With the success of K-Pop, Korean television shows, and Parasite winning Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars, it's not news that Korean entertainment is taking the world by storm. While a number of Korean films have been popular in the past, none have reached the fame of Parasite. Maybe it's time to change that.
IMDb has its own list of Korean films. Some of these film titles might sound familiar as they were remade for American cinema. With the success of Korean entertainment, let's take a look at what IMDb considers must watch Korean drama films to binge.
10 The Wailing (7.4)
The Wailing will have you at the edge of your seat clutching onto a pillow for dear life. The supernatural horror thriller was released in 2016 in South Korea and made over $51 million at the box office compared to its $8 million budget. Directed and written by Nan Hong-jin, the film follows the story of a police officer.
Police officer Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) is sent to investigate a small rural village called Goksaeng in the mountains of South Korea. The village is suffering from an unexplainable illness that renders its inhabitants insane, leading to heinous murders and death. Jong-goo must find the cause of the illness as it infects his daughter.
9 Train To Busan (7.4)
The 2016 film Train to Busan is a zombie film written by Park Joo-suk and directed by Yeong Sang-ho. The film's plot revolves around Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), an absent father who is convinced by his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an) to take a train to Busan to visit her mother.
Before the train is able to leave, a young woman runs onto the train and transforms into a zombie. Seok-woo, along with other passengers, must survive a zombie outbreak. They must travel to a Busan that has been turned into a quarantined safe zone.
8 Sympathy For Mr. Vengeace (7.6)
The 2002 action thriller film, Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance, follows the story of Ryu (Shin Ha-kyun) who is a deaf-mute man. In order to get money for a kidney transplant for his ailing sister, he resorts to kidnapping. He and his girlfriend, Yeong-mi (Bae Doona), kidnap the youngest daughter of his former boss's executive.
Ryu's plan doesn't go as expected and must now try to escape the vengeance that will follow. The film would be the first installment in The Vengeance Trilogy for the film's writer and director, Park Chan-wook.
7 The Chaser (7.9)
The Chaser was a box office success when it premiered in South Korea and later topped the box office grossing over $35 million. What made this action thriller film so popular at the box office was its storyline. The film was inspired by the real-life serial killer, Yoo Young-chul.
Joon-ho (Kim Yoon-seok) is a former detective now turned pimp. He realizes that a number of his girls have gone missing and starts to suspect a specific customer. He sends one of his girls, Mi-jin (Seo Young-hee) to get more information as she services him. Mi-jin never returns and Joon-ho must now save her and stop the heinous murderer.
6 I Saw The Devil (7.8)
I Saw the Devil starres a familiar actor noted for his roles in G.I. Joe: The Rise of The Cobra and The Magnificent Seven. South Korean actor, Lee Byung-hun played the role of Kim Soo-hyun. Soo-hyun is a secret service agent for the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
After getting the news of his fiancé's murder, he vows to track down the killer and get justice. Soo-hyun goes on the hunt for the serial killer, Jang Kyung-chul, who uses his job as a school bus driver to lure his victims.
5 Mother (7.8)
Mother is an earlier work by Oscar-winning director, Bong Joon-ho. The 2009 drama film tells the story of Do-joon (Won Bin) and his mother (Kim Hye-ja), who remains unnamed. Do-joon has an intellectual disability and is easily rattled by anyone who mocks him. Later on, a young girl is found dead on a rooftop in town.
Local police find Do-joon responsible and send him to prison. The mother believes her son to be innocent and starts to investigate. Her investigation leads her to a truth she never expected.
4 Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring (8)
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring takes on a different theme from the previous films in the list. The 2003 film follows the story of a Buddhist monk as he goes through childhood into old age. As he goes through life, the seasons change.
The plot takes place in a Buddhist monastery that floats on a lake in a forest. The film is divided into five parts each corresponding to a different season.
3 The Handmaiden (8.1)
The Handmaiden is split into three parts and is inspired by the novel Fingersmith by Welsh writer Sarah Waters. While in the book the original story was set in the Victorian Era, the Korena film was adapted to a time when Korea was under Japanese colonial rule.
The film revolves around a young orphaned girl named Sookee (Kim Tae-ri) who is hired as a handmaiden for a rich heiress. What no one suspects is Sookee is involved in an intricate plot with a con man to trick the heiress out of her immense fortune.
2 Memories of Murder (8.1)
Co-written and directed by Bon Joon-ho, the 2003 crime-drama film is based on a true story. Between 1986 and 1991, Korea witnessed its first string of serial murders. The discovery of two murdered women leads Detective Park Doo-man (Song Kang-ho) being overwhelmed.
He and his partner Cho (Kim Roi-ha) start the investigation but soon find their methods colliding with Seoul detective Seo Tae-yoon (Kim Sang-kyung). They work together to find the murderer before he abducts more women.
1 Oldboy (8.4)
The 2003 film Oldboy received high praise and was listed as one of the best films in the 2000s. The South Korean neo-noir film was based on the Japanese comic by the same name. The film was the second installment in The Vengeance Trilogy by director Park Chan-wook.
The film follows Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) when he is finally released from a room he has been imprisoned in for 15 years. Dae-su has no idea how imprisoned him or for what reason. When he is released, he is met with deceit and conspiracies. He also meets a sushi chef named Mi-do, who he falls in love with. Dae-su vows revenge on the people who took his life away.
The film was later adapted and re-imagined in 2013 for American cinema. The remake was directed by Spike Lee and starred Josh Brolin as the main character. The film did receive some praise for its visual style but ultimately didn't surpass the original film.
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