My Name: The 100% RT Thriller Where ‘Kill Bill Meets The Departed’

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Netflix has a fantastic thriller that draws inspiration from two legendary films, but it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the platform’s most popular shows. Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films are known for their unforgettable poster and popular Halloween costumes, and they truly changed the action movie landscape. While Western films had previously borrowed from Asian fighting techniques, Kill Bill: Volume 1 and its sequel delved much deeper, and are now considered some of the best martial arts movies ever made.

I truly believe The Departed is one of the greatest gangster films ever made, and it’s fascinating to learn it was actually based on a Hong Kong movie called Internal Affairs from 2002! It was a huge turning point for Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and the whole cast, bringing them tons of praise and awards. But if you’re looking for something that captures that same thrilling feeling, the 2021 Korean drama My Name is incredible. It perfectly combines the suspense of someone living a double life, like in The Departed, with the intense, non-stop action of Kill Bill.

My Name Is An All-Time Great Revenge Story

The Drama Mixes High-Intensity Fights With Startling Emotional Depth

“My Name” is a thrilling and action-packed K-drama that feels like a classic revenge story. It follows Yoon Ji-woo, who changes her name to Oh Hye-jin and goes undercover as a police officer to find the man who killed her father. To get close to her target, she makes a deal with Choi Mu-jin, the leader of a powerful drug organization. She must navigate the dangerous world of crime and law enforcement, all while hiding her true identity and pursuing justice.

Unlike the movie The Departed, which clearly defines its characters as either police or mobsters, the character of Ji-woo is much more complex and her allegiance is constantly shifting. One moment she appears to be secretly working for Dongcheon, and the next she’s betraying Mu-jin – and surprising the viewer – by confiding in her partner, Detective Jeon Pil-do (Ahn Bo-hyun). Like The Departed, the K-drama explores themes of deep distrust between both sides and Ji-woo’s own internal struggle with identity.

Like a truly great revenge story, My Name is intensely personal, but it’s also packed with exciting, over-the-top fight scenes reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s films. There are obvious connections to Kill Bill – both the main character, Ji-woo, and Uma Thurman’s Bride are driven by a single-minded quest for revenge. Both also lose parts of themselves along the way; Ji-woo, like The Bride, must give up what makes her her to find out what happened to her father. However, My Name still manages to stand out on its own with unique qualities and appeal.

What Makes My Name Feel So Timeless

There’s Nothing More Universal Than Grief & Desperation

Despite its short eight-episode run, My Name delivers a captivating mystery filled with suspense. The story is told entirely from Ji-woo’s perspective, keeping you guessing about who to trust until a large-scale conspiracy is revealed in the finale. Beyond the shocking plot twists and intense action, the series explores relatable themes. While most won’t find themselves involved with a criminal organization, the overwhelming power of grief and how it can transform a person is a universally understood experience.

The finale of My Name doesn’t tie up every loose end, but that actually fits the show’s main idea: grief is often confusing, and revenge always has a price. This K-drama is a real standout that should be more widely appreciated. While it features plenty of intense action and a compelling mystery, My Name is also surprisingly thoughtful and emotionally resonant, making it a great choice for fans of action thrillers.

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2026-04-16 00:18