118 Best Movies to Watch From South Korea (Page 6)

Chicken Nugget is absolutely absurd. We’ve seen science fiction create fantastic, futuristic worlds and technology only today’s scientists can dream about, but we’ve never seen the genre delve into a silly premise like this, with two men protecting their loved one, who happens to be a chicken nugget. Some viewers might be put off by the absolutely over-the-top performances in the first few episodes, but consider: if your daughter turned into a chicken nugget, the daughter you’ve raised alone for years, and she, in food form, is always at the brink of being eaten, wouldn’t you too be rightfully distraught? Chicken Nugget plays on the hilarious ridiculousness of the premise, but it does have some genuine heart toward its wacky characters, a heart that’s slowly revealed after its first few episodes.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Ahn Jae-hong, Ryu Seung-ryong

Director: Lee Byeong-heon

Rating: TV-MA

Slaying monsters online is definitely more exciting than typing on a computer all day, but having to do so in real life might be a different story. The highly anticipated anime adaptation Solo Leveling depicts a world where those online adventures are a mundane but dangerous day-to-day gig for some people with unique abilities set in stone, but with a twist– every player doesn’t have the video game information, stats, and structured quests, except for the world’s weakest hunter Sung Jin-woo. It’s an intriguing world that brings up themes such as gamification and inherent talent versus acquired skill, and it’s one that’s matched with great animation, thrilling fight scenes, and gory deaths.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Daisuke Hirakawa, Genta Nakamura, Haruna Mikawa, Reina Ueda, Taito Ban

Rating: TV-14

More lush period piece than scary science fiction, Gyeongseong Creature promised a terrifying creature, but it starts slow, dedicating more of its time to its humans than immediately battling monsters. This helps establish the romance, especially as hardened private eye Yoon Chae-ok appeals to privileged pawn broker Jang Tae-sang’s sense of duty, as well as the historical context behind the story. In doing so, the show confronts the violence of the Japanese occupation of Korea through implication rather than directly recreating these horrors. It’s all the more satisfying when the action begins, as Chae-ok and Tae-sang shift their priorities from doing a job to actively undermining the evil hospital’s efforts. Gyeongseong Creature might not let its creature loose early, but its true horror lies not with the monster created, but with the abuses permitted by war.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Claudia Kim, Han So-hee, Jo Han-chul, Kim Hae-sook, Park Seo-jun

Director: Jung Dong-yoon

Rating: TV-MA

With morally grey characters, an excellent cast, and family inheritance intrigue, The Impossible Heir seemed like a unique Korean drama that isn’t afraid to get cutthroat, especially with those suspicious shots of blood splatters in the trailer. There’s some of that here– Lee Jae-wook plays Han Tae-oh with a cold, straightforward determination, even outright declaring he would use Kang In-ha, with Lee Jun-young matching Jae-wook’s intensity. However, part of the drama feels undercut by a love triangle that, as a concept, isn’t a terrible idea, but was just hastily introduced in the first two episodes. The Impossible Heir has excellent tension with its reluctant allyship, family mystery, and the likely betrayal already, but it just feels like it could be better without the romance.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Hong Su-zu, Lee Hwang-eui, Lee Jae-wook, Lee Ji-hoon, Lee Jun-young

Song of the Bandits takes time to gain momentum, but when it does, it crackles like gunpowder. The first few episodes take great pains to explain occupied Korea’s complicated political situation (China, Japan, and a few Western bodies fight over its resources), and unsurprisingly, Song of the Bandits champions the motherland’s cry for independence. It’s a very patriotic show that doesn’t leave a lot of room for other sides, often even bordering on melodrama in its calls for justice, but that should be expected in any war-set story. Once it gets into gear, however, it delivers all the thrills you’d expect from a neo-Western. There’s a lot of gunslinging, backstabbing, espionage, and sure enough, bandits chasing a loaded train on horseback. Depending on where you stand, it also comes as a satisfying revenge thriller, one that distorts history to give this fictional Korean rebel army their due. It’s a bit like Inglorious Basterds in that it follows a paramilitary group comprised of offbeat but vicious characters, but I’d say it’s mostly similar to another Netflix history K-drama, Mr. Sunshine. If you like either (or better, both), then you’ll love Song of the Bandits. 

Genre: Action & Adventure, Western

Actor: Cha Chung-hwa, Cha Yup, Kim Do-yoon, Kim Nam-gil, Lee Ho-jung, Lee Hyun-wook, Lee Jae-kyoon, Seohyun, Yoo Jae-myung

Director: Han Jin-sun, Hwang Joon-hyuk

Rating: TV-MA

To many people, marrying a rich heiress is the dream, since all that wealth can free a man from the drudgery and struggle of work. It’s also actually possible, with real life conglomerates actually having a similar story. Queen of Tears shows a different side to this modern-day fairytale, as the riches that come with the marriage also come with being controlled, in part by the media that surrounds them and the family whose strict, but strategic moves lead to their rise. Because of this heavy central idea, it’s no wonder the show tries to aim for a more lighthearted tone with some jabs at the ridiculous lifestyle enabled by the wealth of the Queens Group Hong family, and the cast are game to play, but in prioritizing the humor, the series sometimes makes light of certain difficulties that should be given the weight it deserves. Still, Queen of Tears is fairly entertaining, and fans of the leads would like seeing the funny dynamic they share.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Kim Ji-won, Kim Soo-hyun, Kwak Dong-yeon, Na Young-hee, Park Sung-hoon

Director: Jang Young-woo, Kim Hee-won