The Art of Sarah () is a 2026 South Korean mystery thriller television series written by Chu Song-yeon and directed by Kim Jin-min. The series focuses on Sarah Kim (Shin Hye-sun), a woman who constructed a fraudulent identity as a high-society luxury brand executive, and the investigation into her mysterious murder led by detective Park Mu-gyeong (Lee Joon-hyuk). Produced by SLL, it was released on Netflix on February 13, 2026 and received generally positive reviews from critics, who frequently highlighted the central performance of Shin Hye-sun and the series' stylistic execution.
Sarah Kim, a woman who has created a false identity based on wealth and social status, whose life is thrown into confusion when a body believed to be hers is found in a sewer beneath Seoul's upscale district. Detective Park Mu-Gyeong investigates the case and discovers that Sarah has no clear personal records, leading him to uncover inconsistencies in her background and evidence that she has lived under multiple identities. As the investigation progresses, Sarah's constructed life begins to collapse, revealing the consequences of long-term deception and raising questions about identity, truth, and self-invention.
The series is produced by SLL, written by Chu Song-yeon, directed by Kim Jin-min and structured as an 8-episode mystery thriller series. Netflix began the production of the series in January 2025, with cinematographer Joo Sung-rim, as well as editor Nam Na-yeong and costume director Cho Sang-kyung. The director described the series as a "timely" look at human ambition, designed to prompt viewers to confront their own desires. While the narrative centers on the luxury industry, the production aimed to explore the "fundamental value" of identity rather than simple materialism.
Shin Hye-sun and Lee Joon-hyuk were cast in 2024 and confirmed their appearances in 2025, to lead the series. This project marks the first time the two actors have shared the screen since the 2017 crime thriller series Stranger. Following the confirmation of Shin and Lee, Kim Jae-won, Jung Da-bin, and joined the cast.
Director Kim emphasized that casting was the series' most crucial element, noting that Shin's ability to portray "countless faces" was essential for the character's multifaceted nature. Shin's preparation involved extensive styling, using a wide array of wigs, contact lenses, and makeup to distinguish Sarah Kim's various aliases. Lee was described as the "audience's surrogate", and he reportedly influenced the script's development by providing "sharp, precise questions" during the filming process to maintain the procedural's internal logic.
Principal photography began in January 2025 and wrapped up around late May of the same year. Filming locations included the upscale Cheongdam-dong district in Seoul to authentically depict the high-fashion industry. The actors cited a high level of "unspoken trust" on set, which Shin credited for the immediate "click" in their performance during complex scenes, such as the central interrogation sequences.
Netflix officially confirmed that The Art of Sarah is scheduled to be released on February 13, 2026. Along with the announcement, a teaser poster and trailer were unveiled. The poster depicts a grim crime scene with a luxury handbag obscuring a victim's face, symbolizing the show's themes of vanity and hidden identity.
Writing for Decider, Joel Keller gave the series a "Stream It" recommendation, describing it as an "intriguing, multilayered mystery" that effectively balances the protagonist's personal ambition with a tense procedural element. But Why Tho? praised the show for its exploration of identity and class within the high-fashion world, noting that the series "subverts expectations of the typical 'con artist' trope" by grounding SarahâÂÂs motivations in survival rather than pure greed.
Pierce Conran of the South China Morning Post gave the series 3 out of 5 stars, describing it as a "glitzy, high-stakes mystery" that benefits from polished production values, though he noted that the plot occasionally "stretches credibility" in its later episodes. Similarly, Ready Steady Cut complimented the "slick direction" by Kim Jin-min but observed that the eight-episode format felt slightly "padded", suggesting the story could have been tighter. The Straits Times noted Shin Hye-sun's "uncanny ability" to portray fraudulent yet empathetic characters, comparing her role to her previous work but noting the "darker, more cynical edge" present in The Art of Sarah. India Today highlighted the "crackling chemistry" between Shin and Lee Joon-hyuk, stating that their intellectual cat-and-mouse game provided the show's strongest emotional beats.
However, some critics were more reserved regarding the narrative's complexity. The Hindu described the series as a "slow-burn drama" that may test the patience of viewers looking for a standard thriller, though it ultimately praised the finale for providing a "satisfying, if somber, resolution". The review specifically lauded the series for its "unflinching look at the cost of reinvention".
In South Korea, critics focused on the "sharpened chemistry" between Shin and Lee. JoyNews24 and K-Star News lauded the intellectual tension between the leads, while Cine21 highlighted Shin's "technical transformation" across her character's various lies. NBN TV and TV Daily observed that the fictional brand served as a metaphor for the "mask of desire", praising director Kim Jin-min for maintaining a "suspenseful, slow-burn atmosphere" that offered a scathing critique of modern materialism. SportsQ commented on the screenplay's pacing, noting that the eight-episode structure allowed for a "dense psychological tug-of-war" that avoided the narrative bloating common in longer-form dramas.
The Korea Times analyzed the show as a "timely exposé" of South Korea's "luxury obsession", noting that the series arrived at a moment when the country's per capita spending on luxury goods was among the highest in the world. The review praised the show for "stripping away the glamour" to reveal the hollow nature of status-seeking. It further noted that the fictional brand "Boudoir" served as a "chilling mirror" to real-world consumer behavior, where brand names often supersede personal identity.
The Art of Sarah debuted at number three on Netflix's global weekly chart for non-English shows, recording 3.8 million views within its first three days. The series saw a significant surge in its second week, rising to the number-one position globally for the week ending February 22, 2026, with 10 million views. It maintained its number-one ranking for a second consecutive week through March 1, accumulating an additional 4.3 million views. During its chart-topping run, the series reached the number-one spot in eight territories, and appeared in the Top 10 lists of 49 countries. In its fourth week on the chart, ending March 8, the series added 2.1 million views and remains in the global Top 10.