzzle that demands full focus.

For viewers who lean toward horror, there is ‘Archive 81’. It follows archivist Dan Turner, played by Mamoudou Athie, who restores damaged videotapes from 1994 and uncovers a filmmaker’s investigation of a mysterious apartment building. The series was cancelled after one season and ends on a cliffhanger, though the journey is described as gripping enough to stand on its own.

Revenge Thriller Options That Treat Payback Differently

If the revenge itself is the draw, ‘The Resurrected’ deserves a look. This Taiwanese series follows Wang Huijun and Zhao Jing, played by Shu Qi and Lee Sinje, two mothers whose daughters were targeted by a scam operation led by Zhang Shikai. After Shikai is sentenced to death, the women seek a ritual that allows them to bring him back for a limited time.

Strong performances and an unusual setup make it easy to get invested, even as the story pulls viewers between the desire for revenge and the weight of its emotional moments. That tension between satisfaction and sorrow is a quality ‘The Glory’ also understands well.

Older titles fill in the picture for viewers who like their vengeance with a teen or high society edge. ‘Get Even’ is a British teen drama about four high school girls who form a vigilante group to expose their classmates’ secrets and seek payback for past wrongdoings. ‘Revenge’ follows Emily Thorne, a young woman who moves to the Hamptons to target the wealthy family that destroyed her father’s life.

‘Pretty Little Liars’ is also listed among similar picks, with its group of high school girls stalked by an anonymous figure who threatens to reveal their secrets. These titles lean more toward soap and mystery, but they share the same appetite for settling scores.

Choosing the Next Thing to Watch on Netflix for Twisty Drama

Some of the strongest overlap comes from outside the thriller aisle. SlashFilm argues that fans of ‘Big Little Lies’ will find familiar pleasures in ‘The Glory’, since both lean on family drama, shocking twists and a mounting sense of intrigue.

The outlet points to how Dong-eun plays on the simmering jealousies inside Park Yeon-jin’s circle, so that the bullies effectively begin tearing each other apart and do much of the work for her. Yeon-jin, played by Lim Ji-yeon, is described as just as manipulative and sociopathic as an adult.

SlashFilm also admits that ‘The Glory’ lacks the dark sense of humor found in ‘Big Little Lies’, yet it still expects the twist filled revenge tale to appeal to fans of the HBO series. That honest caveat is useful, because it suggests the best next watch depends on whether you want bitter comedy, creeping dread or cold calculation.

Anyone who has followed Moon Dong-eun’s long game to the final scene can say in the comments whether the quiet menace of ‘Wayward’ or the grief driven vengeance of ‘The Resurrected’ came closer to matching it.