Korean Movies Not To Miss
by Tontcha | created - 12 Jan 2011 | updated - 19 May 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. A Bittersweet Life (2005)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Things go wrong for a high ranking mobster when he doesn't proceed by his boss's orders.
Directors: Jung Doo Hong, Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Kim Yeong-cheol, Hwang Jung-min
Votes: 42,806
2. Oldboy (2003)
R | 120 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
After being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must find his captor in five days.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 632,649 | Gross: $0.71M
3. The Host (2006)
R | 120 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona
Votes: 132,216 | Gross: $2.20M
4. The Good the Bad the Weird (2008)
R | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
The story of two outlaws and a bounty hunter in 1940s Manchuria and their rivalry to possess a treasure map while being pursued by the Japanese army and Chinese bandits.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung, Yun Je-mun
Votes: 37,837 | Gross: $0.13M
5. I Saw the Devil (2010)
Not Rated | 144 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik, Jeon Gook-hwan, Chun Ho-jin
Votes: 145,490 | Gross: $0.13M
6. Mother (2009)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mother desperately searches for the killer who framed her son for a girl's horrific murder.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin, Jin Goo, Yun Je-mun
Votes: 71,322 | Gross: $0.55M
7. Memories of Murder (2003)
Not Rated | 132 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
In a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
Director: Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha, Song Jae-ho
Votes: 214,668 | Gross: $0.01M
8. The Yellow Sea (2010)
R | 136 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the attempt to kill a professor goes wrong, a series of violent events are triggered which force a taxi driver to run for his life.
Director: Na Hong-jin | Stars: Lee Yoo-mi, Ha Jung-woo, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Yoon-seok
Votes: 22,879
9. The Wailing (2016)
TV-MA | 156 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Soon after a stranger arrives in a little village, a mysterious sickness starts spreading. A policeman, drawn into the incident, is forced to solve the mystery in order to save his daughter.
Director: Na Hong-jin | Stars: Jun Kunimura, Hwang Jung-min, Kwak Do-won, Chun Woo-hee
Votes: 81,298
10. A Taxi Driver (2017)
Not Rated | 137 min | Action, Drama, History
A widowed father and taxi driver who drives a German reporter from Seoul to Gwangju to cover the 1980 uprising, soon finds himself regretting his decision after being caught in the violence around him.
Director: Hun Jang | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Yoo Hae-jin, Ryu Jun-Yeol
Votes: 30,812 | Gross: $1.53M
11. Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (2012)
Not Rated | 134 min | Action, Crime, Drama
On the verge of being fired, a corrupt customs official finds a haul of drugs and teams up with a vicious gangster to become the most powerful crime partnership in Busan.
Director: Yoon Jong-bin | Stars: Choi Min-sik, Ha Jung-woo, Cho Jin-woong, Ma Dong-seok
Votes: 7,256
12. Beasts Clawing at Straws (2020)
108 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A struggling restaurant owner, caring for his sick mom, finds a bag of cash in a sauna locker, while a customs officer gets into trouble when his girlfriend runs off with money he borrowed from a loan shark.
Director: Kim Yong-hoon | Stars: Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Woo-sung, Bae Sung-woo, Youn Yuh-jung
Votes: 5,566
13. Joint Security Area (2000)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
After a shooting incident at the North-South Korean border DMZ leaves two North Korean soldiers dead, a neutral Swiss and Swedish team investigates what actually happened.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-hun, Song Kang-ho, Kim Tae-woo
Votes: 34,019
14. Hindsight (2011)
Not Rated | 122 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young assassin is sent to kill a retired mob boss. But things get complicated when she begins to like him.
Director: Hyun-seung Lee | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Shin Se-Kyung, Cheon Jeong-myeong, Kim Min-joon
Votes: 1,503
15. No Mercy for the Rude (2006)
121 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A mute hit-man vows to kill only the rude, and save up enough money for tongue surgery.
Director: Cheol-hie Park | Stars: Shin Ha-kyun, Yun Ji-hye, Kim Min-joon, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 1,758
16. Moss (2010)
Not Rated | 163 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A mysterious person calls a young man and informs him that his estranged father has died in a country village. The curious son travels to the town to discover what happened. From there out ... See full summary »
Director: Kang Woo-suk | Stars: Jeong Jae-yeong, Park Hae-il, Yoo Joon-sang, Seon Yu
Votes: 2,550
17. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' friend's daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Shin Ha-kyun, Bae Doona, Lim Ji-eun
Votes: 74,854 | Gross: $0.05M
18. The Show Must Go On (2007)
Not Rated | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A light hearted action noir about a part time gangster who tries to be a full time daddy and wants to live a peaceful life with his family despite of being in trouble almost all the time, due to his profession.
Director: Han Jae-rim | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Oh Dal-su, Choi Il-hwa, Yun Je-mun
Votes: 1,633
19. Thirst (2009)
R | 134 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin, Choi Hee-jin, Seo Dong-soo
Votes: 51,233 | Gross: $0.30M
20. Lady Vengeance (2005)
R | 115 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After being wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years and having her child taken away from her, a woman seeks revenge through increasingly brutal means.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Nam-mi Kang, Jeong-nam Choi, Hye-Sook Go, Bok-hwa Baek
Votes: 85,788 | Gross: $0.21M
21. Bedevilled (2010)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A woman subject to mental, physical and sexual abuse on a remote island seeks a way out.
Director: Cheol-soo Jang | Stars: Seo Yeong-hie, Ji Seong-won, Min-ho Hwang, Min Je
Votes: 16,963
22. Three... Extremes (2004)
R | 125 min | Horror
An Asian cross-cultural trilogy of horror films from accomplished indie directors.
Directors: Fruit Chan, Park Chan-wook, Takashi Miike | Stars: Bai Ling, Lee Byung-hun, Kyoko Hasegawa, Pauline Lau
Votes: 20,829 | Gross: $0.08M
23. The Isle (2000)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Thriller
Working at a fishing resort in an idyllic location, but surrounded by various facets of human unpleasantness, a young mute woman falls in love with a man on the run from the law for committing murder.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Jung Suh, Kim Yu-seok, Cho Jae-hyun, Jang Hang-seon
Votes: 14,677 | Gross: $0.02M
24. A Dirty Carnival (2006)
Not Rated | 140 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A small time thug collecting debts for the local triad is torn between his criminal aspirations and his devotion to family.
Director: Ha Yoo | Stars: Zo In-sung, Chun Ho-jin, Min Nam-koong, Lee Bo-young
Votes: 9,215
25. Believer (2018)
Not Rated | 123 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A police detective determined to catch the unseen boss of Asia's biggest drug cartel joins hands with a revenge-thirsty member of the gang.
Director: Hae-Young Lee | Stars: Ryu Jun-Yeol, Kim Sung-ryung, Halley Kim, Cho Jin-woong
Votes: 4,504 | Gross: $0.37M
26. The Man from Nowhere (2010)
R | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.
Director: Lee Jeong-beom | Stars: Won Bin, Kim Sae-ron, Kim Tae-hoon, Kim Hee-won
Votes: 74,608 | Gross: $0.01M
27. The Chaser (2008)
Not Rated | 125 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.
Director: Na Hong-jin | Stars: Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Seo Yeong-hie, Kim Yoo-jung
Votes: 72,451
28. Psychokinesis (2018)
Not Rated | 101 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
After drinking water from a mountain spring, a bank security guard gains telekinetic superpowers, which he must use to save his estranged daughter from an evil construction company, as a superhero.
Director: Yeon Sang-ho | Stars: Ryu Seung-ryong, Shim Eun-kyung, Park Jeong-min, Jung Yu-mi
Votes: 6,306
29. I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006)
Not Rated | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital, where she encounters other psychotics. Eventually, she falls for a man who thinks he can steal people's souls.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Lim Soo-jung, Rain, Park Byeong-eun, Kim Byeong-Ok
Votes: 25,825
30. Blind (2011)
Not Rated | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Su-a loses her sight and kid brother in a car accident. No more police academy. 3 years later she takes a taxi which hits a woman. Su-a gets out. After reporting it, a cop works with her learning that her 4 other senses "see".
Director: Sang-hoon Ahn | Stars: Kim Ha-neul, Yoo Seung-ho, Jo Hie-bong, Yang Yeong-jo
Votes: 3,187
31. A Tale of Two Sisters (2003)
R | 114 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
After being institutionalized in a mental hospital, Su-mi reunites with her sister, Su-yeon, and they return to live at their country home. But strange events plague the house, leading to surprising revelations and a shocking conclusion.
Director: Jee-woon Kim | Stars: Lim Soo-jung, Yum Jung-ah, Kim Kap-su, Moon Geun-young
Votes: 68,042
32. Pained (2011)
104 min | Drama, Romance
After losing his family when he was young, Nam-soon feels no pain. He cannot feel physical pain and is emotionally barren until he meets Dong-hyeon, who calls herself a vampire because she ... See full summary »
Director: Kyung-taek Kwak | Stars: Kwon Sang-woo, Jung Ryeo-won, Ma Dong-seok, Sa Hee
Votes: 688
33. The Battleship Island (2017)
Not Rated | 132 min | Action, Drama, History
During the Japanese colonial era, roughly 400 Korean people, who were forced onto Battleship Island ("Hashima Island") to mine for coal, attempt to a dramatic escape.
Director: Ryu Seung-wan | Stars: Hwang Jung-min, So Ji-seob, Song Joong-ki, Lee Jung-hyun
Votes: 8,454
34. Howling (2012)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Thriller
Veteran detective Sang-gil and beat cop Eun-yeong are in charge of a case that seems to involve a simple act of self-immolation. Sang-gil initially thinks that it was an accident, but dog ... See full summary »
Director: Ha Yoo | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Lee Na-young, Nam Bo-ra, Jeong In-gi
Votes: 2,169
35. The Scent (2012)
Not Rated | 118 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A detective Seon-woo, who moonlights as a private investigator, has a beautiful new client Soo-Jin. The woman asks the detective to take photos of her husband in the midst of having an ... See full summary »
Director: Hyeong-Joon Kim | Stars: Park Hee-soon, Park Si-yeon, Joo Sang-uk, Kim Jeong-tae
Votes: 590
36. R-Point (2004)
R | 107 min | Action, Horror, War
During the Vietnam War, a South Korean base receives a radio transmission from a missing squad, presumed dead, and sends a platoon to rescue the lost squad from the R-Point.
Director: Su-chang Kong | Stars: Kam Woo-seong, Son Byung-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Park Won-sang
Votes: 5,815
37. Natural City (2003)
R | 114 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In the near future, humans rely heavily on androids to maintain society, but some of the machines revolt. A military officer in charge of doing away with the unruly cyborgs also loves the gynoid that looks over him.
Director: Byung-chun Min | Stars: Yoo Ji-tae, Lee Jae-un, Rin Seo, Jeong Eun-pyo
Votes: 4,605
38. Save the Green Planet! (2003)
Not Rated | 118 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Byeong-gu believes that the world is on the verge of an alien invasion, and sets out to save the world.
Director: Joon-Hwan Jang | Stars: Shin Ha-kyun, Baek Yun-shik, Hwang Jung-min, Lee Jae-yong
Votes: 8,679 | Gross: $0.01M
39. Haunters (2010)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Cho-In can control other people's minds when they are within his field of sight.Except one man.
Director: Min-suk Kim | Stars: Gang Dong-won, Go Soo, Jung Eun-chae, Choi Deok-moon
Votes: 1,856
40. Bloody Tie (2006)
Not Rated | 117 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A low-level drug pusher is pressured by a corrupt cop to help him catch a local drug lord.
Director: Ho Choi | Stars: Ryu Seung-beom, Hwang Jung-min, Kim Hee-ra, Chu Ja-hyeon
Votes: 785
41. Secret Reunion (2010)
Not Rated | 117 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A fired South Korean agent and a deserted North Korean spy meet by chance after six years and start a business partnership, each with the intention of stealing information from the other.
Director: Hun Jang | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Ko Chang-seok, Yun-seo Choi
Votes: 4,298
42. Running Wild (2006)
Not Rated | 124 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Hot-blooded district attorney Jin-woo and undisciplined cop Do-young want the same thing; justice. Their methods are completely different but they team up to catch and prosecute a powerful mafia boss and politician YOO.
Director: Kim Seong-soo | Stars: Kwon Sang-woo, Yoo Ji-tae, Son Byung-ho, Son Byung-wook
Votes: 866
43. Troubleshooter (2010)
Unrated | 99 min | Action, Crime, Drama
KANG Tae-sik, a former cop who was once the best man on the force, is now an infamous private detective who handles all kinds of dirty work from catching philanderers to collecting people's debts.
Director: Hyeok-jae Kwon | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Lee Jung-Jin, Oh Dal-su, Lee Sung-min
Votes: 431
44. Shiri (1999)
R | 125 min | Action, Thriller
South Korean agents Ryu and Lee are tracking a female assassin from North Korea who has mysteriously disappeared. With new killings and the theft of a deadly bomb, time is running out to catch her.
Director: Kang Je-kyu | Stars: Han Suk-kyu, Choi Min-sik, Yunjin Kim, Song Kang-ho
Votes: 8,551 | Gross: $0.10M
45. Man of Vendetta (2010)
Not Rated | 113 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
The life of a respected minister and loving family man shatters after his daughter is kidnapped. When she is not returned, he renounces God and becomes a corrupt businessman.
Director: Min-ho Woo | Stars: Kim Myung-min, Uhm Ki-joon, Park Joo-mi, Kim So-hyun
Votes: 605
46. No Mercy (2010)
Not Rated | 123 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
Despite being nearly proven the murderer, a serial killer threatens to kill the daughter of a forensic pathologist if he doesn't get him bailed out.
Director: Hyeong-Joon Kim | Stars: Sol Kyung-gu, Ryu Seung-beom, Han Hye-jin, Sung Ji-ru
Votes: 9,425
47. 24 Hours to Die (2008)
Not Rated | 96 min | Crime, Thriller
Chul-min is a simple truck driver whose usual cargo is liquor, vegetables and other necessities.
Director: Kwon Hyeong-jin | Stars: Yoo Hae-jin, Jin Goo, Yeong Bang, Kim Bo-Ra
Votes: 379
48. The Devil's Game (2008)
116 min | Drama, Thriller
A struggling artist Hee-do is offered a million dollars to bet his life if he loses a game against a rich old man named No-shik who is dying from a terminal disease. However if Hee Do loses... See full summary »
Director: In-ho Yun | Stars: Shin Ha-kyun, Byun Hee-Bong, Lee Hye-yeong, Son Hyeon-ju
Votes: 554
49. She's on Duty (2005)
111 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The film deals with a boisterous undercover female cop who gets sent to a high school in order to get close to a criminal in hideout by befriending his teenage daughter. The general set up ... See full summary »
Director: K.C. Park | Stars: Kim Seon-a, Gong Yoo, Nam Sang-mi, Ha Jung-woo
Votes: 1,062
50. Bestseller (2010)
Not Rated | 117 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A young girl who disappeared 22 years ago tells us her horrifying story.
Director: Jeong-ho Lee | Stars: Uhm Junghwa, Jang Dae-Woong, Kim Dae-yeong, Lee Do-kyung
Votes: 1,219
51. Fate (2008)
123 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Four friends bound by destiny and unbeatable in the dark world. When a casino attack goes wrong as a result of betrayal, fate turns them into enemies. Now, forced to aim the gun at each other's hearts, their unavoidable battle begins.
Director: Kim Hae-gon | Stars: Song Seung-heon, Kwon Sang-woo, Hyunri, Min Ji-ah
Votes: 305
52. Antarctic Journal (2005)
Not Rated | 115 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Strange things begin happening to an expedition deep in the Antarctic.
Director: Pil-sung Yim | Stars: Song Kang-ho, Yoo Ji-tae, Kyeong-ik Kim, Park Hee-soon
Votes: 2,101
53. Commitment (2013)
Not Rated | 113 min | Action, Drama
The son of a North Korean spy decides to follow in his father's footsteps to protect his little sister.
Director: Hong-soo Park | Stars: Choi Seung-hyun, Han Yeri, Yun Je-mun, Jo Sung-ha
Votes: 4,838 | Gross: $0.08M
54. Confession of Murder (2012)
Not Rated | 119 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
Lee Du-Seok publishes an autobiography describing murders he committed after the statute of limitations expires. A detective and one of the victim's mothers search for the author while an anonymous person claims to be the real killer.
Director: Jung Byung-gil | Stars: Jeong Jae-yeong, Park Shi-hoo, Jung Hae-kyun, Kim Yeong-ae
Votes: 11,633
55. The Suspect (2013)
Not Rated | 137 min | Action, Thriller
Betrayed and on the run, a North Korean agent tries to uncover the volatile secrets hidden inside the eyeglasses of a dead man.
Director: Won Shin-yeon | Stars: Gong Yoo, Park Hee-soon, Song Boo-gun, Lee Chae-yun
Votes: 6,747 | Gross: $0.22M
56. Hard Hit (2021)
TV-14 | 94 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ordinary family navigates the unpredictable circumstances caused by a mysterious phone call that puts them in a horrific situation.
Director: Changju Kim | Stars: Ji Chang-wook, Kim Ji-ho, Haerry Kim, Jin Kyung
Votes: 2,336
57. Midnight (2021)
103 min | Crime, Thriller
A serial killer ruthlessly hunts down a deaf woman through the streets of South Korea after she witnesses his brutal crime.
Director: Oh-Seung Kwon | Stars: Wi Ha-joon, Park Hoon, Jin Ki-joo, Kim Hye-yoon
Votes: 7,358
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