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30 CERTIFIED FRESH SOUTH KOREAN MOVIES TO The 5 Most Anticipated Movies

WATCH NOW of September
September 1, 2023

With Parasite‘s historic Best Picture win at the 2020 Oscars, South Korea has now become an intractable
contender in the argument for which countries are producing the best movies today. Whether Parasite is your
gateway into an international film scene or you’re a seasoned viewer looking to tick o every last classic, we
present 30 Certified Fresh South Korean movies to watch now!
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Parasite is a great introduction to the South Korean aesthetic, as director Bong Joon-ho has been playing
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Yorgos Lanthimos Masterpiece MANAGE CHOICES
with Oldboy director Park Chan-wook (Thirst, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance), Kim Jee-woon (The Age of
September 1, 2023
Shadows, The Good, the Bad, the Weird), and Poetry and Burning director Lee Chang-dong multiple times.

Once you’ve devoured all of those films, there’s also the quiet, subdued work of Hong Sang-soo (Hotel by the
River, On the Beach at Night Alone, Right Now, Wrong Then), whose frequent leading lady Kim Min-hee also
starred in Park Chan-wook’s endlessly talked-about 2016 romantic mystery The Handmaiden. And if you’re
looking for genre thrills, recent hits Train to Busan and The Wailing, as well as Kim Jee-woon’s A Tale of Two
Sisters and I Saw the Devil, will help scratch that horror itch.

Since the turn of the century, South Korea has been a rising force in critic-applauded and genre-friendly
moviemaking, with no signs of slowing down a er Parasite‘s big wins. Take a look back with 30 Certified Special Ops: Lioness Finale
Fresh South Korean movies to watch now! —Alex Vo Exclusive Sneak Peek: ‘Execute
the Mission’
September 1, 2023
THE HOUSEMAID (2010)
69%
#30 More Featured on RT >

Critics Consensus: Im Sang-soo's remake of The Housemaid struggles to

TOP HEADLINES
escape the shadow of the original, but o ers its own unique -- and decidedly • 60 Best Concert Movies of All Time
–
sensual -- pleasures.
• Netflix’s 100 Best Movies Right Now
Synopsis: Eun-yi (Jeon Do-yeon), a poor Korean woman, takes a job as a (September 2023)
domestic servant in the lavish home of Hoon... [More] –
• 100 Best Netflix Series To Watch Right
Starring: Jeon Do-yeon, Lee Jung-jae, Youn Yuh-jung, Seo Woo
Now (September 2023)
Directed By: Im Sang-soo –
• Worst Blockbusters of All Time Ranked
–
• Summer Movie Scorecard 2023
–
PIETA (2012)
73%
#29 • 30 Most Popular Movies Right Now:
What to Watch In Theaters and
Streaming
Critics Consensus: It lacks subtlety and depth of character, but Pieta gets by –
with committed performances and a darkly ambitious, deceptively simple
message. More Top Headlines >
Synopsis: In Seoul, a loan shark's brutal enforcer (Lee Jung-jin) turns away
from his violent lifestyle a er he meets a woman... [More]
Starring: Lee Jung-jin, Jo Min-soo, Woo Gi-hong, Kang Eun-jin

Directed By: Kim Ki-duk

THE WAY HOME (2002)

75%
#28

Critics Consensus: A simple story told with much warmth and compassion.

Synopsis: Little Sang-woo (Yoo Seung-ho) doesn't want to leave Seoul, South
Korea, to live with his mute grandmother (Kim Eul-boon) in... [More]

Starring: Kim Eul-boon, Yoo Seung-ho, Kyung-hyun Min, Eun-Kyung Yim

Directed By: Jeong-Hyang Lee

LADY VENGEANCE (2005)

76%
#27

Critics Consensus: Stylistically flashy and gruesomely violent, Sympathy for

Lady Vengeance fits in nicely with the other two films of Park's revenge trilogy.
Synopsis: Lee Geum-ja (Lee Young-ae) has spent the last 13 years in prison for
a murder she didn't commit. She's fantasized... [More]
Starring: Lee Young-ae, Choi Min-sik, Nam Il-u, Kim Byeong-ok
Directed By: Park Chan-wook

I SAW THE DEVIL (2010)

81%
#26

Critics Consensus: Never flinching during its descent into depravity, I Saw the
Devil is a pulverizing thriller that will give bloody satisfaction to audiences who
like their revenge served with fiery rage.
Synopsis: On a dark road, taxi driver Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik) comes across a
scared female motorist stranded in a broken-down vehicle.... [More]

Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Chun Ho-jin

Directed By: Kim Jee-woon

TAE GUK GI: THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR (2004)

80%
#25

Critics Consensus: Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War sends viewers to the
front lines of the Korean War, with grim yet rewarding results.
Synopsis: Jin-tae (Jang Dong-gun) has always looked out for his little brother,
Jin-seok (Won-bin), even shining shoes to raise funds for... [More]
Starring: Jang Dong-gun, Won-bin, Lee Eun-ju, Gong Hyung-jin
Directed By: Je-gyu Kang

THIRST (2009)
81%
#24

Critics Consensus: The stylish Thirst packs plenty of bloody thrills to satisfy
fans of both vampire films and director Chan Wook Park.
Synopsis: Sang-hyun (Song Kang-ho), a respected priest, volunteers for an
experimental procedure that may lead to a cure for a deadly... [More]
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Kim Hae-sook
Directed By: Park Chan-wook

OLDBOY (2003)
83%
#23

Critics Consensus: Violent and definitely not for the squeamish, Park Chan-
Wook's visceral Oldboy is a strange, powerful tale of revenge.
Synopsis: Dae-Su is an obnoxious drunk bailed from the police station yet
again by a friend. However, he's abducted from the... [More]
Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung, Ji Dae-han
Directed By: Park Chan-wook

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD (2008)

81%
#22

Critics Consensus: Whilst never taking itself too seriously, this riotous and
rollicking Sergio Leone-inspired Korean Western is serious fun.
Synopsis: In 1930s Manchuria, an encounter on a train triggers an epic crusade
for a treasure map, prompting a marathon chase... [More]
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung, Ryu Seung-soo
Directed By: Kim Jee-woon

THE VILLAINESS (2017)

85%
#21

Critics Consensus: The Villainess o ers enough pure kinetic thrills to satisfy
genre enthusiasts -- and carve out a bloody niche for itself in modern Korean
action cinema.

Synopsis: Honed from childhood to be an elite assassin, Sook-hee embarks on

a rampage of violence and revenge to finally earn... [More]
Starring: Kim Ok-bin, Shin Ha-kyun, Sung-joon, Kim Seo-hyung

Directed By: Jeong Byeong-gil

DRUNK ON WOMEN AND POETRY (2002)

83%
#20

Critics Consensus: A fittingly artful biopic about the life of a brilliant painter,
Chihwaseon o ers an uncommonly compelling look at a singularly creative life.
Synopsis: Jang Seung-Up (Choi Min-sik) is a Korean peasant and a gi ed artist.
Upper-class Kim Byung-Moon (Ahn Sung-ki) discovers Jang and,... [More]
Starring: Choi Min-sik, Ahn Sung-ki, Yoo Ho-jeong, Kim Yeo-jin
Directed By: Im Kwon-taek

A TALE OF TWO SISTERS (2003)

86%
#19

Critics Consensus: Restrained but disturbing, A Tale of Two Sisters is a creepily

e ective, if at times confusing, horror movie.
Synopsis: A er being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Korean teen Su-mi
(Yum Jung-ah) reunites with her beloved sister, Su-yeon (Im Soo-jung),... [More]

Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-soo, Moon Geun-young, Lim Soo-jung

Directed By: Kim Jee-woon

CHUNHYANG (2000)
86%
#18

Critics Consensus: Chunhyang brings a classic love story to life with a period
romance whose savory visuals are enhanced by a sincerity that transcends
folktale formula.
Synopsis: In 13th-century Korea, Noble-born Mongryong (Cho Seung-woo) and
commoner Chunhyang (Lee Hyojeong) fall in love when they first meet, but...
[More]

Starring: Lee Hyojeong, Cho Seung-woo, Lee Rogeon, Kim Sung-nyu

Directed By: Im Kwon-taek

3-IRON (2004)
87%
#17

Critics Consensus: A tender and moving romance from Spring, Summer, Fall,
Winter... And Spring's director Kim Ki-Duk.
Synopsis: Tae-suk (Jae-hee) is a lonely dri er who spends his nights in one
empty vacation home a er another. However, Tae-suk is... [More]
Starring: Seung-Yun Lee, Jae-hee, Hyuk-ho Kwon, Joo Jin-mo
Directed By: Kim Ki-duk

TREELESS MOUNTAIN (2008)

86%
#16

Critics Consensus: Intermittently wondrous and harsh, this sensitive drama

about two abandoned sisters gives time and space to the intimate and
beautiful moments of childhood.

Synopsis: Jin (Kim Hee-yeon) and her younger sister, Bin (Song Hee Kim), are
le by their mother (Soo Ah Lee) with... [More]

Starring: Kim Hee-yeon, Song Hee Kim, Soo Ah Lee, Kim Mi-Hyang

Directed By: So-yong Kim

MEMORIES OF MURDER (2003)

95%
#15

Critics Consensus: Memories of Murder blends the familiar crime genre with
social satire and comedy, capturing the all-too human desperation of its key
characters.
Synopsis: In 1986, Park (Song Kang-ho) and Cho (Kim Roi-ha) are two simple-
minded detectives assigned to a double murder investigation in... [More]

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe ha, Song Jae-ho
Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! (2003)

90%
#14

Critics Consensus: A funny and wildly inventive hybrid of various genres, Save
the Green Planet! is definitely a unique viewing experience.

Synopsis: Lee Byeong-gu (Shin Ha-kyun) is convinced that there are aliens
from Andromeda among us, plotting to destroy Earth. He believes... [More]
Starring: Shin Ha-kyun, Baek Yun-shik, Hwang Jeong-min, Lee Jae-yong
Directed By: Jang Joon-hwan

RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN (2015)

92%
#13

Critics Consensus: Right Now, Wrong Then o ers diverging perspectives on a

chance meeting -- and thought-provoking observations on human interactions
in general.
Synopsis: An art film director meets a fledgling artist and invites her for sushi
and soju.... [More]
Starring: Jung Jae-young, Kim Min-hee, Youn Yuh-jung, Ki Joo-bong

Directed By: Hong Sang-soo

ON THE BEACH AT NIGHT ALONE (2017)

92%
#12

Critics Consensus: On the Beach at Night Alone finds writer-director Sang-soo

Hong working in a more personal vein -- without losing the singular
sensibilities that have informed much of his acclaimed earlier work.
Synopsis: A er a publicized a air with her director, an actress leaves South
Korea and goes to Hamburg, where she gains insight... [More]
Starring: Kim Min-hee, Jung Jae-young, Moon Seong-geun, Ahn Jae-hong
Directed By: Hong Sang-soo

TRAIN TO BUSAN (2016)

95%
#11

Critics Consensus: Train to Busan delivers a thrillingly unique -- and purely

entertaining -- take on the zombie genre, with fully realized characters and
plenty of social commentary to underscore the bursts of skillfully staged action.

Synopsis: A man (Gong Yoo), his estranged daughter and other passengers
become trapped on a speeding train during a zombie outbreak... [More]
Starring: Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Choi Woo-sik
Directed By: Yeon Sang-ho

THE HOST (2006)

93%
#10

Critics Consensus: As populace pleasing as it is intellectually satisfying, The

Host combines scares, laughs, and satire into a riveting, monster movie.

Synopsis: Careless American military personnel dump chemicals into South

Korea's Han River. Several years later, a creature emerges from the tainted...
[More]

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doo-na

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER ... AND SPRING (2003)

94%
#9

Critics Consensus: A visually stunning and contemplative piece of work.

Synopsis: A young Buddhist apprentice is mentored by an aging monk (Oh

Yeong-su) at a secluded monastery in the Korean wilderness.... [More]
Starring: Kim Ki-duk, Ha Yeo-jin, Ji Dae-han, Oh Yeong-su

Directed By: Kim Ki-duk

THE HANDMAIDEN (2016)

96%
#8

Critics Consensus: The Handmaiden uses a Victorian crime novel as the loose
inspiration for another visually sumptuous and absorbingly idiosyncratic
outing from director Park Chan-wook.
Synopsis: With help from an orphaned pickpocket (Kim Tae-ri), a Korean con
man (Ha Jung-woo) devises an elaborate plot to seduce... [More]
Starring: Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong

Directed By: Park Chan-wook

BURNING (2018)
95%
#7

Critics Consensus: Burning patiently lures audiences into a slow-burning

character study that ultimately rewards the viewer's patience -- and subverts
many of their expectations.

Synopsis: Jong-soo runs into Hae-mi, a girl who once lived in his
neighborhood, and she asks him to watch her cat... [More]
Starring: Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo, Kim Soo-kyung

Directed By: Lee Chang-dong

HOTEL BY THE RIVER (2018)

95%
#6

Critics Consensus: Hotel by the River finds writer-director Hong Sang-soo

revisiting familiar themes from fresh perspectives -- and telling a story that
potently distills his unique creative strengths.

Synopsis: Convinced he's on the verge of death, an aging poet invites his two
bickering sons to an isolated hotel for... [More]

Starring: Ki Joo-bong, Kim Min-hee, Song Seon-mi, Kwon Hae-hyo

Directed By: Hong Sang-soo

MOTHER (2009)
96%
#5

Critics Consensus: As fleshy as it is funny, Bong Joon-Ho's Mother straddles

family drama, horror and comedy with a de grasp of tone and plenty of eerie
visuals.
Synopsis: A widow (Kim Hye-ja) resides with her mentally challenged son
(Won-bin) in a small South Korean town, where she scrapes... [More]

Starring: Kim Hye-ja, Won-bin, Jin Goo, Yoon Je-moon

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

THE WAILING (2016)

99% #4

Critics Consensus: The Wailing delivers an atmospheric, cleverly constructed

mystery whose supernatural thrills more than justify its imposing length.

Synopsis: Suspicion leads to hysteria when rural villagers link a series of brutal
murders to the arrival of a mysterious stranger... [More]

Starring: Kwak Do-won, Jun Kunimura, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee

Directed By: Na Hong-jin

PARASITE (2019)
99% #3

Critics Consensus: An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes,

Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his cra .
Synopsis: Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic
relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan....
[More]

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Jo Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-sik

Directed By: Bong Joon Ho

THE AGE OF SHADOWS (2016)

100%
#2

Critics Consensus: The Age of Shadows justifies its imposing length with a
richly detailed period drama whose sprawling size is matched by strong acting,
impressive cra , and narrative depth.

Synopsis: Korean resistance fighters smuggle explosives to destroy facilities

controlled by Japanese forces.... [More]
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Gong Yoo, Han Ji-min, Uhm Tae-goo
Directed By: Kim Jee-woon

POETRY (2010)
100%
#1

Critics Consensus: Poetry is an absorbing, poignant drama because it o ers no

easy answers to its complex central conflict.
Synopsis: At the end of her life a woman searches for new meaning.... [More]

Starring: Yoon Jeong-hee, Lee David, Kim Hee-ra, Ahn Nae-sang

Directed By: Lee Chang-dong

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