Time Out's The Best Korean Movies of All Time
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Written by James Balmont
Contributors Phil de Semlyen & Matthew Singer
Tuesday 10 May 2022
Contrary to believe in some corners of the west, South Korean cinema existed long before Parasite and Squid Game. Sure, Bong Joon-ho’s 2019 Oscar-winner might represent the pinnacle of the country’s movie industry – and the massive success of Netflix’s Squid Game confirmed it as a worldwide player in streaming too – but its history runs much deeper. For decades, Korean filmmakers have been producing thrilling, imaginative work with a distinctive vision, subverting genre conventions along the way.
Entering its renaissance era in the early 2000s, charged by films like Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy and Joon-ho’s The Host, Korean movies became known for their ultraviolence and political invective, but dig into the canon and you’ll find a wide range of complex emotions expressed in many different ways. Where to start? Well, here: with some of the best Korean movies ever made.
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1 new
Hanyo
1960 — a.k.a. The Housemaid, in 8 top lists Check -
2 new
Gokseong
2016 — a.k.a. The Wailing, in 2 top lists Check -
3 new
Gisaengchung
2019 — a.k.a. Parasite, in 22 top lists -
4 new
Janghwa, Hongryeon
2003 — a.k.a. A Tale of Two Sisters, in 5 top lists Check -
5 new
Salinui chueok
2003 — a.k.a. Memories of Murder, in 17 top lists Check -
6 new
Bakha satang
1999 — a.k.a. Peppermint Candy, in 5 top lists Check -
7 new
Jigureul jikyeora!
2003 — a.k.a. Save the Green Planet!, in 4 top lists Check -
8 new
Yeogo goedam
1998 — a.k.a. Whispering Corridors, in 1 top list Check -
9 new
Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok JSA
2000 — a.k.a. Joint Security Area, in 3 top lists Check -
10 new
Akinjeon
2019 — a.k.a. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil, in 0 top lists -
11 new
Beoning
2018 — a.k.a. Burning, in 8 top lists -
12 new
Sinsegye
2013 — a.k.a. New World, in 1 top list Check -
13 new
Do-ga-ni
2011 — a.k.a. Silenced, in 0 top lists Check -
14 new
Oldeuboi
2003 — a.k.a. Oldboy, in 34 top lists Check -
15 new
Ji-geum-eun-mat-go-geu-ddae-neun-teul-li-da
2015 — a.k.a. Right Now, Wrong Then, in 6 top lists Check -
16 new
Iodo
1977 — a.k.a. Io Island, in 3 top lists Check -
17 new
Chugyeokja
2008 — a.k.a. The Chaser, in 2 top lists Check -
18 new
Ah-ga-ssi
2016 — a.k.a. The Handmaiden, in 13 top lists Check -
19 new
Obaltan
1961 — a.k.a. Aimless Bullet, in 6 top lists Check -
20 new
Busanhaeng
2016 — a.k.a. Train to Busan, in 4 top lists Check -
21 new
Mogadisyu
2021 — a.k.a. Escape from Mogadishu, in 0 top lists -
22 new
Mideunaiteu
2021 — a.k.a. Midnight, in 0 top lists -
23 new
Seom
2000 — a.k.a. The Isle, in 2 top lists Check -
24 new
Swiri
1999 — a.k.a. Shiri, in 3 top lists Check -
25 new
Madeo
2009 — a.k.a. Mother, in 9 top lists Check -
26 new
Geuddae geusaramdeul
2005 — a.k.a. The President's Last Bang, in 1 top list Check -
27 new
Dalkomhan insaeng
2005 — a.k.a. A Bittersweet Life, in 2 top lists Check -
28 new
Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da
2010 — a.k.a. I Saw the Devil, in 3 top lists Check -
29 new
Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom
2003 — a.k.a. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring, in 13 top lists Check -
30 new
Telmisseomding
1999 — a.k.a. Tell Me Something, in 0 top lists Check -
31 new
Choyonghan kajok
1998 — a.k.a. The Quiet Family, in 1 top list Check
Last updated on Aug 6, 2022; source