It’s the time of the year again. As 2025 swings into February, much of our on-screen entertainment will be centred around the much-fated Valentine’s Day. So it’s only natural that romance is back in the books for most of the releases this month. This February, the roster of South Korean dramas definitely takes up a significant slice of the pie, ranging from an epic, spanning romance to the adaptation of a popular mystery webtoon. Beyond the South Korean slate of screen entertainment however, this month’s streaming lineup is also home to the seasonal return of one hotly-anticipated black comedy in recent television.
If romance is the only thing on your mind, then look to South Korean dramas like Melo Movie and Newtopia. Written by Lee Na-eun, who penned Our Beloved Summer, the former is a delicate, second chance romance narrative starring famed actors Choi Woo-shik and Park Bo-young. Meanwhile, Newtopia is looking to be a fun watch; set in a zombie-infested Seoul, following a young couple who are attempting to reunite with one another. But the real trick lies in its lead cast, which stars Park Jeong-min opposite the inimitable Jisoo of Blackpink, who returns to the screen with this romcom thriller. Beyond the typical romance plots however, 14 February also marks the release of The Gorge, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller as highly-trained operatives assigned to guard a mysterious, undisclosed danger that lurks in a misty gorge. So we can only expect a riveting action plot to unfold alongside some equally steamy tension brewing between the main leads.
Beyond romance-inclined plots however, this month marks the release of The White Lotus Season 3. The black comedy returns for its next round of zany social commentary via carefully-designed characters, and this time it’s set in Thailand. Below, a Vogue shortlist of what to watch on Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+ this February.
1 / 6
Melo Movie
One look, and you’ll know it. Penned by the same writer who wrote Our Beloved Summer, this drama sees Choi Woo-shik and Park Bo-young come together in this second chance romance series. Many years after first disappearing from her life, Choi plays Ko Gyeom, a film critic who chances upon Kim Mu-bee (Park) again, this time when she’s pursuing her lifelong dream of being a melodrama director. And so their next best shot at love begins.
Watch Melo Movie on Netflix from 14 February.
2 / 6
The White Lotus Season 3
An unprecedented degree of privacy, some degree of spiritual finding granted and a terribly obnoxious crowd. Such is to be expected from the third season of The White Lotus, which has been hotly-anticipated over the past three years. This time around, Mike White’s Emmy-winning black comedy is sprouting out of yet another luxury resort—this time in Thailand. With a whole new cast of zany characters to be expected, all eyes have inevitably also fallen on the cast, which includes the likes of Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell (returning as Belinda), Sex Education’s Aimee Lou Wood and Lisa Manoban, aka Lisa from Blackpink.
Watch The White Lotus Season 3 on HBO Max from 17 February.
3 / 6
Witch
Put simply, it’s the story of how a man fell in love with The Witch. Written by popular author Kang Full, the webtoon with the same name, sees the fiercely loyal Dong-jin attempt to uncover the mystery of Mi-jeong, an ex-classmate who is used to leading an isolated and quiet life, because she is certain she is the bearer of bad news after multiple strange happenings to the people around her. Whilst GOT7’s Jinyoung takes on the role of Dong-jin, Roh Jeong-eui plays the unfortunate ‘witch’, Mi-jeong.
Watch Witch on Viu from 15 February.
4 / 6
The Gorge
Two guard towers, two officials. Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller play two highly-trained operatives, each one assigned on a special yet different mission at The Gorge. What lies beneath the mist is unbeknownst to them, but all they know is that they are to protect the rest of the world from the mysterious evil that lurks within. Of course, although initially forbidden, the two begin to interact with each other from a distance, before they’re both plunged to the depths of the cataclysmic threat.There’s surely a reason this is premiering on Valentine’s Day…and it just might be the best sort of slow burn; a delightful mix of action, mystery and brewing romance.
Watch The Gorge on Apple TV+ from 14 February.
5 / 6
Newtopia
In the face of a zombie apocalypse, what do two young and separated lovers do? Find their way back to each other, of course. Directed by Yoon Sung-hyun, the upcoming series is hotly-anticipated for its star leads alone: Park Jeong-min and Jisoo, who play Lee Jae-yoon and Kang Young-joo respectively. Opting for a kooky, ’70s style approach to the subgenre, Newtopia follows the pair as they navigate a zombie-infested Seoul to not only reunite with the other, but also figure out the nuances of their relationship along the way.
Watch Newtopia on Prime Video from 7 February.
6 / 6
Buried Hearts
Revenge has never been sweeter. Park Hyung-sik returns to K-drama land with Buried Hearts, but this time around, he’s occupying a role that is rather different from his usual roster of romcom roles. Park plays Seo Dong-joo, the team leader of Daesan Group’s Public Affairs team, who appears loyal to his company, but is actually scheming to seize the entire conglomerate. Amid a political investigation into the embezzlement of two trillion won, he sees his opportunity to play the devil’s advocate as he bribes, blackmails and employs illicit means to climb the ladder.
Watch Buried Hearts on Disney+ from 21 February.
