Dead-End Job, the Korean horror-thriller led by Lee Jae-wook, premieres on Netflix on Thursday, October 30, 2026. It is a Netflix original, so it streams in the United States the same day it launches everywhere else, included with any Netflix plan at no extra cost.
If you want it queued up the moment it lands, expect the usual Netflix drop time of 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET. Here is the full rundown for U.S. viewers: when it arrives, what it costs, who stars in it, and what you are actually signing up for.
The short version
- Where: Netflix (U.S. and worldwide)
- Release date: Thursday, October 30, 2026
- Start time: 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET
- Language: Korean, with English subtitles and a dub expected at launch
- Price: Included with any Netflix subscription. U.S. plans start at $8.99 a month for Standard with ads, $19.99 for ad-free Standard, and $26.99 for Premium with 4K.
There is nothing extra to buy. A Netflix login covers it, and the Halloween-week timing is no accident — this is Netflix’s horror play for the end of October.
What Dead-End Job is about
The hook is a job offer too good to be true. Hyeok-jun, a young man buried in debt, answers a flyer for part-time work that pays fifty times the minimum wage. The one rule: never tell anyone what happens on the clock. He is placed on the night shift at what looks like an ordinary convenience store, run through a mysterious staffing agency — and quickly learns that every shift could be his last.
It is horror with a day-job grievance underneath it, closer in spirit to a Black Mirror episode than to a slasher. The premise turns the gig economy into a survival game, where the pay climbs in direct proportion to how likely the work is to kill you. That blend of social satire and dread is a lane Korean television has owned for years, and it is exactly why Netflix keeps betting on titles like this one.
The cast and the team behind it
Lee Jae-wook plays Hyeok-jun, the cash-strapped lead who keeps clocking in because he cannot afford not to. Around him are Go Min-si, Kim Min-ha, and Lee Hee-joon, the last of whom plays the unnervingly persuasive boss of the staffing agency whose job is to convince new hires there is no better gig anywhere.
The creative pedigree is the part to pay attention to. Kim Da-min directs, stepping up after writing the twisty thriller A Killer Paradox, and Han Jun-hee — the filmmaker behind D.P. and Weak Hero Class — oversees the series as its creative lead. If you liked the grounded, morally queasy tone of those shows, this is coming from the same corner of Korean TV.
Watch the teaser
Netflix’s official English-subtitled teaser lays out the setup — the flyer, the money, and the first hints that the store is not what it seems:
Frequently asked
Is Dead-End Job on Netflix in the US? Yes. It is a Netflix original and will stream in the United States starting October 30, 2026, included with any plan.
What time does Dead-End Job come out? Netflix typically releases new titles at 12:00 a.m. PT / 3:00 a.m. ET, so U.S. viewers on the West Coast can start it just after midnight on October 30th.
Is it in English? The series is in Korean. Netflix provides English subtitles, and an English-language dub is generally available on day one for its bigger Korean originals.
Do I need a special plan to watch it? No. Every Netflix tier includes the show. Premium ($26.99 a month) only matters if you want 4K Ultra HD; the $8.99 ad-supported plan and the $19.99 Standard plan both carry it in 1080p.
Will all episodes release at once? Yes. Netflix is dropping the full series on October 30, so there is no week-to-week wait.
