Skip to content
MovieCove
Persona

Persona

2019–2023Miniseries1 season4 episodes~20 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 26th percentile of all shows

An exploration of different personas in an eclectic collection of four works by critically acclaimed Korean directors.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Persona?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Persona streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about Persona?

Persona earns 2 badges, led by Thought-provoking and Preferred by Non-US Viewers.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Persona worth watching?

Persona's Midcredits score is the 26th percentile of all shows, from 1.9K ratings across 2 sources. 57% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

26th percentile

Better received than 26% of shows

21st percentile among Drama25th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)28th
Approval (how many liked it)27th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

65 /100

28th percentile of all shows

25th percentile among Drama27th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

57% liked it

27th percentile of all shows

20th percentile among Drama25th percentile among 2010s
57% rated it 7–1043% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

63rd percentile

1.8K ratings across platforms

55th percentile among Drama66th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 53% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • anthology format with distinct directorial visions and varied genre explorations
  • strong lead performance by IU showcasing range across four different personas
  • technical artistry in cinematography, montage, lighting, and sound editing

Detractors panned

  • disjointed and incoherent as a whole with no clear point or narrative unity
  • first episode has poor pacing, jarring use of English, feels like a lengthy tennis match
  • acting across episodes feels repetitive with same stoic, soft-spoken delivery

What stands out

Cinematography80

visually stunning, distinct directorial styles, black-and-white segment praised for shadow play

Atmosphere75

each episode creates distinct mood: seduction, grotesque fantasy, absurdity, melancholic dream

ActingDivisive72

IU carries the anthology with four different personas; detractors call it same stoic delivery across episodes

OriginalityDivisive72

unique anthology with surreal, black-mirrorish tone; one detractor finds it weird and pointless

Emotional impact65

Walking at Night delivers warm sadness and melancholic beauty; other segments less emotionally deep

CharactersDivisive60

character depth limited by short runtime; some episodes feel superficial

Plot and storyDivisive58

standalone episodes vary wildly in quality and coherence; first episode particularly weak

Pacing45

first episode suffers from bad pacing; later episodes better but overall uneven

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart

Episodes

1 season

IU · 2019 · 4 episodes

  • S1E1

    Love Set

    Apr 11, 201919 min
  • S1E2

    Collector

    Apr 11, 201927 min
  • S1E3

    Kiss Burn

    Apr 11, 201923 min
  • S1E4

    Walking at Night

    Apr 11, 201920 minFinale

Watch experience

What is Persona like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
ContemplativeMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Dreamlike · under 1% of shows: Logic gives way to atmosphere and association.Playful
Told as
Anthology episodes · 6% of showsAnthology seasons · 2% of shows
ToneThe series shifts tone dramatically between episodes, from playful and sardonic to dreamlike and solemn, each director taking a different stance toward their material.
The rideThe series sustains a consistently reflective and low-key emotional register, with each episode contributing to an overall melancholic and contemplative mood.
StructureEach episode follows its own narrative structure; no single structural device defines the series as a whole.
Episode formatEach episode is a distinct, self-contained film by a different director with its own story and focus, matching the definition of an anthology.
Season formatThe single season is a collection of four separate works with no ongoing narrative connecting them, fitting the season_anthology model.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingWistful · 6% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe series lingers as a collection of distinct emotional and philosophical impressions, each episode leaving a different but reflective afterthought.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeAn anthology of four distinct short films by different directors, each with its own story, tone and genre; there is no single plot archetype across the series.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

IdentityRomantic love · 10% of showsMemory · 3% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe anthology centers on characters confronting and performing different versions of themselves, often in relation to others, interrogating the fluidity and constructed nature of selfhood.
StanceThe series interrogates the very notion of persona, treating each vignette as a formal experiment in how identity is performed and perceived.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticRealistic
AmbientSupportive music · original score · Mowg
SettingContemporary Korean urban environments and domestic spaces.
MusicMowg's ambient score underpins the introspective mood without overwhelming the visuals.

Content guide

Is Persona okay for kids?

TV-MA

Persona is rated TV-MA.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • THน 13+

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Persona have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Persona?

Cast

IU
as Eun
Bae Doona
as Doona
Park Hae-soo
as Baek Jeong-woo
Shim Dal-gi
as Hye Bok
Kim Tae-hoon
as IU's father
Lee Sung-wook
as Jung Geun
Jung Ki-Hoon
as Eun's Yoga Friend
Pierce Conran
as IU's boyfriend
Ban So-young
as Ji-soo
Jo Hyuk-sub
as Ji-soo's boyfriend

Crew

More like this

What are shows like Persona?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like Persona include The Affair (2014), Fatal Attraction (2023) and The Romanoffs (2018).

Like this, but

Explore by

What other shows share a tag with Persona?

102 other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: anthology. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.