11 South Korean films that you should know
Korean cinema has been flying high for decades. Here are some milestones that were hits around the world and helped establish South Korea's lauded cinematic reputation.
South Korea: A country of cinema
South Korean films are the talk of the town all over the world. Festivals, like the one above in Busan, draw large crowds. Their innovative forms of storytelling and high aesthetic standards have won audiences over. Here are 11 films in the diverse world of Korean cinema.
'The Housemaid' (1960)
Long before the early 2000s, when Korean cinema really took off, Kim Ki-young made "Hanyo" ("The Housemaid"), an erotic thriller that is still today considered one of the best Korean films of all time. The impeccably filmed melodrama revolves around an affair between a rich man and household help that ultimately destroys the family.
'Peppermint Candy' (1999)
The second film from director Lee Chang-dong (above) begins with the suicide of the businessman Yongho before going on to tell the story of his life in reverse chronological order, from present to past. Little by little, circumstances accumulate that could have led to his death.
'Oldboy' (2003)
This film alone significantly boosted South Korean cinema's popularity. A man is locked up in a tiny room for 15 years — without knowing why. After his release, he becomes consumed with getting revenge. The film, the second in a revenge trilogy by Park Chan-wook, is a masterpiece of the extreme filled with unforgettably powerful, dream-like images.
'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring' (2003)
"Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring" is considered Kim Ki-duk's masterpiece. The director was later accused of sexual assault amidst the #MeToo movement, and died due to complications from COVID-19 in 2020 aged 60. The film, which depicts the unstoppable cycle of life, is about a Buddhist monk and his student who goes through the seasons of his life up to old age.
'Memories of Murder' (2003)
Bong Joon-ho's breakthrough is considered the most successful crime film to come from South Korea. It takes place from 1986-91 and is based on true events related to a serial killer who murdered 10 women in a northern province of South Korea. Two very different police officers want to solve the case, which makes for many humorous moments despite the heavy subject of this thriller.
'Poetry' (2010)
Directed by Lee Chang-dong, the film tells the story of retiree Yan Mi-ja, who has early onset dementia. She attends a poetry class to relearn how to capture the beauty of the world in words. As she loses her memory, she simultaneously acquires a new vocabulary and way of perceiving her surroundings. It is through her eyes that the viewer sees a tragedy play out over the course of the film.
'Right Now, Wrong Then' (2015)
The film by Hong Sang-soo (above left, holding his Golden Leopard won at the Locarno film festival, with leading actress Min-Hee Kim) tells the story of one evening twice over: A famous director arrives in a city for a film screening, where he meets a beautiful young woman. They spend the day together. The shared evening goes awry, but the man gets a second chance. But is it really a happy ending?
'The Handmaiden' (2016)
In this erotic drama from Park Chan-wook, an inheritance hunter wants to steal a rich heiress' money. A pickpocket disguised as a maid is to enter the household and ensure the heiress falls in love with the inheritance hunter, but she herself falls in love with her target. Simple dichotomies between good and bad dissolve over the course of three acts and through multiple perspectives.
'The Wailing' (2016)
In this mystery thriller from Na Hong-jin, a stranger appears in a small village. Shortly after, horrific murders start occurring. The atmospheric horror film draws on various motifs of the genre as well as old folk tales and stories about satanic cults.
'Parasite' (2019)
"Parasite" is not only the first non-English language film to have won the Best Picture Oscar. In many countries, it's also the most-seen Korean film of all time. Director Bong Joon-hoo's film sits somewhere between drama and satire. It serves up a biting critique of capitalism as it follows a family from a poor neighborhood of Seoul that manages to make its way into the life of a wealthy family.
'Decision to Leave' (2022)
The mystery thriller from Park Chan-wook (above right, with actor Hayato Isomura), is about a detective who falls in love with the widow of a man who supposedly died in an accident. The film premiered at Cannes in 2022, where it won the best director prize. It was South Korea's submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Oscars, but didn't make the final cut.