South Korean film is often synonymous with intense thrillers and disturbing horrors, but their cinema, of course, has a lot more than justfilms that will spook you out. Some of the best and most renowned directors hail from South Korea, includingKim Ki-duk,Park Chan-wook, andBong Joon-ho, to name a few. These are globally loved filmmakers with accolades that helped put South Korean cinema on the map, regardless of the genre.
Whether you’re in the mood for some of their notoriously famous classics, cult films, or deep cuts that primarily South Korean viewers know, the list has them. These are theSouth Korean movies that you must watch at least once, not only for their influence or notoriety but for the stories, too. The creativity and inspiration are unique in South Korean filmmakers, influencing world cinema and cementing their home country as a true power in the seventh art.
10’Attack the Gas Station' (1999)
Directed by Kim Sang-jin
It’s crime, it’s comedy, and it’s social commentary.Attack the Gas Stationis a deep cut, and despite many other movies that might be on this very spot, this one deserves it the most. Much like the ’90s in American cinema was riddled with ensemble comedies likeClerksandMallrats, the end of the decade provided the same type of cult film in South Korea, too.
Attack the Gas Stationfollows four young friends: No Mark, Mad Dog, Rockstar, and Paint (Lee Sung-jae, Yu Oh-seong, Kang Sung-jin, andYoo Ji-tae, respectively). Out of boredom, they decide to rob a gas station, only to rob the same one the next day, again. The second time around, they keep the employees and the owner hostage while an array of colorful characters come to the station for gas. The four men represent the rage of young people in the wake of an economic crisis andencapsulate Seoul’s urban lifestyle of the late ’90s(and they look really cool, let’s face it). With lots of hidden (and not-so-hidden) jabs at other political and social issues,Attack the Gas Stationwillmake you laugh while thinking about injustice.
9’The Man from Nowhere' (2010)
Directed by Lee Jeong-bom
The Man from Nowhereis a movie thatimpacted the action genre in the Westfor the better. It’s one ofthe most brilliantly choreographedand moving movieswith a lasting legacy. The actress who portrayed the little girl So-mi,Kim Sae-ron,passed away this year, and it seems she and her acting partner,Won Bin, were lifelong friends. WatchingThe Man From Nowherecould also count as devoting a tribute to Kim, who became one of the best new actors in South Korea. Internationally and domestically,The Man From Nowherewas a smash hit.
The Man From Nowherefollows a solitary man, Cha Tae-sik (Won Bin), who runs a pawnshop in Seoul. His only friend is the 10-year-old So-mi (Kim), who visits him while her mother is away for work. When So-mi’s mom gets in trouble with some bad people, they kidnap So-mi as ransom; Tae-sik’s past gets uncovered, and he turns out to be a highly skilled assassin, ready to fight for those he loves. Won Bin retired from acting after this movie, leaving a monumental final film for his acting credits.
The Man from Nowhere
8’The Housemaid' (1960)
Directed by Kim Ki-young
The Housemaidis a wild card on the list, mainly becauseit was made in 1960. Plenty of great South Korean movies were made before the 2000s, but international viewers often prefer modernity. There’s no harm in indulging in an older movie, andone that really shook the nation’s core when it came out.The Housemaidbecame so controversial in South Korea that the lead actress,Lee Eun-shim,gave up acting soon after the movie’s release.She claimsit was because she was simply an amateur, but there are stories that her role was so convincing, she was labeled as a homewrecker in Korean society. Whichever version is truer,Lee is the best part of this psychological horror.
The Housemaidfollows the Kim family — pianist Dong-sik (Kim Jun-kyu), who lives in a new house with his pregnant wife and two children, and they need someone to assist them in taking care of the large home. The factory where Kim works has some workers that become interested in being his housemaid, including Myung-sook (Lee). Myung-sook moves into the Kims' house, and her presence becomes a bigger problem than anticipated. Myung-sook is a classic femme fatale and the driving force of this superb domestic horror. If you like old thrillers,The Housemaidis perfect for you.
The Housemaid
7’My Sassy Girl' (2001)
Directed by Kwak Jae-yong
There’s no lack of romance in South Korean programs, and some ofthe most romantic moviesever made hail from the country that brings us cheesy melodrama andoverly romantic K-dramas.My Sassy Girlis a different spin on the romance trope,combining comedy with chaotic leads who don’t behave by societal standards. It’s one of the biggest movies of the 2000s, locally and internationally, becoming the catalyst for spreading the good word of the Korean Wave to other countries.My Sassy Girlis also one of the movies with the most spin-offs and remakes in other countries.
My Sassy Girlfollows engineering student Geon-woo (Cha Tae-hyun), who saves a drunk girl (Jun Ji-hyun) from getting hit by a train one evening while waiting to go on a date. The two then become entwined as the girl continues to be extremely chaotic and unlike a typical cute girl Geon-woo is used to dating. They develop feelings during a very endearing but often ridiculous movie.My Sassy Girlis another example of challenging South Korean standards, this time around dating and the traits the characters are supposed to display in dating versus the ones they do.
6’Train to Busan' (2016)
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho
One of the most exciting action movies is also a South Korean zombie movie with a lot of grit and heart,Train to Busan. South Korean movies are known for combining multiple plots in one and tackling various topics, soTrain to Busanis no different.Yeon Sang-hois one of the country’sbiggest contributors to the horror genre, having made everything fromanimated zombie moviesto demonic series.Train to Busanisunique for its plot, setting, and storytelling, having one of the most original stories in the genre.
Train to Busanfollows the passengers of a Korean KTX train traveling from Seoul to Busan in the south. The focus is on Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) and his estranged daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an), who travel to Busan for her birthday. On the train are also protective Sang-hwa (Don Lee) and his pregnant wife, Seong-kyeong (Jung Yu-mi), among many others. Before the train departs, a woman infected with a zombie virus runs into the train, spreading the disease rapidly. The survivors are left to fight off both the zombies and other survivors.
5’Miracle In Cell No. 7' (2013)
Directed by Lee Hwan-kyung
On a list of movies inspired by real life,Miracle in Cell No. 7isone of the most heartbreaking storiesyou could ever see. Though inspired by a pretty heavy and tragic story,Miracle In Cell No. 7is a rather heartwarming drama. In 1972, a mentally disabled man was forced by the police to confess to the murder of a child, finally being exonerated in 2008.The movie tells the story slightly differently and in a lighter fashion, mixing some comedy into the dialogue.
Miracle In Cell No. 7follows Yong-gu (Ryu Seung-ryong), a man with a developmental disability who is close to his little daughter Ye-sung (Kal So-won). When Yong-gu sees a girl slip and hit her head on the pavement, he tries saving her but gets mistaken for her murderer. Unable to defend himself properly and with some history with the police commissioner, Yong-gu gets sentenced to life in prison, in a cell called “Room 7.” The story shows how Yong-gu slowly wins over his cellmates despite his disability and wrongful conviction. It’sone of the most recommended South Korean movies for international audiences.
Miracle in Cell No. 7
4’Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring' (2003)
Directed by Kim Ki-duk
Kim Ki-duk’s movies tend to be offbeat but not in a bad way. They’re often highly introspective and philosophical, even in their darkest moments. His most famous movies includeTime,3-Iron,Pieta, and the critically acclaimedSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring, which won numerous international awards. Critics from all over place it among the best movies of the 2000s and even the best South Korean movies of all time.Roger Ebert rated it with the highest praise, saying, “Rarely has a movie this simple moved me this deeply. I feel as if I could review it in a paragraph or discuss it for hours.”
Critics from all over placeSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Springamong the best movies of the 2000s and even the best South Korean movies of all time.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Springfollows a year in the life of a monk living on a Buddhist raft in the Korean wilderness. He studies Buddha’s teachings there when a young monk approaches him, wishing to learn. The movie isa romance, a drama, and a story about self-discovery, wrath, redemption, and sadness, though it encompasses almost every conceivable emotion. Subdued and minimal in dialogue, this slow burn may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who wish to immerse themselves in South Korean cinema, it reaches the top.
3’Friend' (2001)
Directed by Kwak Kyung-taek
Friend, akaChingu, is a story of friendship. It depicts a group of male friends in their most vulnerable and raw forms, goingfrom a strong bond to a bitter rivalryover the years.Friendchanged the perception of the public toward its main cast, giving them more recognition as character actors.Kwak Kyung-taek, the director of the film,wrote it based on his lifeand growing up in Busan. He also remade the movie into a K-drama in 2009.
Friendfollows four high school friends: Joon-seok, the leader (Yu Oh-seong); Dong-su, the underdog (Jang Dong-gun); Sang-taek, the exemplary student (Seo Tae-hwa); and Jung-ho, the comedian (Jung Woon-taek). They grew up together and have stood by each other since childhood, but as they grow older and leave school, the movie shows how they change and develop into individuals. Can they stay friends even after so many years apart?Friendis a brilliant depiction of friendship and one ofthe most important movies to watch if you wish to understand Korean pop culture.
2’Oldboy' (2003)
Directed by Park Chan-wook
Park Chan-wook is one of the most popular South Korean directors internationally, and for the sake of immersing yourself in the cinematic landscape of the country, watching most of Park’s movies is a great option, too. Choosing just one is a crime since there areLady Vengeance,Joint Security Area, andThe Handmaiden. However,Oldboymust be his greatest masterpiece,a movie so controversial and influential that people talk about it to this day. The jury’s still out, butOldboymust be the most famous South Korean movie to cinema fans outside the country.
Oldboyfollows a man, Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), trapped in a hotel room for 15 years. He never sees his captives nor understands why he’s in the room, but when he’s released one day, he ventures out to find those who captured him and the reason for it. During his search, Dae-su meets a young sushi chef, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung), and they become close.Attack the Gas Station’s Yoo Ji-tae portrays the main villain here, and if you watch the movies in order of release, you’ll see his transformation from a reckless artist to a vengeful businessman.
1’Parasite' (2019)
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
It’s hard to say whetherOldboyorParasiteis more important for South Korean film, but if we look at the accolades, the latter is the clear winner.Parasiteis a biting social satire thatchanges genres halfway, turning into a dark comedy thriller andchallenging the viewers' perception of what a gripping movie should look like. It’s proof that there’s always room for innovation in the classics and also thatBong Joon-ho’s mind just works differently.Parasitewon Best Picture, Best Foreign Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Director at the Oscars, giving Bong a bag full of awards to take home after that one great night in 2020.
Parasitefollows the poor Kim family and the rich Park family, though the Kims are the focal point. The father, Ki-duk (Song Kang-ho), encourages his kids, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) and Ki-jung (Park So-dam), to scheme and do all sorts of illegitimate work to survive. When Ki-woo’s college friend finds him a job as an English teacher at the wealthy Park family’s residence, Ki-woo begins the scheme of infiltrating all of his family members to work for them. Often hilarious and even depressing,Parasiteis a genius rollercoaster of emotions and genresand genuinely one of the best South Korean films ever made.
NEXT:The 25 Best South Korean Crime Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)
