41 Best Korean Movies Of All Time

With the historic wins scored by "Parasite" at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards, interest in Korean movies has probably never been higher. If you're new to Korean film, you may not know where to start or what's the best film to watch. But don't worry, there's good news — there are plenty of great Korean movies!

Starting with the least best to the best, we at Looper have curated 41 of the greatest Korean movies for you to check out. The films run the gamut from historical war dramas to melodramas to monster and zombie flicks. There are dramas showing the complexities of humanity next to blood-soaked tales of vengeance and light romantic comedies. The films are culturally specific, but like "Parasite," they also resonate on a global scale.

Updated on May 25, 2022: Korea's filmmaking industry is coming on strong, and as new titles make their way overseas, we'll be sure to update this list with any new classics that hit theater screens and streaming services.

Kim Ki-young's "The Insect Woman" stars Academy Award-winning Youn Yuh-jung as Myeong-ja, a young girl who's set on a life of sex work after a family tragedy. She winds up having an affair with Mr. Kim, one that is "allowed" by his wife, Oh Soon-jo, who controls all aspects of it. Mr. Kim's children aren't wild about it, and when things get more serious between Mr. Kim and Myeong-ja, the situation gets out of control. 

"The Insect Woman" tackles the madness that comes from the rigid confines of Korean society on men and women. Director Kim tackled a similar story with his 1960 film, "The Housemaid," as well as a few of his other films, and it's easy to see why. He's able to keep mining the melodrama of this story while updating it to contemporaneous societal shifts in South Korea to shine a light on them.

• Starring: Won Namkung, Youn Yuh-jung, Gye-hyeon Jeon
• Director: Kim Ki-young
• Year: 1972
• Runtime: 110 minutes
• Rating: NR
• IMDb Score: 6.3

"Tell Me Something" is part of the Korean wave (or K-wave) that started in the 1990s as Korean pop culture began spreading across the globe. This hybrid horror/thriller/crime drama stars Han Suk-kyu as a disgraced detective hunting a serial killer with a gruesome oeuvre. But the closer he grows to Su-Yeon, who has a connection to all the victims, the more the danger increases. Director Yun-hyeon Jang piles on the gore, which horror hounds will appreciate, while adding a twist ending that crime and thriller fans will appreciate.

• Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Shim Eun-ha, Hang-Seon Jang
• Director: Yun-hyeon Jang
• Year: 1999
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42% 

"Shiri" is considered one of the films that really kicked the Korean New Wave into high gear. According to the South China Morning Post, it grossed $26 million on a budget of $5 million upon release, which was a pretty big deal at the time. Director "Jacky" Kang Je-kyu uses slick visuals in an homage to Hollywood and Hong Kong action films. "Shiri" stars Yunjin Kim (Sun on "Lost") as Lee Bang-hee, a North Korean undercover agent sent to South Korea to perform assassinations. The glossy production values, star-crossed lovers aspect of the plot–Bang-hee becomes involved with a South Korean agent, and high-action quotient provides heart-pumping thrills. And if you're a fan of "Parasite," keep an eye out for Song Kang-ho, who appears as Jong-won's partner, Jang-gil.

• Starring: Han Suk-kyu, Yunjin Kim, Choi Min-sik
• Director: Je-kyu Kang
• Year: 1999
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Rating: R
• IMDb Score: 6.6

"Madame Freedom" is an old-fashioned melodrama, based on the novel of the same name, about a troubled marriage. Professor Jang Tae-yoon has a prestigious job but little money, so his wife, Oh Sun-young, takes a job managing a boutique selling Western goods. The push/pull of Western versus Korean life leads Sun-young to dance halls and wild flirtations while her husband allows himself to be pursued by a former student. Though neither fully breaks their marital vows, the intent is obvious. The tragedy at the heart of "Madame Freedom" is visited more on the women than the men, illuminating gender inequality in Korean society.

• Starring: Kim Jeong-rim, Park Am, Lee Min
• Director: Han Hyeong-mo
• Year: 1956
• Runtime: 125 minutes
• Rating: NR
• IMDb Score: 6.6

Also known as "The Surrogate Womb," Im Kwon-taek's "The Surrogate Woman” features Kang Soo-yeon as Ok-nyeo, a 17-year-old girl who becomes the surrogate for a 19th-century nobleman, Shin. Shin's wife cannot give him a male heir, so the couple selects Ok-nyeo, whose lower-class status makes her more controllable. Tragedy lurks, though, as she and Shin fall in love. Im's film not only highlights how prevalent the patriarchal hierarchy was in the past but how it's a deep-rooted problem that persists to this day.

• Starring: Kang Soo-yeon, Gu-sun Lee, Yang-ha Yun
• Director: Im Kwon-taek
• Year: 1987
• Runtime: 100 minutes
• Rating: NR
• IMDb Score: 7.0

A married painter runs alone to Paris to avoid arrest in "Night and Day," a character study that mixes fantasy and reality. A chance encounter with an ex-girlfriend ramps up Sung-nam's mid-life crisis as he navigates his new surroundings. Director Hong Sang-soo's oeuvre includes many hedonistic men and plopping this one into the City of Lights gives him added dimensions to explore. Hong has frequently been compared to French New Wave director Éric Rohmer, and "Night and Day" further cements that connection.

• Starring: Kim Yeong-ho, Hwang Soo-jung, Park Eun-hye
• Director: Hong Sang-soo
• Year: 2008
• Runtime: 144 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%

The film that kicks off Park Chan-wook's "Vengeance Trilogy," "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" features a kidnapping for ransom that goes devastatingly awry, starting a cycle of bloody revenge that takes a terrible toll on all involved. Deaf-mute Ryu needs money for his sister's kidney transplant, and things go from bad to horrifying once he decides to kidnap the daughter of a manufacturing company president. Although "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" isn't as highly critically rated as the other two installments in Park's aforementioned trilogy, "Oldboy" or "Lady Vengeance," it's beloved by audiences, so it makes our list.

• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Bae Doo-na, Han Bo-bae
• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Year: 2002
• Runtime: 129 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54% 

"My Sassy Girl" is adapted from Kim Ho-sik's true-life blog, which he later fictionalized in a novel (Kim also co-wrote the film's screenplay). Divided into three sections, "My Sassy Girl" follows Kyun-woo and his relationship with the Girl after their "meet-cute" when he saves her from drunkenly falling off a train platform. Though she doesn't treat him well, Kyun-woo sticks with her. The role reversal in this dynamic rom-com and its balance of tones resonated with audiences. "My Sassy Girl" has had several remakes, but none have come close to the magic of the original.

• Starring: Cha Tae-hyun, Jin Ji-hyun, Han Jin-hee
• Director: Kwak Jae-yong
• Year: 2001
• Runtime: 123 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93% (Audience score)

"The Quiet Family" is a bracing mix of horror and dark comedy. Choi Min-sik of "Oldboy" and Song Kang-ho of "Parasite," who weren't yet famous at the time, play members of the Kang family. Patriarch Tae-gu and his wife want to lead a quiet life and run a lodge with their three children and Tae-gu's brother. An unfortunate series of events, however, lead to corpses piling up. Director Kim Jee-woon hits the ground running in his first feature, showing a command that has led to him being one of Korea's most celebrated directors.

• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Park In-hwan, Na Moon-hee
• Director: Kim Jee-woon
• Year: 1998
• Runtime: 99 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%

Park Chan-wook's "Joint Security Area" is a mystery thriller that kicks off with a shooting in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. To keep the investigation neutral, Major Sophie E. Jean comes in to solve the mystery behind the murders of two North Korean soldiers and what role, if any, injured South Korean Sgt. Lee Soo-hyeok played in the killings. The relations between the two countries worsen as Major Jean must figure out who's telling the truth before tensions boil over. Park's adaptation of the novel "DMZ" by Park Sang-yeon gets high marks for its exploration of the Korean schism through a friendship that crosses borders.

• Starring: Lee Young-ae, Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun
• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Year: 2000
• Runtime: 107 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%

Two people suffering from emotional disturbances find a connection in Park Chan-wook's comedy "I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK." Cha Young-goon, a young lady with schizophrenia who's institutionalized because she believes she's a cyborg, meets Park Il-sun, a young man also with schizophrenia who believes he can steal other people's characteristics. What could be a disaster of mental hospital stereotypes is instead a charming romantic comedy, albeit with some darker moments. Park's empathy for Young-goon and Il-sun, coupled with the actor's committed (no pun intended!) performances, keeps the movie engaging and grounded.

• Starring: Im Soo-jung, Jeong Ji-hoon, Oh Dal-su
• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Year: 2006
• Runtime: 105 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

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"Oldboy" is the second film in director Park Chan-wook's "Vengeance Trilogy," and it's a doozy — a tale that's equally violent, tragic, and disturbing. Oh Dae-su has been trapped for 15 years in a hotel-like prison cell. When he's suddenly released, he is determined to find out who kept him prisoner and why. "Oldboy" is visceral and effective in depicting the extreme ends of vengeance, and in addition to its truly brutal conclusion, it features perhaps the greatest hallway fight ever captured on camera.

• Starring: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung
• Director: Park Chan-wook
• Year: 2003
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

In addition to his expertise in horror with films like "I Saw the Devil," director Kim Jee-woon also excels in action. For example, there's "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," which takes inspiration from 1966's Sergio Leone classic, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Kim sets his Western/action movie in 1930's Manchuria, where the Weird, the Bad, and the Good become at odds in a quest to secure a treasure map from a Japanese official right before World War II. The movie is by turns exciting, funny, and touching, with well-done shootouts and action sequences.

• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jung Woo-sung
• Director: Kim Jee-woon
• Year: 2008
• Runtime: 127 minutes
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

"Secret Sunshine" is a beautiful, haunting drama. Lin Shin-ae is a widow who moves to a new town with her young son after her husband's tragic death. Leaving her old life behind, however, doesn't keep tragedy from following her. "Secret Sunshine" plumbs the depths of Shin-ae's grief, flirtations with madness, and the pull of faith as she's drawn to religion as a panacea. The movie is a showcase for Jeon's acting, and every tear she wrings from the audience is a testament to her raw power.

• Starring: Jeon Do-yeon, Song Kang-ho, Jo Yeong-jin
• Director: Lee Chang-dong
• Year: 2007
• Runtime: 142 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

"Train to Busan" follows Seok-woo, a workaholic whose relationship with his young daughter is tenuous. He boards the titular locomotive in Seoul to take his kid to her mother's place in Busan. Unfortunately, an infected woman boards the train at the last minute, turns into a zombie, and starts an undead outbreak. It's up to Seok-woo and the other passengers he meets to fight off the zombies and get to safety. At its heart, the film is sentimental without being cloying — it's a story of a father realizing he's missed too many important parts of his child's life because of his job. "Train to Busan" has fantastic zombie action, sure, but it also packs an emotional wallop.

• Starring: Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Soo-ahn
• Director: Yeon Sang-ho
• Year: 2016
• Runtime: 118 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

"Memories of Murder" is set in 1986 when South Korea's first known serial killer began his murders. Director Bong Joon-ho and co-screenwriter Shim Sung-bo adapt the 1996 play, "Come to See Me," about the Lee killings, but this version features Bong's signature mix of comedic, horrifying, and thrilling tones as two detectives — who have very different ideas about how to crack a case — try to solve the grisly crimes. "Memories of Murder" started as a cult film, but it gradually became known as one of Korea's best films, drawing many positive comparisons to David Fincher's "Zodiac."

• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Byun Hee-bong
• Director: Bong Joon-ho
• Year: 2003
• Runtime: 129 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

"A Taxi Driver" is based on a true story involving a German journalist, Jürgen "Peter" Hinzpeter, and a driver that occurred during the Gwangju Uprising in 1980. In filmmaker Jang Hoon's depiction, Peter meets Man-seop, the titular taxi driver, when the cabbie snipes the lucrative fare from a co-worker. Peter wants to cover the events in Gwangju, but the violence makes Man-seop hesitant. Convinced to help Peter report the uprising to the rest of the world, Man-seop must put aside his fears as the two men encounter danger and witness the triumph of the human spirit. While of course liberties are taken with the historical record, "A Taxi Driver" still helps shed light on an important moment for Korean democracy.

• Starring: Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann, Ryu Jun-yeol
• Director: Jang Hoon
• Year: 2017
• Runtime: 137 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

Lee Byung-hun stars as mob hitman Seon-u in Kim Jee-woon's "A Bittersweet Life." After Seon-u refuses to carry out a hit, Boss Kang wants him dead. Actually, multiple people decide Seon-u needs to go, triggering a violent war as our protagonist battles to stay alive. Director Kim goes under the surface of the usual mob tropes as Seon-u reflects on his life and also interrogates the nature of loyalty in such a dangerous hierarchy. "A Bittersweet Life" is a stylish film noir with a lot more on its mind than the usual ultraviolence.

• Starring: Lee Byung-hun, Kim Yeong-cheol, Shin Min-a
• Director: Kim Jee-woon
• Year: 2005
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

"The Housemaid" is a stone-cold classic, a masterful tale of deception and domestic horror directed by revered Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-young. As for the plot, Myung-sook is a housemaid to Kim Dong-sik and his emotionally fragile wife. But soon enough, this maid is taking advantage of Dong-sik's own emotional state to lure him into an affair that tears the whole family apart. "The Housemaid" is one of Korea's best films, one so good that director Bong Joon-ho pays homage to it in his award-winning "Parasite."

• Starring: Eun-shim Lee, Kim Jin-kyu, Jeung-nyeo Ju
• Director: Kim Ki-young
• Year: 1960
• Runtime: 90 minutes
• Rating: NR
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

From the director of "Burning" and "Secret Sunshine," the exquisite "Poetry" deals with tough subjects. Yang Mi-ja has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and takes up poetry as she struggles with a terrible secret about her grandson, Jong-uk. He was involved in a sexual assault, and her fading memory exacerbates the situation, as the fathers of all the boys involved wish to pay off the victim's mother to save their sons. The subject matter is upsetting, and Lee approaches it with care and empathy. Lee also lays bare the failings of a patriarchy that would protect its men at the great expense of its women, all while balancing Mi-ja's own poetic journey as her memory fades away.

• Starring: Yoon Jung-hee, Lee David, Kim Hee-ra
• Director: Lee Chang-dong
• Year: 2010
• Runtime: 139 minutes
• Rating: TV-PG
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

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