When Korean film director Bong Joon-ho invaded global film screens with his Parasite, the western world awakened to the marvels of Korean cinema. In a sense, that's wonderful but, on the other hand, it's a shame; both for the same reason. There are so many good Korean movies, and they're not all movies like Parasite. However, like the film that put South Korean movies on the global stage, they all feature:
- tight, well-paced scripts
- thought-provoking storylines
- stunning cinematography
- sublime performances
- an astounding degree of purity: you'll find little to no nudity, no sex scenes and, should there be violence, it won't be gratuitous
Those qualities are standard across South Korean entertainment. From the best drama of all time to Korean music, you'll find little to distract you from entertainers' excellent performances. If Parasite (and Squid Game) are your only forays into South Korean entertainment, you have a lot to look forward to. Let's go over some of the best Korean movies so you can start populating your watchlist.
Korean Comedy Movies
The biggest drawback to watching Korean films surely must be the language barrier. We're not knocking translators or subtitles. In fact, we're quite grateful for them. Otherwise, short of learning the Korean language, how would we get to enjoy all that Korean cinema has to offer?
Linguistic sleights of hand and other cultural quirks like Korea's unique ageing system make Korean comedy movies a treat to watch. At first, they're superficially funny. But then, once you've peeled the cultural onion a bit, you begin to see how profound and profoundly hilarious these films are.
Save the Green Planet!
Byeong-gu is a gentle beekeeper and all-around good steward of the earth. He's disturbed, though. He believes that Kang Man-shik, the CEO of a powerful pharmaceutical company, is an alien from Andromeda.
In fact, he's convinced that the CEO is a delegate from an advanced party of aliens whose ultimate goal is to take over the Earth. He does his part to protect his beloved planet by attempting to extract Mr Kang's antennae. That way, he would no longer communicate with his alien mates.
This sci-fi/comedy is a Korean language cult classic that's not to be missed. Director Jang Joon-hwan crosses so many genre lines that it's a travesty to peg it strictly as a comedy. And Save's stellar cast is equally versatile.
Leading actor Shin Ha-kyun has a long list of big and small screen credits to his name. Baek Yon-shik, who plays the CEO, has been entertaining audiences on the Korean peninsula for over 50 years.
Midnight Runners
Ki-joon and Hee-yeol finally got a day off from their police academy training. With nothing more in mind than finding some girls and having some drinks, they go out on the town. But before they can talk to any girls, they witness an assault and kidnapping.
Dutiful cops-in-training that they are, they forsake their good time to pursue the evildoers. And 'pursuit' might be understating things. Throughout that long night, they run and discover many not-so-pleasant surprises.
Director Kim Ju-hwan puts trainees Park Seo-joon and Kang Ha-neul through their paces. This part-action, part-comedy Korean film perfectly illustrates the underbelly of South Korean life. It also serves as a fantastic introduction to Park Seo-joon's understated comedic talent.
Mother
Family ties are of utmost importance in Korean culture. Nowhere is this better shown than in the Korean film Mother. Veteran actress Kim Hye-ha plays an old widow caring for her intellectually disabled son, (Won Bin).
She ekes out a living for them both as an unlicensed acupuncturist. When her son is accused of murder, she doesn't have the money to pay for his defence. She sets out to prove her son's innocence.
Mother takes many of the same dark turns that Parasite does. It's no wonder why. With director Bong Joon-ho at the helm, you can count on a rollicking, genre-bending time.
Best Korean Horror Movies
Before delving into this category, let's put out a brief reminder about purity in Korean movies. This inclination toward chastity works particularly well with the psychological horror genre, as proven by Alfred Hitchcock's timeless classic, Psycho. We didn't need to see the knife stabbing the naked body in the shower; the implication of it was enough.
I Saw the Devil
The best Korean horror movies are just as subtle and effective. In this Korean thriller, you'll see two of the most famous Korean people to grace the silver screen. Lee Byung-hun is a police detective investigating a crime against his pregnant fiancée.
Choi Min-sik plays Lee's amoral, murderous counterpart. Over more than two hours, the two will engage in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game. This film's end will shock you.
The Wailing
Spooky village in the forest? Check. Demons and creepy kids? Check. Zombies? Check. And lots of blood, too.
Of all the Korean films on this list, The Wailing comes the closest to being of a pure genre. There is no underlying moral arc. Nor are there any sub-plots to take away from the tightly-scripted main story. Demons, evil spirits, and even cannibalism feature in this gore-fest written and directed by Na Hong-jin.
A Tale of Two Sisters
If you're not a fan of blood-and-gore horror, this Korean movie is the one for you. This psychological fright fest features disassociative identity disorder, hallucinations and ghosts. One sister returns to the (seriously creepy) family home, swearing to protect and take care of her sibling. Much familial instability ensues before we find out what really happened to her mother and sister.
This South Korean movie plays off of a Joseon-era folktale. Director Kim Ji-woon eschews that dynasty's trappings to give the tale a modern twist. Im Soo-jong and Moon Geung-young headline the small cast.
Korean Action Movies
To truly appreciate Korean cinema, you should know some history of the Korean peninsula. Scriptwriters commonly weave historical elements into their storylines. The best Korean language movies are dramatisations of historic events.
Escape from Mogadishu
In 1991, North and South Korea were lobbying for admission into the United Nations. The all-out push included those countries' ambassadors offering gifts to encourage support from leaders of their host countries. So it came that the North and South Korean ambassadors planned their visits to Somali president Siad Barre. From there, things descend into chaos.
Both Koreas did, in fact, become UN members in September 1991. And Somalia has long been in turmoil, particularly under Barre's leadership. Director Ryoo Seung-wan and his writing partner, Lee Gi-cheol wove those two historical facts into their action-packed thriller. Kim Yeon-sok stars as the South Korean ambassador opposite Heo Joon-ho, representing the North.
A Bittersweet Life
Director Kim Jee-won wows us again, this time with a crime boss action thriller. Kim Sun-woo (Lee Byung-hun), the crime boss' right-hand man, is told to monitor the boss' lover. If Kim finds her cheating, he is to kill her.
Upon discovering that she is disloyal, Kim refuses to carry out the termination order. But crime bosses have more than one hired gun. Superbly orchestrated action scenes contrast starkly against Lee Byung-hun's soulful killer-with-a-conscience portrayal.
The Chaser
Another Korean thriller, another page from Korean life and history. This time, the story folds real-life serial killer Yoo Young-chul into the fictional tale of a disgraced police detective-turned-pimp. Two of his girls are missing and he's missing their income. But when a regular customer rings him for a girl-for-hire, he suddenly realises that john was the last to see his two missing girls.
Na Hong-jin co-wrote and directed this suspenseful drama. So attentive to detail was he that he even included Yoo Young-chul's change of crime signature in his film. Kim Yoon-seok stars as the disgraced policeman opposite of Ha Jung-woo as the eerily composed killer.
Best Korean Romantic Movies
By now, it should be clear that Korean films often blur genre lines. And that's only if those lines are not ignored altogether. Even Korean movies on Netflix end up with three or four tags, trying to define them.
That makes it hard to find the type of film you want. Imagine looking for the best Korean romantic movies and loading a Korean monster movie disguised as a romance, instead.
The trouble is, Korean studios typically don't make conventional romance films. You might watch Moonlit Winter, about a mother and daughter (Kim Hee-ae, Kim Kim So-hye) who discover their true path to love. Or you might enjoy the slightly supernatural Be With You (So Ji-sub, Son Ye-jin). As a young wife and mother dies, she promises to return the following year - and she does.
Many Korean films on Netflix involve Korean cuisine but if you want the romance angle included, search for Double Patty (Shin Seo-ho, Bae Joo-hyun). It's not about falling in love over food preparation; it's about inspiring one another to achieve one's dreams. But food does play a part.
Dramas, actions, slices of Korean life... And you're not limited to Netflix. You can catch the best Korean movies on Ratunken Viki, AsianVote or your favourite streaming service. Happy viewing!
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