Netflix's Biggest Sleeper Hit Of Summer 2026 Is A Thriller Disguised As A Rom-Com
Merlyn De Souza is a freelance writer and anime enthusiast based in Goa, India, with a Bachelor's in English Literature. When she isn't writing, she can be found exploring various realms of entertainment, including, but not limited to, K-dramas, novels, and even the occasional manhwa. She also enjoys all things creative, like sewing and makeup.
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Be it thrillers or rom-coms, Netflix has had its fair share of strong releases in both genres so far this year. As far as K-dramas go, Netflix has already scored many huge hits, like Can This Love Be Translated, The Art of Sarah, and Teach You A Lesson, with the latter in particular being so successful that it even beat One Piece in terms of sheer global viewership.
It's safe to say that Korean TV shows are slowly but surely carving out a niche for themselves in the mainstream, especially through streaming giants like Netflix. All that said, while everyone's had their eyes on releases like Mousetrap, The Scandal, and Four Hands, Two Sonatas, Netflix just quietly dropped its biggest sleeper hit of Summer 2026, and it's quite the genre-bender.
Our Sticky Love Is Undeniably Netflix's Most Underrated Summer 2026 K-Drama
Despite hefty competition, like Teach You A Lesson, Agent Kim Reactivated, Notes from Last Row, The East Palace, and Spooky in Love, one unexpected series has emerged as Netflix's most underrated release of the season, and it's Our Sticky Love. Starring Jung Hae-in and Ha-young as its main leads, this 12-part series by Studio S was batch-dropped on Netflix on August 7 without much fanfare surrounding its release, and yet the series has completely defied expectations.
Following the growingly popular trend of cozy countryside romances like Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Welcome to Samdal-ri, Sold Out on You, Cabbage Your Life, and even the upcoming Merry Berry Love, Our Sticky Love is set largely in Gujin, a taffy-making town. The series follows Go Eun-sae, who moves to Gujin after losing all her memories in a supposed freak accident. Unable to remember even her own name, Eun-sae is left with no choice but to believe Jang Tae-ha, a boxing coach who claims to be her boyfriend.
At first glance, Our Sticky Love may seem like a silly romantic comedy about an amnesiac falling in love again with her boyfriend and rebuilding her life. However, immediately upon diving into the series, viewers are met with a far different story than anticipated, full of dark twists, a web of lies and secrets, and a high-stakes game of cat and mouse with some of the most powerful figures in the underbelly of Seoul.
Our Sticky Love Is Anything But A Simple Rom-Com
Our Sticky Love's first episode takes off with its protagonist, Go Eun-sae, asking viewers a simple yet interesting question: if everyone's life had a genre, what would yours be — a film noir with a murky underworld, a thriller with hidden crimes, or a romantic comedy. This question pretty much sets the stage for the rest of the series, which proves to be a unique blend of all of these stated genres.
At the very start, Our Sticky Love gives viewers a small glimpse of its darker undertones, with Eun-sae lying on the floor in a bloodied mess as she's surrounded by thugs and gangsters. But almost immediately after, she wakes up in the hospital with no memory of who she is, and the series once again takes on a familiar comedic tone. Eventually, Eun-sae moves to the taffy village, where the series introduces more of the typical quirky supporting characters you'd find in a rom-com, such as the trio of nosy yet caring older ladies and the lovable grandmother played by none other than Korea's "National Grandmother" Kim Young-ok.
But it all seems just a bit too fishy, and right then, the series quickly takes a serious turn once again with the revelation that Go Eun-sae is actually a prosecutor named Go Ji-won, who was captured while investigating a case in connection with a powerful crime syndicate and their boss, Baek Sang-gil. Jang Tae-ha turns out to be a member of the gang who was tasked with disposing of Ji-won but chose to spare her due to an old debt he owed her. However, in trying to protect Ji-won, Tae-ha thus places himself in danger for betraying Baek Sang-gil and must keep the fact that she is still alive hidden at all costs.
Our Sticky Love Isn't Afraid to Be Dark When It Needs To
Evidently, there's much more at play than a simple story of amnesia, though somehow, Our Sticky Love manages to deliver the best of both worlds. The series brilliantly switches tones with the snap of a finger, switching between the delicate developing romance between Tae-ha and Eun-sae, and the ever-growing danger that Baek Sang-gil poses. As such, viewers can expect both heart-fluttering confessions and accidental kisses, as well as gritty, cinematic action sequences.
Our Sticky Love's action scenes, in particular, are surprisingly well-executed. Despite being a romance, the series isn't afraid to include some rather intense action scenes, whether that's the big bad butchering a fish in rage or Jung Hae-in fighting off hordes of gangsters in a revenge-fueled fury. This even includes darker scenes of the crime syndicate's violent, torturous modus operandi that left Go Eun-sae unable to verify her identity using her fingerprints. Every fight is well-choreographed, including the series' hilarious climax where the citizens of the taffy village come together against the gangsters. And what elevates these sequences above all is the series' gorgeous cinematography.
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01
Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number?
✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries.
02
The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character?
✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022.
03
In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it?
✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.
04
Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4?
✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win.
05
The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set?
✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder.
06
Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner?
✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal.
07
La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure?
✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits.
08
Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth?
✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller.
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Granted, as far as the romance goes, Our Sticky Love can be quite predictable, with many typical romantic clichés found in K-dramas. But even so, the series has a certain charm that makes it come across as familiar yet enjoyable. Sure, even some of the series' plot twists, such as the revelation of Tae-ha's father in particular, are very soap-opera-like. However, the execution of this twist is excellent, and it manages to be quite impactful in how the reveal and the emotional weight of it are laid out. Our Sticky Love's writing especially shines through moments like these and layered characters such as the series' antagonist, Baek Sang-gil, who arguably shines more in this role than he did even in Squid Game.
All in all, despite somewhat flying under the radar so far due to its batch release, Our Sticky Love is deceptively good and one of the most enjoyable K-dramas released on Netflix this year. And with only 12 episodes, the series is a must-binge for fans of both rom-coms and thrillers.
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