125 Best Movies to Watch In Korean (Page 8)

If you haven’t already seen the South Korean movie Parasite, then you probably heard it was the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards. Thankfully, many more fantastic films from the the East Asian nation are making it to the global stage. Here are the best movies featuring the Korean language to stream now.

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106. Bloodhounds, 2023

Aspiring boxer Kim Gun-woo (Woo Do-hwan) befriends fellow rookie Hong Woo-jin (Lee Sang-yi) during the heights of Covid-19. After a ruthless loan shark, Kim Myung-gil (Park Sung-woong) cons Gun-woo's mother into taking a predatory loan, they team up with a moneylender (motivated by his own painful history with Myung-gil) to shut down his schemes for good.

As with many South Korean revenge action thrillers, Bloodhounds sheds light on the economic exploitation of the working class. Standard, to the point of being predictable, the fight for justice feels formulaic and quickly paced due to its oversimplified and convenient plot. With an abundance of zestful action scenes and empathic beats, the series delivers enough on its promised premise.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime, Drama

Actor: Choi Si-won, Choi Young-jun, Heo Joon-ho, Jeong Da-eun, Kim Sae-ron, Lee Hae-yeong, Lee Sang-yi, Min Kyung-jin, Park Hoon, Park Min-jung, Park Sung-woong, Ryu Soo-young, Tae Won-seok, Woo Do-hwan, Yoon Yoo-sun

Director: Kim Joo-hwan

Rating: TV-MA

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107. A Time Called You, 2023

Based on the 2019 Taiwanese drama, A Time Called You is a fresh take on the time travel romance with its unique premise and structure. The series seamlessly shifts between the decades, flitting between them with ease. It simultaneously introduces both couples on separate, parallel timelines, 1998 at the start of the love triangle, with 2023 at the untimely end of Jun-hee’s. These two timelines merge through time travel via a gifted cassette tape. Because of these shifts, the show creates the expected nostalgia, but it also effectively drives the show’s mystery, as Jun-hee tries to figure out the photo and the trio on it. While the show takes its sweet time doing so, A Time Called You twists the heart in exploring the grief of lost love, and the hope for a second chance.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Ahn Hyo-seop, Jeon Yeo-been, Kang Hoon

Director: Kim Jin-won

Rating: TV-MA

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108. A Tale of Two Sisters, 2003

If this South Korean cult favorite relies a little too much on jump scares and twisty plot developments, its relatively emotionally distant story is nevertheless given a welcome boost in character thanks to an impressive overall look and feel. Shadowy and foreboding from beginning to end, A Tale of Two Sisters seems to be designed for group viewings where friends can spook each other out without losing track of the film's momentum. But it's far from shallow: patient horror fans should enjoy unpacking the movie's densely layered character dynamics, which become all the more disturbing and sorrowful after learning all of the film's secrets.

Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery

Actor: Kim Gap-soo, Kim Kap-soo, Lee Dae-yeon, Lee Seung-bi, Lim Soo-jung, Moon Geun-young, Park Mi-hyun, Seung-bi Lee, Woo Ki-hong, Yum Jung-ah

Director: Kim Jee-woon

Rating: R

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109. A Shop for Killers, 2024

For better or for worse, we don’t know who our guardians really are, whether that be our parents or other older relatives. However, that usually means that we don’t get to know their dreams, not that they are involved with assassins, like the way Ji-an’s uncle is in A Shop for Killers. The action strikes hard and fast, starting the series off with a sniper attempt on Ji-an’s life, but luckily, the surprised girl can fight back, with the eccentric training that she didn’t anticipate she’ll need. While the time jumps can be a bit confusing, A Shop for Killers has a surprising mix of action and mystery that keeps things entertaining, even if it’s unclear for now how it’s a spin-off to The Killer’s Shopping List.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Geum Hae-na, Kim Hye-jun, Lee Dong-wook, Park Ji-bin, Seo Hyun-woo

Director: Lee Kwon, Noh Gyoo-yeob

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110. Wedding Impossible, 2024

Wedding Impossible has all the hallmarks of your classic romantic Korean drama. Good-looking and likable leads who go on an enemies-to-lovers journey? Check. One is poor and the other is an heir to a big conglomerate? Oh, check. Funny friends, relatable hardships, fairy tale coincidences? Check, check, check. It’s standard to a tee, which is why it’s remarkable that despite all that, it’s still very easy to like. It’s funny enough, nice to look at, and features winsome performances. Jeon Jong-seo (Burning, Ballerina) may have cut her teeth in edgy roles, but here she’s effortlessly charming. And though his situation isn’t explored in depth, making Kim Do-wan a queer main character is a gusty move for a K-drama. If you want to put something on to pass the time pleasantly, Wedding Impossible is a good choice. But if you want something fresher, edgier, and have no patience for nonstop tropes and cliches, you’re better off exploring other entries in the genre.Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Bae Yoon-kyung, Jun Jong-seo, Kang Na-eon, Kim Do-wan, Kim Kwang-kyu, Kim Ye-won, Kwon Hae-hyo, Moon Sang-min, Park Jae-wan
Director: Kwon Young-il

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111. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, 2003

A doorway opens at the beginning of Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, and through this doorway you are brought into the movie's world. Explanations or plot transitions rarely exist, and dialogue is kept at a minimum level. And yet this movie remains an incredibly simple film. Following a Buddhist master and his apprentice, it is a fable very much in the 'cycle of life' form, offering gentle complexity in the timeless and sole framework of a floating Buddhist monastery. That's all I can say without saying too much. If you are into aesthetically pleasing films, go watch this.Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Choe Min, Ha Yeo-jin, Ji Dae-han, Jong-ho Kim, Ki-duk Kim, Kim Jong-ho, Kim Jung-young, Kim Ki-duk, Kim Young-min, Oh Yeong-su, Oh Young-soo, Park Ji-a, Park Zia, Seo Jae-kyeong, Yeong-su Oh
Director: Ki-duk Kim, Kim Ki-duk
Rating: R

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112. Miracle in Cell No. 7, 2013

Sometimes it's hard to relate to foreign movies because of the different cultures, languages and actors. But Miracle in Cell No. 7 transcended the language barriers for me and delivered one of the most touching stories I have ever seen. It's a Korean film about the intricate yet simple love story between a mentally challenged father and his daughter. When the father is wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit and is sent to prison, his personable character eventually causes the prisoners around him to help reunite him with his daughter in prison. Warning: many tissues will be needed.Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family
Actor: Choi Ro-woon, Dal-su Oh, Gal So-won, Han Yi-jin, Im Jae-min, Jeong Man-sik, Jin-young Jung, Jo Deok-hyeon, Jo Jae-yoon, Jo Jae-yun, Jung Han-bi, Jung Hee-tae, Jung Jin-young, Jung Man-sik, Jung-tae Kim, Kal So-won, Kang Seung-wan, Kang Ye-seo, Kim Jung-tae, Kim Ki-cheon, Kim Ki-chun, Kim Se-dong, Kyul Hwi, Lee Seung-yeon, Lee Yoon-hee, Man-shik Jeong, Man-sik Jeong, No Kang-min, Oh Chang-kyung, Oh Dal-su, Park Gil-su, Park Kil-soo, Park Sang-myeon, Park Shin-hye, Park Won-sang, Ryu Seung-ryong, Seung-ryong Ryu, Shin-Hye Park, So Won Kal, Song Lee-woo, Won-sang Park, Yeo Moo-yeong, Yoon Sun-Woo
Director: Hwan-kyung Lee, Lee Hwan-kyung
Rating: N/A, Not Rated

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113. Memories of Murder, 2003

Boon Joon-Ho's 'Memories of murder', which was recently re-released is not too dissimilar from many of the crime-dramas that have come out of South Korea over the past two decades. Two very different detectives have to come together to solve what is turning out to be a series of murders that are all linked. The movie is based on the true story of South Korea's first ever recorded serial murderer, who raped and then killed young girls in the late 80's. In the hands of probably the foremost South Korean director after Park Chan-Wook, this movie takes you through all ranges of emotions.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Baek Bong-ki, Byun Hee-bong, Byun Heebong, Choi Jong-ryul, Go Seo-hee, Hae-il Park, Hie-bong Byeon, Jae-ho Song, Jeon Mi-seon, Jo Deok-jae, Jong-ryol Choi, Jung In-sun, Kang-ho Song, Kim Joo-ryoung, Kim Joo-ryung, Kim Roe-ha, Kim Roi-ha, Kim Sang-kyung, Ko Seo-hie, Kwon Byung-gil, Kwon Hyeok-Pung, Lee Dong-yong, Lee Jae-eung, Lee Kang-san, No-shik Park, Oh Yong, Park Hae-il, Park Hyun-young, Park Jin-woo, Park No-shik, Park Tae-kyeong, Roe-ha Kim, Ryu Tae-ho, Sang-kyung Kim, Seo Young-hwa, Seo-hie Ko, Shim Sung-bo, Shin Hyeon-jong, Shin Hyun-jong, Shin Woon-seob, Son Jin-ho, Son Jin-hwan, Son Kang-gook, Song Jae-ho, Song Kang-ho, Woo Go-na, Yeom Hye-ran, Yoo Seung-mok, Yoon Ga-hyun

Director: Bong Joon-ho, Joon-ho Bong

Rating: Not Rated

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114. Escape from Mogadishu, 2021

Escape from Mogadishu follows diplomats from the North and South Korean embassies as they put aside their differences and work together to escape from an outbreak of civil war in Mogadishu, Somalia. Director Ryoo Seung-wan provides thrilling, high-budget action, especially intense car chases and suspenseful escape scenes that pump you with adrenaline and leave you on the edge of your seat. However, the Somali side of the story leaves much to be desired. Only existing to kill or be killed, the depiction of the Somalians is distasteful, and the country it’s set in seen as nothing more than a senseless warzone.

It’s in crafting a political thriller where Ryoo strikes a chord, following the tradition of South Korean films and dramas that question the current South/North relations. It’s also the aspect that pushed this film to win awards, given that it’s based on a true story from the 1991 civil war in Somalia, albeit with blockbuster flair. Sure, it’s a highly fictionalized story, but the political tensions and heightened atmosphere make good entertainment. And, as with all Korean thrillers, you’ll have to get on a certain wavelength of melodrama to be fully on board with the bonkers yet emotional escape.

Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, War

Actor: Ahn Se-ho, Han Chul-woo, Heo Joon-ho, Jeong Man-sik, Jo In-sung, Joo Bo-bi, Kim Jae-hwa, Kim So-jin, Kim Yoon-seok, Koo Kyo-hwan, Lee Jin-hee, Park Kyung-hye, Park Myung-shin, Yoon Kyung-ho, Zo In-sung

Director: Ryoo Seung-wan

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115. A Taxi Driver, 2017

A cynical down-on-his-luck Seoul taxi driver is hired by a German journalist to go to another town called Gwangju. What seemed like an easy and overcompensated journey at first takes him into the heart of a city under siege by the military. This is in fact the student uprising that will be a very important event in South Korean history, known as 1980 Guangju Democratic Uprising. Both the journalist and the taxi driver confront life-threatening situations as they find themselves at the center of the movement. A true-story-based movie, it's a heartfelt and entertaining political drama about one of the bleakest chapters of modern Korean history. In 2018 it was the country's official submission to the Oscars.

Genre: Action, Drama, History

Actor: Cha Soon-bae, Choi Guy-hwa, Choi Gwi-hwa, Daniel Joey Albright, Hae-jin Yoo, Han Sa-myeong, Han Sa-myung, Han Yi-jin, Heo Jeong-do, Heo Jung-do, Jeon Hye-jin, Jeong Seok-yong, Jin-young Jung, Joey Albright, Jun-yeol Ryu, Jung Jin-young, Kang-ho Song, Ko Chang-seok, Kyul Hwi, Lee Bong-ryeon, Lee Ho-chul, Lee Jung-eun, Lee Sae-byeol, Lee Yong-i, Lee Yong-yi, Park Hyeok-kwon, Park Hyuk-kwon, Ryu Jun-yeol, Ryu Sung-hyun, Ryu Tae-ho, Seo Hyun-woo, Seok-yong Jeong, Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Uhm Tae-goo, Um Tae-goo, Yoo Hae-jin, Yoo Hai-jin, 许政度

Director: Hun Jang, Jang Hoon, Jang Hun

Rating: Not Rated

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116. Welcome to Samdal-ri, 2023

For K-drama fans feeling the cold, Welcome to Samdal-ri might be a lovely break in a seaside town in Jeju Island. The show is full of the classic romance tropes we all know and love, like childhood best friends born within minutes of each other, reconnecting when the female lead returns to her small hometown. These plot points are familiar territory, though the show’s tone vascillates wildly as the lead and her sisters deal with crazy circumstances (and react accordingly). However, even as the show and the ladies go through their antics, there’s a careful consideration of how they compare and contrast Seoul and Jeju Island. The resulting plot is familiar, and there are certain plot devices that seem a tad too ludicrous, but it’s a fairly entertaining series, if you can tolerate the strange decisions everyone makes.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Ji Chang-wook, Kang Mi-na, Kim Mi-kyeong, Seo Hyeon-cheol, Shin Dong-mi, Shin Hye-sun, Yu Oh-seong

Director: Cha Yeong-hun

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117. Eye Love You, 2024

Usually, telepathy is just portrayed as a cool superpower. In Eye Love You, it’s useful for Motomiya to secure her CEO position, but it also means an imbalance in every interaction she has with other people… At least, until she meets Korean student Yoon Tae-oh. This, of course, becomes the basis for their relationship, which, while starting from a pretty novel idea, plays out in the cheesy, romantic ways we’re used to seeing in both Japanese and Korean dramas. With Yoon Tae-oh better characterized, it's lovely to see Chae Jong Hyeop to charm in both languages, but it's disappointing to see how cliché the protagonist is depicted, how her main desire isn't personal but in relation to another man (her father), when the show comes primarily through her perspective. Still, Eye Love You’s unique power leads to the unique idea that differences can mean connection– and having them allows us to truly appreciate each other, as long as we’re open enough to get to know them.Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Chae Jong-hyeop, Fumi Nikaido, Hiroya Shimizu, Mizuki Yamashita, Narumi Yui, Shiraku Tatekawa, Taishi Nakagawa, Tetta Sugimoto
Director: Akiko Katō, Okamoto Shingo, Ryôsuke Fukuda
Rating: TV-14

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118. Badland Hunters, 2024

After the critical and commercial success of Concrete Utopia, it makes sense for Lotte Entertainment to turn it into a franchise. Badland Hunters is a more action-focused spinoff, with that dystopian world looking like a wild, wild Seoul and Ma Dong-seok as its lone ranger. Compared to its predecessor, the commentary is scant, the plot is thin, and the only thing that connects it is the apartment. But even with the B-movie mad scientist plot, long-time stunt coordinator Heo Myung-haeng makes his directorial debut wildly entertaining, with solid action that doesn’t depend too much on CGI. Human reptiles aside, Badland Hunters is just so fun to watch.

Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction

Actor: Ahn Ji-hye, Ahn Seong-bong, Hong Yi-joo, Jang Young-nam, Jeong Gi-seop, Jung Young-ju, Kim Young-sun, Lee Han-joo, Lee Hee-jun, Lee Jun-young, Ma Dong-seok, Park Hyo-joon, Park Ji-hoon, Roh Jeong-eui, Seong Byeong-suk

Director: Heo Myeong-haeng

Rating: R

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119. A Killer Paradox, 2024

Life can be funny sometimes, with the way accidents can lead us to what would make the entirety of our lives. Usually, these accidents lead us to a new career, maybe the love of our life, and sometimes a new life path altogether, but for recently discharged Lee Tang in A Killer Paradox, it leads to finding that his talent is killing evildoers, accidentally or otherwise. It’s funny to see Lee accidentally getting away with murder and the way his imagination conceives of his serial killer victims, but the show also gets into intriguing thought experiments about the morality of his actions, as well as the way we try to reconcile the tragedy of a lost life, with the terrible consequences of the actions they did with their lives. It’s enjoyable, with the great cast and the unique cinematography, but the writing, structure, and thriller aspects fail to maximize what’s so interesting about A Killer Paradox.Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Actor: Choi Woo-shik, Lee Hee-jun, Son Suk-ku
Director: Lee Chang-hee
Rating: TV-MA

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120. Spaceman, 2024

Set at a time when humans can travel as far into space as Jupiter, Spaceman looks delightfully retro-futuristic. It’s as if the people and tech of the ‘60s were transported to a faraway future where things like long-haul space flights and nebulous pink clouds exist, and so visually, Spaceman is not tiring to look at. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about most of the film’s other elements, including its dialogue and story. Jakub is sent to space to collect mysterious ancient dust, but since we never know why he should exactly, it never feels consequential if at all necessary. In fact, this is less about his mission than it is about coming to terms with existential truths like pain, loss, and love. And what better way to confront all that than with a wise primordial arachnid? Now, the idea of a therapy session between a spaceman and a spider sounds intriguing enough, and with strong enough writing, it could fly. But the dialogue is too sparse to be thought-provoking. The main message, that you should appreciate what you have while you have it, is also too simple to carry the weight of this expansive film, especially since we have very few details about the story and character to go on with. But Sandler, Carrey Mulligan (who plays his wife), and even Paul Dano (who voices the spider) do the best with what they can, and if anything, you leave the film stunned by the visuals and moved by their empathetic performances.Genre: Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction
Actor: Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan, Isabella Rossellini, Jessica Bechyňová, John Flanders, Kunal Nayyar, Lena Olin, Marian Roden, Mikuláš Čížek, Paul Dano, Sinéad Phelps, Sunny Sandler, Zuzana Stivínová
Director: Johan Renck
Rating: R

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