Korean movies found their special place in the more aware audience in the world who always had an appetite for watching something better, unique, and fresh.
Their movies are definitely less, if not at all formulaic, unique in their treatment of the respective genres when you compare them to Hollywood.
For example, the kind of drama and horror you get to see in Korean movies is rare in Hollywood anymore. More importantly, there is something different to cater to the audience worldwide.
And whether you are new or have been a fan of Korean movies, here are a few recommendations that you should check.
call
This movie was released in 2020, and its running time is 1hr 52Min. Lee Chung-Hyun directed this movie, a South Korean thriller film.
The main actors in this movie are Park Shin-Hye, Jeon Jong-Seo, Kim Sung-Kyung, Lee El, Oh Jung-Se, Lee Dong-he, and Park Ho-san.
This movie begins with a 28-year-old girl named Kim Seo-Yeon, who lost her mobile phone while traveling to visit her mother in a rural area.
As she reached her childhood home, she found a cordless phone through which she received a call from a woman who said that her mother would torture her.
After the phone cuts, Seon-Yeon decides to investigate the woman, and she finds her Name is Oh Young-Sook living in the same house but in 1999. Later on, they both communicate with each other through the phone and discuss their life problems.
Young-sook was orphaned and was living with her adoptive mother, Shaman, while Seon- Yeon had lost her father in a fire.
Seon-Yeon blames her mother, Eun-ae, for her father’s death. The relationship between mother and daughter was not good after her father’s dismay.
Tune in for Love
This movie was released in 2019, and its running time is 2hr 2Min. Jung Ji-woo directed this movie, a South Korean romantic film.
The main actors in this movie are Kim Go-Eun and Jung Hae-in. This movie starts with Mi-Soo, who is a hardworking worker at the bakery, and she works before the shop opens. Her life was full of struggle.
Mi-soo suggested her colleagues add soy milk to the cake but realized they didn’t have soy milk in their shop. In the shop, Mi-Soo has a close friend named Eun-ja, but she walks away as she thinks he has just been released from prison.
Hyun-woo, who was leaving the battery, returns after some time and applies for a part-timer. Later on, he gets his job, and Mi-soo begins to work. Another side, Mi-Soo, Hyun-woo, and Eun-Ja started spending a lot of time together.
On Christmas Day, Hyun-woo and Mi-Soo decorated a Christmas tree in front of the bakery. Mi-Soo tells Hyun-woo that her mother’s dream was to share happiness with the entire community. Hyun-woo and Mi-Soo fall in love after some time.
Space Sweepers
This movie was released in 2021; its running time is 2hr 16Min. Jo Sung-hee directed this movie; it’s a South Korean Western film.
The main actors in this movie are Song Joong-ki, Kim Tae-ri, Jin Seon-kyu, and YooHae-jin. This movie shows the future of Earth, which will become uninhabitable in 2092. However, the UTS citizens build an orbiting house for humanity.
In this movie, space sweepers follow the victory. The crew members of victory include Kim Tar-ho, Tiger Park, and Bubs, and Captain Jang led it.
Also, the authorities’ main aim was to recover the real find that drifted out of orbit and lost in space.
Later on, Dorothy says that Kot-Nim was her Korean name. Tae-ho ignores her, and Tiger becomes friends with her.
Tae-ho doesn’t approve of the idea and goes to receive another call with Hyeon-u to exchange. On the same day, Kot-Nim finds a masked man who follows her into the toilet.
Kot-Nim shouts at Tae-ho and Tiger, who tries to save her but are forced to rush over the group of people. If one is interested in watching Korean movies, they should watch Space Sweepers with their loved ones.
Alive
This movie was released in 2020, and its running time is 1hr 39Min. Cho ll-Hyung directed this movie; it’s a South Korean Zombie film.
The main actors in this movie are Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-Hye. This movie begins with a boy named Oh Joon-woo living alone in his parent’s apartment, where zombies try to attack and infect people outside their house.
When Oh Joon-woo inspects the apartment condition, a neighbor enters the house. He begs to stay outside, but as he has become a zombie, he starts attacking Joon-woo. But somehow, Joon-woo manages to push him out and locks the door from the inside.
He started watching the zombie attack people through a peephole. Later, Joon-woo receives a message from his family that they are safe. To save himself, he blocks the main door with the fridge and writes a message on social media to rescue him.
Joon-woo attached his phone to the drone and started shouting for help, but he realized that his neighbors had already left the place. As it was a time of emergency, Joon-woo lost the phone connection, internet, and electricity.
Night in Paradise
This movie was released in 2020, and its running time is 2hr 11Min. Park Hoon- Jung directed this movie, a South Korean Crime film.
The main actors in this movie are Uhm Tae-goo, Jeon Yeo-been, Cha Seung-won, Lee Ki-young, and Park Ho-san.
This movie begins with a mobster whose Name Tae-gu who is offered to switch sides with his rival partner Bukseong gang that Chairman Doh led.
But Tae-gu didn’t accept the offer, and Doh killed her sister and niece. Tae-gu decided to take revenge, killing Chairman Doh and his co-workers. Later, he went to Jejuisland as he could not move out of the country to Russia.
In Russia, he meets Jae-Yeon, an Ill woman, and her uncle, Kuto. Chairman Yang, the boss of Tae-gu, organizes an attack on the remaining Bukseong gang and ends the gang forever.
But unfortunately, the top brass of the Bukseong gang, executive Ma, continuously warns Tae-gu to take revenge.
Time to Hunt
This movie was released in 2020, and its running time is 2hr 14Min. Yoon Dung-Hyun directed this movie, a South Korean dystopian action thriller film.
The main actors in this movie are Lee Je-hoon, Ahn Jae-hong, Choi Woo-Shik, and Park Jung-min. This movie begins with Jun-Seok, who was released from prison and had a botched heist as he caught him and his friends.
Later on, Jun-Seok proposed to his best friends, Jang-ho and Ki-hoon, to escape their difficult situations.
The main target of these friends is to do illegal gambling as it has stored a stack of US dollars. After their planning, this trio recruited an employee named Sang-soo, who was working there.
The heist had become successful as they had rung firearms, and people started running.
The trio has taken a huge amount of money and the hard drives of gambling houses surveillance. Sang-soo decided to continue his work while the rest three left for their house.
Sweet & Sour
This movie was released in 2021, and its running time is 1hr 41Min. Lee Gye-byeok directed this movie; it’s a Surg Korean Romantic film.
The main actors in this movie are Jang Ki-Yong, Krystal Jung, and ChaeSoo-bin. This movie begins with Hyuk being hospitalized with the disease Hepatitis B.
Due to this disease, other patients and his parents keep their distance from him, and the nurse Da-eun ignores everyone and takes care of him.
As time passed, Da-Eun and Hyyk became close friends as they ate and slept together on his hospital bed. Da-eun knew Hyuk would be discharged within a few days, and she was a little upset. However, Hyuk returns to his home.
But Hyuk could not forget Da-eun; somehow, he found her phone number and called her. Da-eun invited Hyuk to her house and said to spend a night with her.
On next day Da-eun woke up and started preparing breakfast for him. They both shared a brief kiss.
When Da-eun tells Kuk she has a ticket to Jejuisland to celebrate Christmas and invites him to join; they are both super excited to go to the island as they will enjoy it a lot.
20th Century Girl
This movie was released in 2022, and its running time is 1hr 59Min. Junichi Sato directed this movie, a South Korean romantic drama film.
The main actors in this movie are Kim Yoo-Jung, Byeon Woo-Seok, Park Jung-woo, and Roh Yoon-Seo. This movie begins in 1999 and shows the story of a seventeen-year-old girl named Na Bo-ra who was studying in high school and has a bright personality.
Bo-ra’s best friend Yeon-dy was preparing to go to the US for his heart surgery, and one day she says that she couldn’t leave without a boy as she had fallen in love with him, whose name was Baek Hyun-jin.
Later, Bo-ra promises her friend that she will follow Baek Hyun-jin and discover everything about his life. Bo-ra started following Hyun-jin wherever he went.
Also, one fine day she got the news that Hyun-jin and his close friend PoongWoon-ho were going to join a club at school, which she successfully audited to join. But Woon-ho joins the club, and Bo-ra tries to get close to Woon-ho as she wants to know more about Jyun-jin.
The Host
This movie was released in 2006, and its running time is 1hr 59Min. Bong Joon-ho directed this movie; it’s a South Korean monster film.
The main actors in this movie are Song Kang-ho, ByunHee-bong, Park Hae-il, BaeDoona, Go Ah-sung, and Oh Dal-Su. This movie begins with the year 2000; an American military pathologist ordered his assistant to dump 200 bottles of formaldehyde into the river.
In 2006, Park Gang-du was running a small snack counter near the river with his father, Hee-bong. Gang-dus has a daughter, Hyun-sei, his sister Nam-Joo and his brother Nam-il, an alcoholic college graduate.
Many large creatures emerged from the river and started attacking the people. Gang-du tries to save his daughter and run from the crowd but soon realizes he has grabbed the wrong person’s hand. Gang-du notices that the creature is pulling her daughter into the river.
After some years, Gang-du receives a call from Hyun-Seo. Later she explained everything to his father and said that her phone was not working properly. After that, Gang-du and his entire family ran to the hospital and purchased illegal supplies from gangsters to search Hyun-Seo.
Silenced
This movie was released in 2011, and its running time is 2hr 5Min. Hwang Dong-hyuk directed this movie, a South Korean Crime drama film.
The main actors in this movie are Gong Yoo and Jung Yu-mi. This movie begins with Kang In-ho, who was appointed as an art teacher at Benevolence Academy at a Deaf school in the city of Mujin, North Jeolla Province.
Kang’s wife committed suicide a few years ago, and her daughter is sick and taken care of by his mother. As he was very excited to teach his new students, even the children were aloof and were trying to avoid as much as possible.
However, In-ho doesn’t give up on the children as he cares very much about them. The children reveal the school’s shocking and ugly truth as time passes. The children have also revealed that the teachers and administration have sexually abused them.
After listening to all this, In-ho decided to fight for the children’s rights and confront the culprits in front of people. But soon, he realized that the school’s principal and teachers, even police and prosecutors, were trying to hide the truth.
But In-ho didn’t lose hope as he wanted to fight for these children. This movie makes you emotional as it has many emotional scenes. Also, it shows a beautiful relationship between teacher and student.
Carter
This movie was released in 2022, and its running time is 2hr 12Min. Jung Byung-Gil directed this movie, a South Korean action thriller.
The main actors in this movie are Joo Won, Lee Sung-Jae, Jeong So-ri, and Kim Bo-min. This movie is based on action, and if you die a heart fan of action and thriller, it can be best to make your evening wonderful as it has amazing twists and turns.
This movie shows the worst pandemic condition caused by a virus infecting the patient. A man wakes up blood-soaked all over the bed in a mental room in Seoul and has a cross-shaped scar on the back of his head.
Later, an Armed CIA agent frightens him as he demands the whereabouts of Dr. Jung Byung-ho. The man has lost his memory, as he doesn’t know who he was and why he was here and left Dr. Jung.
After some time, he heard the voice of a female who said his name was Carter, and he had to follow her instructions. He also follows her instructions, leaves the room, and goes to the public bath, where gangsters attack him and try to kill him.
But he saves himself as he has lethal fighting skills.
Seoul Vibe
This movie was released in 2022, and its running time is 2hr 20Min. Moon Hyun-Sung directed this movie; it’s a South Korean action film.
The main actors in this movie are Yoo Ah-in, Go Kyung-pyo, Lee Kyu-hyung, Park Ju-hyun, OngSeong-wu, Kim Sung-kyun, Jung Woong-in, Moon So-ri and Oh Jung-se. Also, this movie will be worth watching as it is action-packed, funny, and vibrant.
This movie begins in 1988 in the middle of the Seoul Olympic Games, where a car race takes place on the streets of Seoul. In this case, a talented crew of baby drivers known as the Sangyedong Supreme team has taken part in unraveling the corruption.
In the end, while leaving, everyone reveals that they have managed to save money if they lose the plane. That indicates the gang has achieved everything they set at the film’s beginning. This gang has cleared their criminal records and has a lot of money and a chance to begin their new life.
Seoul Vibe has a happy ending as Yoon-hee saves herself and brings Woo-sam back safely home.
The Chase
This movie was released in 2017, and its running time is 1hr 50Min. Kim Hong-seon directed this movie, a South Korean crime thriller film.
The main actors in this movie are Baek Yoon-Sik, Sung Dong-il, Bae Jong-ok, Kim Hye-in, Chun Ho-jin, and Park Hyung-soo. This movie begins with SimDeok, who was a landlord of many working-class flats, and she always harassed her tenants for the rent.
If we see from the beginning, it shows that Mr. Choi is dropping out day by day on tenants as they are suffering from ailments that save him from working as he needs to demand rent by visiting charity workers from a local church.
His daily routine was fixed, but one day he found two dead bodies and handed them over to the police, one of a local drunk, and the other was a prisoner living alone. On the same evening, Deoo-su again visits Mr. Choi, as he has organized dinner for a former college visit.
Later on, they both men eat, and during the conversation, Mr. Choi reveals his secret that he is a former police detective and he is doing an investigation of that two deaths.
Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days
This movie was released in 2018, and its running time is 2hr 22Min. Kim Yong-Hwa directed this movie, a South Korean fantasy action film.
The main actors in this movie are Ha Jung-woo, JuJi-hoon, Kim Hyang-gi, Ma Dong-Seok (Don Lee), and Kim Dong-Wook.
This movie begins with three grim reapers named Gang-rim, Hareonmak, and Lee Deok-Choon, who guide their 49th soul Kim Soo-hong to understand the trials.
In between, the God of the house discovers the grim reapers’ memories of 1000 years ago.
It is one of the best Korean movies as they spend their last 49 days with God. Also, Soul Ja-hong and his three guardians have prepared for their remaining trials.
Later, the guardians learned the truth of their tragic time on Earth. This movie will make your evening memorable as it shows a fantasy world. Also, your loved ones will be impressed by the choice of movie.
Steel Rain
This movie was released in 2017, and its running time is 2hr 19Min. Yang Woo-suk directed this movie, a South Korean action thriller.
The main actors in this movie are Jung Woo-sung and Kwak Do-won. This movie begins with EomChul-Woo, appointed by chief director RI Tae-haj of the Reconnaissance General Bureau.
Later, Eom kills the chief minister in his car in an accident. A senior presidential secretary KwakChul-woo shacks a hand and congratulates Kim Kyung-young as he has won the presidential election.
Eom bid farewell to his wife and daughter, where he proceeded to the Kaesong Industrial Region, as the park was packed due to the arrival of the supreme leader at the Chinese event. Within that time, north Korean and ROK Army soldiers successfully hijack the US Army, an MRLS vehicle, and two missiles.
Eom still tries to call Ri so that he can explain the condition of the park as the missile lands. This movie is full of action scenes as it has very good scenes.
The Bros
This movie was released in 2017, and its running time is 1hr 42Min. Chang You-Jeong directed this movie, a South Korean Comedy drama film.
The main actors in this movie are Ma Dong-Seok, Lee Dong-hwi, and Lee Hanee. This movie begins with Seok-bong, who is a penniless history teacher. Seok-bong always dreams of discovering lost treasure.
Seok had a young brother named Joo-bong, an ambitious junior executive at the construction office. They both meet at their father’s funeral in their hometown of Andong; both don’t look at the other and have a disastrous scene at their mother’s funeral.
While returning to their work, the brothers meet an accident with a woman; after that, she suffers from amnesia. According to the family’s tradition, his elder brother Seok-bong has to perform the Ceremonial duties, which are part of the funeral rites.
These nothing brothers don’t live together with each other.
Pandora
This movie was released in 2016, and its running time is 2hr 16Min. Park Jung-woo directed this movie; it’s a South Korean disaster film.
The main actors in this movie are Kim Nam-Gil, Kim Young-ae, Kim Ju-Hyeon, Jung Jin-young, Moon Jeong-hee, Kim Dae-Myung, Kang Shin-il, and Lee Geung-young. This movie begins with a young man named Jae-hyeok, who used to work at a nuclear power plant.
His work was to provide the entire town with energy, as it was his job. Jae-hyeok lived with his mother, sister-in-law, and a nephew named Min-Jae. Jae-hyeok has lost his father and brother fur to radiation in previous years.
Also, he always wished to leave the town and his job behind as he wanted to work on a fishing vessel to earn good money for his family’s better future. Jae-hyeok has been discouraged by everyone to whom he knows.
One day when Jae-hyeok was working, they found that a slight earthquake had struck the town, resulting in nuclear reactors overheating.
The Wailing
This movie was released in 2016, and its running time is 2hr 36Min. Na Hong-jin directed this movie; it’s a South Korean horror film.
The main actors In this movie are Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee, and Jun Kunimura. This movie begins with a Japanese man who lives in a small town in South Korea and loses his family members due to a mysterious infection.
One night, Inspector Oh Seong-bok and Jong-goo talked about the Japanese stranger when a naked woman appeared outside their police station. As soon as they visited the crime scene, they found an infected woman and murdered her family members.
The next day, Jong-goo again meets a strange woman named Moo-myeong, who informs him that a Japanese man is a real culprit and an evil spirit for everyone. As Jong-goo goes to call Oh Seong-bok, the woman has already gone.
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