The Best Korean Films to Stream on Netflix Tonight
There's really no other way to put this: If you're any type of cinephile and you're not watching Korean cinema by now, you're behind. Far behind. And we're not talking about Parasite (though it is an unimpeachably good place to start!) or a few episodes of Squid Game. We want you to embrace the entire industry.
Hollywood is just one of the world's capitals of film. Over in South Korea, there's a whole treasure trove of titles that will expand your international film expertise. But in the process of watching some of the greatest hits, you may recognize that America? It's borrowing some source material pretty heavily from our friends abroad.
Netflix is keen on the seismic shift in stateside viewers' appetites, to the point that they've been quietly stocking their library with Korean titles (and more than a few original concepts the streamer has developed). We're here to answer the question of what you should start with that collection. These are 10 of the best Korean films available on Netflix. And keep your eyes open, friend, this is just the beginning.
The Reservoir Game
This thrilling documentary follows an investigative reporter who takes on a new project. When he learns the former president of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, has a secret slush fund, he decides to expose the former leader—leading to a deep dive into Korean politics.
See the original post on Youtube
The Call
The Call is a horror movie that follows two people living in different time periods. When Seo-Yeon gets a mysterious call from the past, she's presented with the opportunity to rewrite history. But in doing so, she awakens a violent killer who threatens to harm everyone she loves.
See the original post on Youtube
Okja
Okja follows Mija, a young woman whos been caring for her massive pet Okja in South Korea. Eventually, a family-owned corporation learns about the animal and takes it to New York to share with the world. When Mija learns the company has ill intentions she embarks on a rescue mission to bring Okja home.
See the original post on Youtube
Wish You
Wish You is a romantic drama following star-crossed lovers. When a shy pianist discovers a talented street singer, he falls in love at first sight. The pianist later invites the singer to his record label and helps kickstart his career. But their relationship complicates as the lines between their personal and professional lives are blurred.
See the original post on Youtube
Kill Boksoon
In this thriller, a seemingly ordinary mom works as a renowned assassin by day, then returns home to play the role of a doting parent at night. In her world, killing villains is a piece of cake. But taking care of a teenage girl proves to be much harder.
See the original post on Youtube
Unlocked
Unlocked follows a woman whose world is upended when a dangerous stranger finds her phone. Instead of returning the device, he steals her data, then uses it to try and ruin her life.
See the original post on Youtube
Bad Police (Jo Pil-ho: The Dawning Rage)
Bad Police follows a corrupt cop who’s on the run from an international affairs agency. While trying to escape he finds an unlikely partner in a disgruntled teenager. Together they attempt to unravel a government conspiracy before they’re both hunted down.
See the original post on Youtube
Time to Hunt
Time to Hunt is a dystopian thriller. When a financial crisis disrupts society, a series of slums arise in Korea. In order to survive a group of young adults plan a casino heist, but their lives are put in danger when they attract the attention of a grizzly killer.
See the original post on Youtube
Tune in For Love
Inject a good rom-com directly into my IV and call it a day. Tune in For Love is about two people who seem to fancy one another quite a bit—they share stories of their chance meeting on a radio station—but no matter how hard this missed connection tries to make good on what might have been, they falter.
See the original post on Youtube
Night in Paradise
Mobster movie! (Kind of.) When a criminal relocates to the under-the-radar Jeju Island, he encounters a woman who has all but given up on her own life. What he doesn't know is that she has just as much baggage as he.
See the original post on Youtube
Lucid Dream
In Kim Jog-sun's directorial debut, he tells the story of a man who attempts to relocate his missing son using lucid dreams.
See the original post on Youtube
Psychokinesis
Scoot over, Marvel, it's time for a new kind of superhero. Psychokinesis follows a bank security guard and father as he develops telekinetic superpowers. Like any good dad, he uses them to help his estranged daughter who needs his assistance more than she knows.
See the original post on Youtube
Steel Rain
Steel Rain goes all the way in on the drama. The story follows a man who must escape North Korea with its leader after a coup is enacted and nuclear war becomes imminent.
See the original post on Youtube
Forgotten
In this thriller, a man's brother returns after disappearing via kidnapping. In the three weeks he was gone though, he's seemingly lost all memory of who he is and what happened. His brother sets out to get justice and unpack everything that has become a mystery to his brother since.
See the original post on Youtube
The Drug King
When a small time smuggler decides to wade into the big business of drugs, he finds himself at the top of the Japanese narcotics trade circuit—and, as one would have to imagine, that's not a title that you hold forever.
See the original post on Youtube
Snowpiercer
This class drama from Parasite director Bong Joon-ho takes place after the world's second ice age, and is set almost entirely on a train. Yes, there are survivors, the poorest of which decide that it's time to shake up who gets what in this new world.
See the original post on Youtube
#Alive
Pandemic movie? Released in 2020? That's what we have with #Alive. As a Korean city is ravaged by an unruly virus, a man alone in his apartment thinks hope is lost until he finds another survivor.
See the original post on Youtube
The Call
What if you received a call from someone telling you that they can save your late father? What if you then learned that call was coming from... 20 years in the past? Hard to believe, but harder to resist.
See the original post on Youtube
You Might Also Like
