Yahoo Lifestyle If You Loved 'Squid Game,' You Need to See These Must-Watch Korean Movies
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If You Loved 'Squid Game,' You Need to See These Must-Watch Korean Movies
You've heard of K-pop, shorthand for Korean popular music. Now get ready for K-wave, or "Hallyu," the name for the "wave" of Korean media, including films, that has swept the world since the 1990s.
Even before Bong Joon Ho’s film Parasite achieved global recognition in 2019 by becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, South Korea had a dynamic movie industry driven by the peninsular country’s dramatic economic, cultural and social history.
This list of the best Korean films includes required classics and newer releases in many genres, including psychological thrillers, nightmare-inducing horror movies, romantic comedies and smoldering dramas that are unique to Korean cinematic and narrative aesthetics.
For those just starting your journey into the world of Korean cinema, try watching the films chronologically, starting with Kim Ki Young’s femme fatale melodrama, The Housemaid (1960). Don’t miss classic early 2000s films like Park Chan Wook’s Oldboy (2003) and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), along with Bong Joon Ho’s Memories of Murder (2003), before moving onto contemporary films.
Diving into South Korean cinema opens a window into the country’s unique point of view shaped by rapid economic growth, technological innovation and the legacy of colonialism and war — while also providing peak entertainment with the national cinema’s talent for storytelling. Wherever you are in your Korean cinema journey, you’re in for a treat with this list of incredible Korean films.
Hearst Owned - 2/36
1) Unlocked (2023)
Commenting on modern ethical controversies around technology and surveillance, this film begins when a young woman loses her smartphone during a fun night of partying. After the phone is picked up by a skilled hacker who implants spyware that tracks her every move before returning the device to her, the woman’s professional and personal life unravels rapidly.
Studio N - 3/36
2) The Housemaid (1960)
This classic by controversial director Kim Ki Young has been hailed by film curators and scholars as one of the most important films in Korean cinematic history. The melodrama centers around the violent and dramatic downfall of a middle-class Korean family when they hire a young woman to help with housework.
Seki Trading Co. - 4/36
3) Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
This heart-wrenching revenge film is the first installment of Park Chan Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy from the early 2000s, which also includes Oldboy (2003) and Lady Vengeance (2005). In a desperate attempt to raise money for his sister’s kidney transplant, Ryu, a disabled factory worker, kidnaps the daughter of the factory president. The heist goes wrong in many ways, leading to tragic endings for all.
Studio Box - 5/36
4) High Society (2018)
The higher up the social ladder you go, the more you have to climb to protect your place. In this enticing drama about the ultimate power couple, an economics professor husband and his gallery-curator wife embark on an adventure to do whatever it takes to achieve upward mobility and stay there.
Netflix - 6/36
5) Love and Leashes (2022)
A different take on BDSM than 50 Shades of Grey, this romantic comedy treats the beginning of a dom-sub relationship between co-workers with innocence, curiosity and some giggles. Reviewers have called the workplace romantic comedy a refreshing and wholesome take on kink that focuses on boundaries, without pathologizing BDSM.
netflix - 7/36
6) Midnight (2021)
Loved Squid Game? This 2021 Korean thriller stars Wi Ha-Joon (the actor who played Jun-Ho, the police officer, in the Netflix series) and features an intense, life-or-death storyline about a ruthless serial killer who hunts down a deaf woman through the streets of South Korea.
RELATED: The Best Films on Netflix That Celebrate the Phenomenal Scope of Asian Cinema
CJ Entertainment - 8/36
7) Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... And Spring (2003)
For those who prefer a more sentimental and emotional watch, you won't regret trying out this beautifully meditative film from 2003. It follows the life of a Buddhist monk living in an isolated floating temple, as each passing season symbolizes a stage in his life.
Sony Pictures Classics - 9/36
8) Peppermint Candy (1999)
Directed by acclaimed Korean director Lee Chang-Dong, Peppermint Candy is a powerful, moving drama that explores themes of fate, time and memory using a unique and intriguing storytelling feature. The story is told in reverse, taking viewers backward through 20 years of a doomed man's life.
Shindo Films/Cineclick Asia - 10/36
9) Little Forest (2018)
If you ever find yourself in need of something soothing and relaxing, just turn on Little Forest. With a heartwarming story of a young woman who escapes the city to return to her hometown in the countryside, it's truly a simple and quiet film with lots of heart.
Megabox Plus M - 11/36
10) The Villainess (2017)
Craving a good Korean action movie? This stylish, exhilarating revenge thriller about a trained assassin on a rampage to escape her past delivers all the high-energy action sequences you could ever want. Just brace yourself for the gore!
RELATED: 16 Best Action Movies on Netflix to Kick It Up a Notch
Next Entertainment World - 12/36
11) The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)
Inspired by Italian director Sergio Leone's classic spaghetti western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, this Korean spaghetti western film is about a bounty hunter, gangster and train robber who embark on an epic crusade to uncover buried treasure. Prepare for a lot of laughs, adventure, and genre-specific tropes in this action-packed film.
CJ Entertainment - 13/36
12) Right Now, Wrong Then (2015)
Right Now, Wrong Then is a great pick if you're in the mood for a more quiet, contemplative drama. This highly acclaimed film from celebrated director Hong Sang-Soo tells the story of a chance encounter between a celebrated art film director and a young painter.
Next Entertainment World - 14/36
13) Train to Busan (2016)
A must-watch Korean thriller film, Train to Busan presents a fresh and original take on one of the most classic film genres — the zombie apocalypse flick — as it follows a man fighting for survival on a speeding train that's overtaken by a zombie outbreak. Prepare to be on the edge of your seat the entire time while watching this one!
Next Entertainment World - 15/36
14) Peninsula (2020)
After watching Train to Busan, you'll definitely want to follow it up with Peninsula, its highly anticipated sequel. Set four years after the events of the first film, a former soldier and his team battle zombies to retrieve a truck full of money from the wastelands of the Korean peninsula.
Next Entertainment World - 16/36
15) Minari (2020)
A tender and stirring drama about a family of South Korean immigrants who take on the American dream in 1980s rural Arkansas, this highly acclaimed film from Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung received six Academy Award nominations (including for Best Picture!). You'll probably want to keep a box of tissues handy for this one.
A24 - 17/36
16) My Sassy Girl (2001)
My Sassy Girl is perhaps one of the most well-known Korean romantic comedy films of all time — in fact, it was the highest-grossing comedy in Korea at the time of release. With a delightful love story about a college student who meets a trouble-making partner, it's easy to see why this gem became such a widely successful blockbuster hit.
Cinema Service - 18/36
17) Parasite (2019)
There's a reason why this black comedy thriller has earned so much international acclaim and achieved Oscar-winning history. With an engrossing and genre-bending plot, Parasite captivates with suspenseful storytelling all throughout the film and delivers a truly intriguing take on the themes of class, violence and social inequality.
RELATED: Here's What Parasite Is Really About
CJ Entertainment - 19/36
18) Memories of Murder (2003)
If you loved Parasite and want to explore more of director Bong Joon Ho's works, Memories of Murder is a great place to start. Combining the crime-thriller genre with social satire and absurdist comedy, this film follows two detectives investigating a series of murders (loosely based on the true story of Korea's first confirmed serial murders that took place in the 1980s).
CJ Entertainment/Sidus Pictures - 20/36
19) The Beauty Inside (2015)
If you're looking for a good romantic Korean movie to watch, this 2015 fantasy rom-com — which is based on the 2012 American social film of the same name — tells the story of a man who wakes up in a different body every day. Plus, there's also a K-drama adaptation of the film you can watch afterward!
Next Entertainment World - 21/36
20) The Wailing (2016)
South Korean cinema has long excelled in the horror genre — and The Wailing, which boasts a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is certainly proof of that. Not for the faint of heart, this widely praised horror-thriller flick centers on a series of mysterious killings in a rural Korean village.
20th Century Fox - 22/36
21) Space Sweepers (2021)
Love sci-fi adventure films? One of the more recent Korean movies from Netflix — and also touted as the first Korean space blockbuster — is set in 2092 when Earth has become almost inhabitable. Space Sweepers follows the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory, as they discover a child humanoid robot and embark on an epic space adventure.
RELATED: 30 Mind-Blowing Sci-Fi Movies Everyone Should Watch
Netflix - 23/36
22) Burning (2018)
Based on the short story Barn Burning by Japanese author Haruki Murakami, this critically acclaimed psychological mystery drama from Lee Chang-Dong tells the quietly haunting story of a young man who faces a mysterious secret after his childhood friend returns from a trip and brings along a man with a strange hobby.
CGV Arthouse - 24/36
23) Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2022)
Another recently released Korean movie is this period adventure film about a crew of pirates from the Joseon Dynasty who go in search of royal gold lost at sea. Currently one of the top Korean movies released in 2022, Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure has an exciting, fast-paced story and plenty of adventure.
Netflix - 25/36
24) Oldboy (2003)
Perhaps one of the most well-known Korean movies of all time, this dark and visceral vengeance movie from Park Chan-Wook — one of Korea's most celebrated directors — follows a man who sets out on a revenge mission after inexplicably being imprisoned for 15 years. Warning: This one's definitely not for the faint of heart!
Show East - 26/36
25) The Handmaiden (2016)
Another masterful movie from director Park Chan-Wook is this erotic psychological thriller and romance film inspired by the 2002 novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters. Set in 1930s colonial Korea and Japan, it follows the riveting story of a Japanese heiress and her Korean handmaiden who's involved in an elaborate plot with a con man to seduce the wealthy woman from her inheritance.
CJ Entertainment - 27/36
26) Be With You (2018)
This tender melodrama is another popular romantic Korean movie that swept the box office upon its premiere. A remake of a popular Japanese movie of the same name, Be With You tells the story of a woman who miraculously returns to her husband one year later after her death but with no memories of her life or family.
Lotte Entertainment - 28/36
27) The Host (2006)
The Host is another masterpiece from director Bong Joon Ho that you'll need to watch (especially as it also stars Parasite's leading man Song Kang-Ho). This thrilling flick presents a truly gripping storyline involving a terrifying sea creature to deliver what's widely considered one of the greatest monster movies to date.
Showbox Entertainment - 29/36
28) A Taxi Driver (2017)
Parasite's Song Kang-Ho stars in yet another beloved film. This one is about a cab driver from Seoul who unintentionally becomes involved in the Gwangju Uprising, a historical event that took place in South Korea in 1980. (Plus, it's based on a real-life story, which makes it an even more compelling watch.)
Showbox - 30/36
29) Poetry (2010)
For fans of melancholic and emotionally stirring films, Lee Chang-Dong's Poetry delivers a poignant story about an elderly woman who takes up a poetry class after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Family, memory and mortality are all themes that this movie explores beautifully (which means you'll definitely want to keep the tissues nearby).
Next Entertainment World - 31/36
30) I Saw The Devil (2010)
You can't fully explore Korean cinema without delving into their truly fantastic horror films — especially with this highly visceral and shockingly violent horror-thriller flick from 2010, which follows a secret agent who sets out to find a serial killer after his wife is brutally murdered. You probably won't want to watch this one at night.
Peppermint & Company/Magnet Releasing - 32/36
31) Extreme Job (2019)
What happens when a team of narcotics detectives goes undercover in a fried chicken joint to stake out an organized crime gang? That's exactly the quirky premise of this recent cop comedy hit, which delights audiences with the perfect balance of exciting action and feel-good comedy.
RELATED: 20 Best Feel-Good Films on Netflix to Soothe Your Soul
CJ Entertainment - 33/36
32) Secret Sunshine (2007)
From the same director who brought Peppermint Candy, Burning and Poetry to the screen (Lee Chang-Dong), Secret Sunshine delivers a quietly riveting and heart-wrenching drama about a widowed mother who undergoes a tragedy after moving to a new town. Parasite's Song Kang-Ho also stars in this tear-jerking film, which explores grief, faith and personal loss.
Cinema Service/CJ Entertainment - 34/36
33) Forgotten (2017)
For those who can't resist an intense psychological thriller, Forgotten is a must-watch that follows a young man trying to uncover the truth behind the sudden return of his abducted brother. The film delivers edge-of-your-seat mystery with suspenseful horror moments — not to mention, some truly mind-bending plot twists you'll never see coming.
RELATED: The 23 Best Psychological Thriller Books to Scare Yourself Silly
Netflix/Megabox Plus M - 35/36
34) Okja (2017)
This adventure-drama film (which features both Korean and English) about a young girl and her giant mutant pig is another gem from Bong Joon Ho and even has a star cast that includes American actors like Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal. Centered around a Korean girl determined to save her beloved pet from being taken away by a powerful corporation, Okja is equal parts a whimsical fable and a dark, compelling satire.
Netflix/Next Entertainment World - 36/36
35) Mother (2009)
And if you still can't get enough of Bong Joon Ho's movies, Mother sees the notable director tackling the murder mystery genre. This fascinating and riveting thriller film is about a mother who, after her intellectually disabled son is accused of murder, attempts to track down the real killer in order to clear her son's name.
RELATED: 25 True Crime Documentaries on Netflix That Are Too Scary for Primetime
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