Last month, I recommended some of my favorite Korean films. Here are more titles that have stayed with me: movies that moved me, made me laugh, made me think, or pulled me in with the sheer beauty of their cinematography or storytelling.
For context, almost all of my recommendations come from the 21st century. Unlike American, European, Japanese, or even Chinese cinema, Korean film history faced unique setbacks. Decades of Japanese occupation, followed by a devastating war, poverty, and military dictatorship until the 1980s, left little room for creative directors to develop their craft. Under the authoritarian regimes of the ’60s through the ’80s, censorship was so strict that filmmakers had almost no freedom to express artistic vision, much like what’s happening in Russia today. Even in the 1990s, after Korea elected its first civilian president, Korean cinema still lagged far behind the global stage.
But Koreans, as BTS has shown the world, are exceptionally hard-working, intelligent, and creative. Starting in the 2000s, a new wave of young auteurs, including Bong Joon-ho and Park Chan-wook, now regarded among the best directors in the world, burst onto the scene and transformed Korean cinema completely. Today, Korea consistently produces some of the best films each year. In 2019, Bong’s Parasite made history as the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
I’m not sure whether all the films below are available in English, but some of the ones I recommended last time turned out to be on Netflix, so you might be in luck. If you can find them, I hope you’ll give them a watch.
Seopyeonje
A deeply moving drama about a pansori (traditional Korean musical storytelling with singing) master and his two children wandering rural Korea, striving to preserve a traditional vocal art form against the tides of modernization and cultural loss.
A Hard Day
After accidentally killing a pedestrian on the day of his mother’s funeral, a corrupt detective scrambles to hide the body, only to become the target of a relentless blackmailer who knows every detail of his crime.
Parasite
A poor family infiltrates the lives of a wealthy household through deception, only to discover that beneath the surface of privilege lies an even darker underbelly, erupting into chaos and tragedy.
Oldboy
A man mysteriously imprisoned for fifteen years is suddenly released and given five days to find his captor, leading him into a labyrinth of revenge, deception, and a devastating truth he never imagined.
Decision to Leave
A detective investigating a man’s suspicious death becomes entangled in a slow-burn romance and dangerous mind game with the victim’s enigmatic widow, blurring the lines between duty, desire, and truth.
Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet
Based on he real life of poet Yun Don-ju, the film follows the young poet wrestling with his art, his conscience, and the crushing reality of Japanese occupation, leaving behind verses that endure long after his brief life.
Someone Special
A professional baseball player, told he has only a short time left to live, unexpectedly finds solace, humor, and an offbeat romance with an unusual young woman during what could be the final days of his life.
A Single Spark
A powerful biographical drama about Jeon Tae-il, a young garment factory worker in 1960s Korea who sacrificed himself (self-immolation) in protest against inhumane labor conditions, igniting a nationwide labor movement.
The Pirates
In a raucous blend of high-seas adventure and comedy, a crew of pirates and bandits races to recover royal treasure swallowed by a whale before their rivals can claim the prize.
12.12: The Day
In the turbulent wake of South Korea’s political unrest after the assassination of the military dictator Park Chung-hee, a ruthless general launches an illegal coup to seize power, while a small band of loyal soldiers risk everything to defend the lawful chain of command and stop his takeover in the chaotic hours of December 12, 1979.
Mother
A fiercely emotional mystery about a mother’s relentless quest to prove her intellectually challenged son’s innocence when he’s accused of a brutal murder.
Long Live the King
A charismatic gangster’s chance encounter with a passionate lawyer inspires him to run for political office, forcing him to juggle his criminal past with his newfound ambitions for justice.
