Not Your Mainstream Watch: Celebrate 'Squid Game' actor Gong Yoo's birthday by binge-watching these movies and web series

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God

Also known as Goblin in some countries, this drama sees the handsome hunk play a 939-year-old Goblin living a cursed life on Earth. He is in search of his bride who would put an end to his immortality. A turn of events leads him to Ji Eun-tak, his bride. Fabulous performances by the cast with funny romantic moments (a bit of angst too), the drama will make you cry and laugh at the same time.

Coffee Prince 

The mention of Gong Yoo’s repertoire is incomplete with the mention of Coffee Prince. The drama turned the actor into an overnight sensation and proved to be a catalyst in his career. In this drama, Gong Yoo plays a cafe owner, Choi Han-kyul. His life turns upside down when he develops a crush on one of his workers, Go Eun Chan (played by Yoon Eun-hye), who is a tomboy. His misconception that Eun Chan is a man makes Han-kyul question his sexuality, leading to a series of unfortunate and some fortunate events.

Train to Busan

The zombie blockbuster’s global success put Gong Yoo en route international stardom. The movie is not just a survival of the fittest movie. But rather it breaks away from the regular zombie troupe by taking you on an emotional ride. Gong Yoo plays a divorced father who is travelling with his daughter to Busan when the zombie outbreak happens. This thriller will make you cry so be prepared with a pack of tissues. The characters and the storyline stay with you even after the movie has ended.

Silenced

Silenced (aka The Crucible) caused quite an uproar in South Korea when it released in 2011. It led the Korean government to come up with stricter laws and punishments for crimes against children. The movie is based on author Gong Ji-young’s (Gong Yoo’s distant relative) best-selling novel, The Crucible, which exposed the sexual and physical abuse that happened at Gwangju Inhwa School for hearing-impaired students. The movie sees the actor play a teacher in the school trying to expose the dark reality of the place.