Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (2024)

Before Nam Joo-hyuk became one of the biggest younger male actors on the Korean drama scene, he was a model. Born in Busan, a coastal city in South Korea, Nam first dreamed of becoming a basketball player. However, he moved to Seoul after a career-ending injury and won a contest that landed him an exclusive modeling contract in the country’s capital. He made several appearances and gigs as a model before appearing in his first drama in 2014: The Idle Mermaid. Not too long after that, he had a lead role in Who Are You: School 2015 and was extensively praised for his acting abilities. Suddenly, Nam was set to succeed, even landing a spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

After appearing in supporting roles for several more dramas, his popularity hit an all-new high after appearing in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo. Ever since then, he has continued to land more leading roles, establishing Nam as one of the top and most-recognized actors currently on the scene. In 2023, his only work is Viligante, which was released for streaming on Disney+ in select regions, but until more of his work comes out, we’ll be revisiting these movies and television shows from Nam Joo-hyuk.

10 The Bride of Habaek

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (1)

The Bride of Habaek is based on a Korean manhwa, or print cartoon, called The Bride of the Water God. Shin Se-kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk star in a story where the God of Water (Nam) is sent to Earth to find sacred stones needed for his descent to the throne, but he has to find help with a mortal psychiatrist (Shin) who thinks he’s mentally ill because he keeps insisting he has powers and is a god.

What Makes It Great

Although the source material for the drama was widely popular upon its release and had so much strength, The Bride of Habaek is too stiff and falls short of the source material. This is common for many movies and television shows adapted from literature, but there are some pretty nice visuals throughout the show.

Stream on Netflix

9 Remember

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (2)

Nam’s list of movie appearances might be brief, but Remember is his most recent release. The film came out in South Korea in 2022 and is a remake of the Canadian movie of the same name. An older gentleman in his 80s (Lee Sung-min) has Alzheimer’s and is struggling to remember his past. In the middle of the Japanese colonization of the Korean peninsula, his entire family was wiped out, leaving him alone in the world. This left him with a burning passion to get revenge for what happened to him and his family, and he’s deeply afraid that he will forget before he achieves this dream. Cue: a young Park In-gyu (Nam). He’s going to help him achieve just that.

What Makes It Great

Mixing elements of thriller and drama, Remember is a pretty decent film that mixes nostalgia with contemporary feelings. It also utilizes a form of storytelling on those often forgotten in contemporary society, as the colonial period seems so far behind us.

Rent on Prime Video

8 The School Nurse Files

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (3)

Jung Yu-mi and Nam Joo-hyuk lead The School Nurse Files, which came out domestically in 2015. Jung portrays Eun-mi, a school nurse who has the power to see inner feelings and desires, as they manifest in her vision as little jellies. Assigned to a new school, she realizes something is afoot when strange problems keep cropping up around her. When she meets a teacher at the school who also has a strange aura, they team up to figure out what’s happening.

What Makes It Great

The premise for this drama is very original and compelling, but there are moments throughout the show where it gets too ambitious and begins to drag. While it may not be some people’s cup of tea, though, there definitely is an audience for this drama.

Stream on Netflix

Related

The Most Iconic Korean Dramas Ever Made, Ranked

Have you watched these Korean dramas? They're pretty iconic.

7 Josée

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (5)

In the film Josée, Han Ji-min portrays the titular character. Josée lives a life of isolation inside a home she shares with her grandmother, as she is unable to live a regular life. When a young man (Nam) sees her one day, he becomes smitten with this woman he thinks is mysterious. He continues to seek her out, and somewhere along the way, they begin to date and fall in love with each other.

What Makes It Great

Of course, this is a drama film, and there are plenty of bumps along the way when it comes to sorting out their differences and respective traumas. This is also a slow burn movie, and it takes its time building up the conflict, but it certainly is worth the journey of getting there.

Stream on Viki

6 The Light in Your Eyes

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (6)

The Light in Your Eyes came out on television and streaming back in 2019, and Nam Joo-hyuk plays a supporting role in this drama. Veteran actress Kim Hye-ja plays a character with the same name as her, and when the series begins, her character is a young girl who found a watch on the beach. One day, when her father gets into a car accident, she uses it to manipulate time and prevent his death, but when she realizes that doing so ages it, she has to use it sparingly. Along the way, she meets Lee Joon-ha, who was once her friend before she aged, as he works as someone who scams the elderly.

What Makes It Great

The series is wonderful for depicting the problems people tend to face on a daily basis, especially considering elderly poverty is an ongoing issue in South Korea. Utilizing its main character in this format sheds light on the discrimination they face because of their age.

Stream on Netflix

5 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (7)

Lee Ji-eun, or IU, stars in the drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, which is an adaptation of a Chinese novel that came out a decade prior to the drama’s release. Lee portrays a modern woman who, in the middle of a solar eclipse, is sucked back in time into the Goryeo Dynasty, specifically in the year 941. Finding herself in the body of a princess, she has to now navigate a completely different Korean than the one she left. And to add even more drama, she’s in the middle of a love triangle.

What Makes It Great

Scarlet Heart Ryeo begins on shaky footing throughout the first couple of episodes, but slowly gains its ground. Despite this, some of the acting could’ve been better from the supporting cast, but it stands its ground as a historical drama overall.

Stream on Viki

4 Who Are You: School 2015

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (8)

Kim So-hyun stars in 2015’s Who Are You: School 2015 as two different characters: twins that were separated when they were young. One is raised as a wealthy student with plenty of access to educational opportunities, while the other finds herself still at the orphanage and trying to survive on a daily basis. One knows about the other, but doesn’t bother trying to seek out her long-lost sister. Nam co-stars as a popular swimmer at the wealthy twin’s high school, and he unknowingly falls for the wrong twin.

What Makes It Great

Who Are You is a sweet show reflecting on the circumstances of youths in Korean high schools and society despite its reliance on certain tropes. Its premise might not be completely original, but it's still a decent show that can be compelling throughout.

Stream on Viki

2:44

Related

20 Most Addictive Korean Dramas

If you're looking for a good laugh, cry, or mystery to solve, many K-dramas got you covered. Here are some of the most addictive ones.

3 Twenty-Five Twenty-One

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (10)

Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk are the power combo leading the drama Twenty-Five Twenty-One, which is one of the most popular dramas released so far and definitely one of the top contenders for the best releases of 2022. In 1998, Na Hee-do (Kim) is devastated when her fencing team is disbanded due to the ongoing financial crisis that year. Devoted to fencing, she decides to transfer schools to keep pursuing it, but this has her crossing paths with a boy (Nam) whose family was once wealthy, but is now poor.

What Makes It Great

The series is visually stunning to watch, feeling almost like a movie at times due to how gorgeous scenes unfold on-screen. The plot, too, works really well with the setting, making the love for this Korean drama pretty legitimate--it's hard not to fall in love with it.

Stream on Netflix

2 Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (11)

Before the world had Strong Girl Do Bong-soon or its 2023 spin-off, we had Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo. A mild college romance set on a campus for athletes, this drama hit all the right feels back when it came out in 2016, and to this day it has still stood the test of time. Lee Sung-kyung is Kim Bok-joo, a female weightlifter nursing a massive crush on the campus’ darling swimmer’s (Nam) brother. When he tries to help her get together with his brother, he falls in love with her instead.

What Makes It Great

This is a series that doesn’t take itself too seriously while managing to slot perfectly into the coming-of-age drama territory, making it one of the best Korean dramas to start out with if new to them. It elevates the coming-of-age story in a way that feels fresh and genuine, standing up to the test of time.

Stream on Viki

1 Start-Up

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (12)

Released in 2020, Start-Up is a feel-good drama that has its ups and downs. Its protagonist, Seo Dal-mi, dreams of becoming Korea’s Steve Jobs and be a CEO, but because she doesn’t come from wealthy or have family connections, she’s going to have to scramble to get there. At the same time, South Korea has a start-up culture in the drama called the Sandbox, where young entrepreneurs get opportunities and seed funding. When she teams up with strangers like Nam Do-san (Nam), her plan isn’t going to be easy.

What Makes It Great

The series is quite refreshing in its approach, and while the dramatic moments are pretty dramatic, it still manages to find a perfect balance throughout. The usage of the entrepreneurship themes elevates the character's motives, increasing the stakes for them personally in a way that fits the narrative.

Stream on Netflix

Best Nam Joo-hyuk Movies and TV Shows, Ranked (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Rev. Leonie Wyman

Last Updated:

Views: 5663

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (59 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rev. Leonie Wyman

Birthday: 1993-07-01

Address: Suite 763 6272 Lang Bypass, New Xochitlport, VT 72704-3308

Phone: +22014484519944

Job: Banking Officer

Hobby: Sailing, Gaming, Basketball, Calligraphy, Mycology, Astronomy, Juggling

Introduction: My name is Rev. Leonie Wyman, I am a colorful, tasty, splendid, fair, witty, gorgeous, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.