Favorite South Korean Films
Just faves here. For a list of ALL the South Korean films I've seen and rated:
[link]http://sitenoise.com/film/korean/[/link]
[link]http://sitenoise.com/film/korean/[/link]
List activity
27K views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
53 titles
- DirectorLee Myung-seStarsGang Dong-wonLee Yeon-heeKong Hyo-jinA young writer can't write a word for his next novel, he also doesn't feel right with his fiancée; because he falls in love with a woman, but he can't remember who she is and can't figure out if she's real or just a dream.An audio/visual tour de force. And it's a simple story: A man in search of his muse. This would be my #1 here if it had a poster. It got a poster!
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsJung SuhKim Yu-seokCho Jae-hyunWorking at a fishing resort in an idyllic location, but surrounded by various facets of human unpleasantness, a young mute woman falls in love with a man on the run from the law for committing murder.Gorgeous and painful
- DirectorHur Jin-hoStarsLee Yeong-aeYoo Ji-taeSang-hui BaekA sound engineer falls in love with a radio show host after they work together on a project capturing natural sounds.Never seen a film explore the inexplicable and random ways a relationship can fall apart better than this one. It's painful.
- DirectorSung-il JungStarsShin Ha-kyunJung In-sunMoon Jeong-HeeThe story begins with a man left by his girlfriend on Christmas Eve and unfolds across the city of Seoul.Cafe Noir is pretentious. Cafe Noir is gorgeous. It’s a linear quilt of set pieces and cinematic indulgences. It’s grandiose and overwhelming. It’s punishingly thick and multi-layered. It’s over three hours long and languidly paced. Characters in the film don’t talk to one another the way normal people do, they deliver lines. Cafe Noir is the most amazing film experience I’ve had in years.
- DirectorSun-Kyeong AhnSun-Kyong AnStarsZia .Wu-jae JangPark Ji-ahThirty-year old Australian adoptee Seong-chan returns to Korea in search of his biological mother.I wish more people would get the chance to see this film but it's probably not going to happen.
- DirectorYoon-ki LeeStarsKim Ji-SooHwang Jung-minKim KkobbiThis film is a restrained, yet thoroughly engaging, study of a female post office worker's emotional life.One of the best character studies I've ever seen.
- DirectorWon Tae-yeonStarsKwon Sang-wooLee Bo-youngLee Beom-su"K" loves Cream but has terminal cancer so he keeps his love for her secret and tries to find a mate for her before he dies so she will not be alone after he dies.A weeper extraordinaire.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsLee Yeong-aeLee Byung-hunSong Kang-hoAfter a shooting incident at the North-South Korean border DMZ leaves two North Korean soldiers dead, a neutral Swiss and Swedish team investigates what actually happened.Great idea, great script, great direction; 10 for being a good film about male bonding; 10 more for the political content, and for the boundaries and taboos it broke with regards to historical Korean film; 10 more for the way the story is told. It unfolds like a classic who-dunnit. I paced around after seeing this film wondering how it could be so good. My favorite Park film, hands down.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsKim Hye-jaWon BinJin GooA mother desperately searches for the killer who framed her son for a girl's horrific murder.Proves BONG Joon-ho is a master.
- DirectorLee Chang-dongStarsSol Kyung-guMoon So-riAhn Nae-sangAn irresponsible and childish ex-con befriends a girl with cerebral palsy and develops a progressively stronger bond with her.An almost unbelievable film. One of the more peculiar love stories I've ever seen.
- DirectorLee Chang-dongStarsJeon Do-yeonSong Kang-hoLee Dong-yongA woman moves to the town where her dead husband was born. As she tries to fit in, another tragic event overturns her life.The scene where Do-yeon Jeon goes to the prison to forgive the man who committed the most heinous of crimes against her is one of the strongest and smartest statements on religious belief I've seen. One of the best explorations of faith and the religious experience put to film.
- DirectorJi-eun KangStarsCho Seung-wooKang Hye-jeongJu-yeon ByeonA boy falls for a mysterious girl who keeps disappearing.Cried buckets at the end.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsLee EolKwak Ji-minHan Yeo-reumJae-Young is an amateur prostitute who sleeps with men while her best friend Yeo-Jin "manages" her, fixing dates, taking care of the money and making sure the coast is clear. When Jae-Young falls in love with one of those man she suppresses her feelings towards him in respect of her friend who's jealous.About a girl whose father discovers she is prostituting herself ... OR ... about a guy who discovers his daughter is prostituting herself. Either way, might not sound interesting. However, this is a very touching film ... from one of my favorite directors. The road trip and the whole car thing. "Learning to drive", "Spinning your wheels", Come on! Incredible! And to those who feel the film starts out like an after-school special, yep, that's the point. The scene where the daughter is learning to drive is brilliant.
- DirectorPark Kyung-JinJohn H. LeeKim Tae-WonStarsJung Woo-sungSon Ye-jinJong-hak BaekA young couple's enduring love is tested when 27-year-old Su-jin is diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.The gold standard for Korean melodramas.
- DirectorHur Jin-hoStarsJung Woo-sungYuanyuan GaoShaohua MaA traveling architect meets an old friend from his student years; the pair realize their connection has always been a romantic one.Eye candy and heart wrenching. HUR Jin-ho is such a good film maker.
- DirectorKyu-dong MinKim Tae-yongStarsKim Gyu-riPark YejinLee Yeong-jinIn this second installment of the Whispering Corridors series, a young girl finds a strange diary, capable of arousing hallucinations, kept by two of her senior fellow-students who seem to have an unusually close bond.My favorite of the Whispering Corridors series.
- DirectorUi-seok JoStarsKim Sang-kyungPark Yong-wooHan Bo-baeJung-Ho a famous photographer who has a special ability to read people's minds, has just returned to Korea from abroad. Jung-Ho still can't get rid of traumatic memories of his late girlfriend who ended her life in front of him. In the midst of this, Jung-Ho becomes a temporary guardian for Soo-Yeon a little girl whose mother is in a coma. Detective Kim begins to suspect Jung-Ho is involved in the gruesome events that surround him. And the case becomes even more desperate when Soo-Yeon herself disappears.A masterfully done film.
- DirectorSong Il-gonStarsKam Woo-seongJung SuhKang Kyung-hunA recently widowed TV producer is drawn to an isolated cabin in a mysterious woods.One of the more complicated Horror-ish films out there, but totally worth it.
- DirectorLee Yong-juStarsUhm Tae-woongHan Ga-inLee JehoonA 20-year-old architecture student, falls in love with a music student. However, he fails to confess his feelings to her, and they grow apart. 15 years later, she reappears before him and asks him to design her house.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.
- DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsKim Yoon-seokHa Jung-wooSeo Yeong-hieA disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.So Korean
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsLim Soo-jungRainPark Byeong-eunA girl who thinks she is a combat cyborg checks into a mental hospital, where she encounters other psychotics. Eventually, she falls for a man who thinks he can steal people's souls.2nd favorite Park film.
- DirectorYong-geun MinStarsYoo Da-inYoo Yeon-SeokKil Hae-yeonA coming of age story about two young people who fall in love but lose contact when the girl becomes pregnant and the boy leaves her to go to Canada.
- DirectorLee Yong-juStarsKim Bo-yeonSin Eun-jeongShim Eun-kyungAfter Hee-jin's younger sister So-jin, who is possessed by a spirit,disappears,the neighbors die one by one and a secret underlying their deaths is revealed.Asian Horror version 2.0
- DirectorYong-gyun KimStarsKim Hee-seonJu Jin-moCho Seung-wooWanee, a young animator, and Junah, a scriptwriter, are lovers leading a peaceful life together. And one day, an old friend of Wanee's pays her a visit and unearths Wanee's hidden memories of her first love, her stepbrother.Delicate and edgy.
- DirectorJang Sun-wooStarsLee Jung-hyunMoon Sung-KeunYeong-ran LeeA young girl is caught up in the 1980 Gwangju massacre, where Korean soldiers killed hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters who opposed the country's takeover by the military the year before. Flashbacks show the girl seeing her mother shot to death in the massacre. The film spurred the Korean public to demand the truth behind the incident, and their government eventually opened previously classified files on the massacre.Oh man.
- DirectorSung-Hong KimStarsHeo Gi-hoMin-hee HaEun-jeong Hwang(Korean with English subtitles) Inspired by the real story of a Korean serial killer, Missing is one woman's intense journey into the dark den of depravity. Hyeon-jeong ventures to a small countryside village in search of her missing sister. When she finally gets a lead and arrives at the local recluse's house, her worst nightmares is about to begin."... all the ingredients of a Friday the 13th ..."
Cine-Asia used a blurb from my review (slightly out of context) on their DVD release of this film. My brush with fame.
[link]http://tinyurl.com/cfsaefz[/link] link to Amazon showing the cover. - DirectorPark Jin-PyoStarsHa Ji-WonKim Myung-minNam Neung-miA funeral director meets a man who has been battling Lou Gehrig's disease since he was young. The two fall in love and hope for a cure that can keep him alive.Quite the touching melodrama with just the right amount of restraint given the nature of the story. Ha Ji-won is as lovely as ever but Kim Myeong-min hits one out of the park as a guy suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. Amazing performance.
- DirectorLee Kyoung-miStarsKong Hyo-jinPang Eun-jinChoi Hee-jinAn awkward and unpopular high school teacher tries to stop two of her colleagues from falling in love.Very smart, very funny.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsYang Dong-geunMin-jung BanKim Young-minRomances end in blood and the frail hopes of individuals are torn apart in a vile karmic continuity of colonialism, civil war and occupation. After surviving Japanese colonization, Korea became the first war zone of the Cold War. The legacy of war remains today in this divided country.Pain. From every angle.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsLee Seung-yunJae HeeHyuk-ho KwonA transient young man breaks into empty homes to partake of the vacationing residents' lives for a few days.
- DirectorIm Sang-sooStarsMoon So-riHwang Jung-minYoun Yuh-jungBored, horny, and frustrated, a woman begins an affair with a teenage boy.
- DirectorYoon-ki LeeStarsHyun BinLim Soo-jungKim Ji-SooOn a rainy day a woman and her husband are at home. The woman is packing to leave the man. She is unable to go due to the weather. They stay together in a quiet tension as a storm rages outside.One of very few 2011 films I've liked.
- DirectorHur Jin-hoStarsKong Hyo-jinPark In-hwanHwang Jung-minA love story about two people who meet while battling serious illnesses.I really only liked this because Lim Su-jeong is adorable beyond belief.
- DirectorJung Ji-wooStarsChoi Min-sikJeon Do-yeonJu Jin-moWhen a wife becomes the breadwinner of her family after her husband loses his job, adultery becomes part of her life.Great gender reversal sexy sad film. Jeon Do-yeon fans, don't miss this one.
- DirectorChil-in KwonStarsLee Mi-sookKim Min-heeSoheeA screenwriter dreams of success and has a boyfriend who is a member of an unsuccessful rock band. Her sister, an interior designer, meets an actor she falls for. Her niece is trying to figure out how to get her first kiss from her boyfriend. Three stories about life and dating.A surprisingly funny and intelligent "chick-flick". Kim Min-hie plays drunk way better than that Sassy Girl.
- DirectorKyun-dong YeoStarsOh Ji-hoLee Ji-hyunOn one gloomy rainy night, a writer encounters an unexpected visit paid by a woman of his past. Seeking solitude from her ex-lover, she finds solace in this gentleman; and from that day on, they cherish every inch of each others body and indulge in ecstasy until her forbidden past is gradually revealed.Very sexy arthouse softcore ... because it's not a happy film.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsSong Kang-hoShin Ha-kyunBae DoonaA recently laid off factory worker kidnaps his former boss' friend's daughter, hoping to use the ransom money to pay for his sister's kidney transplant.My favorite of the Trilogy.
- DirectorJeong KimStarsHui-jin ChoeYang Eun-yongChoi Hee-jinThis film captures people looking for something in various frames; a woman searching for her missing sister, a wandering animator, and people at a highway stop. That is not the only information recorded on the screen, but also the pulse of life.A fairly odd film, but just the right amount of pathos to engage.
- DirectorHong Sang-sooStarsKim Seung-wooGo Hyun-jungSong Seon-miA movie director entices his young friend to come to the beach on the pretext of writing a script. He then starts an affair with the friend's girlfriend.The only HONG Sang-soo film I like.
- DirectorSang Man KimStarsSoo AeYoo Ji-taeMa Dong-seokSun-young, a popular radio host, decides to quit her job to take care of her ill-daughter. But, the last day of her job turns nightmarish when a murderer takes her family hostage.Nice ride.
- DirectorKang Hyeong-cheolStarsYoo Ho-jeongShim Eun-kyungJin Hee-kyungSeven girls become good friends in high school, then events pull them apart for 25 years. When one of the friends lies dying in a hospital, she wishes to see each of them one last time.
- DirectorKyoung-Rock HamStarsLee Ho-CheolSeok-yeon HongJi-Won ParkStories takes place in disable people. The story starts when one of the disable persons starts an affair. She end up pregnant as a result of the affair. It portrays how the disable girl cope with the pregnancy and the preparation for the new baby on board.
- DirectorIn-ho YunStarsSeok KimLee Se-yeongMyeong-jae KimA life of nine year old... It ain't an easy life! Yeo-min is a matured and thoughtful 9 year old boy who lives in a small mountain village. Even at his young age, he has too many things to take care of. First, he has to protect his friends from the neighborhood bully Black Bird and keep peace in his neighborhood. Second, he must share his lunch with his best friend Ki-jong who lives alone with his sister. And, third, he has to sell ice cream bars after school to save enough money to buy a pair of sunglasses for his mother who injured her eye while working at a factory. He is a good son to his parents and a loyal friend to his buddies. He does well in spelling tests and has completely memorized the multiplication table. He is a nine year old boy who thinks he knows everything he needs to know about the world he lives in. Until... Even as a nine year old, there is a girl you want to protect! One day, a pretty city girl moves into his village. Her name is Woo-rim and she is by far the snottiest and the most stuck up girl he has ever met. However, the day she walks into his life, everything falls into a great confusion. He feels this funny feeling inside for the first time in his life. He asks Pal-bong, the neighborhood closet philosopher, for an advice but he's too busy trying to figure out his own love trouble. Finally, Yeo-min confesses his love to Woo-rim through an anonymous letter. Unfortunately, the letter ends up in his teacher's possession and he has to bear the embarrassment of reading it out loud in front of his classmates. Everything starts to get tangled up into a big mess and when things can't get any worse, he gets accused for stealing Woo-rim's money. Everything seems to go out of his control and it seems like he's getting close to the end of his rope... School, love, friendship and his family... Can Yeo-min overcome all the obstacles and safely pass through the ninth year of his life?
- DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsWon BinKim Sae-ronKim Tae-hoonA quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.
- DirectorMyung-rang ParkStarsKwak Do-wonKim Jae-yeongLee JehoonA bad guy, a cruel guy, a lame guy, a cowardly guy and the meanest woman gets involved in a beautiful university student's murder case.
- DirectorLee HanStarsKim Hee-aeKo Ah-sungKim Hyang-giCheon-ji's unexpected suicide causes her mother Hyeon-sook and older sister Man-ji to be moved into another apartment. Tracking down clues from school, Man-ji discovers that Cheon-ji's best friend Hwa-yeon is behind everything.
- DirectorKwon LeeStarsHyun Jun KimJo Kyeong-sookGreena ParkEun Jin has been unlucky in her six relationships. With her seventh man she is determined to make it work, even if he is a bit awkward and unromantic. But is he hiding something?
- DirectorIm Kwon-taekStarsKim Gyu-riKim Ho-jungPark Jeong-sikA middle-aged man who has recently lost his wife to cancer indulges in fantasies about a young woman at his work.
- DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsLee Yoo-miHa Jung-wooLee Hee-joonWhen the attempt to kill a professor goes wrong, a series of violent events are triggered which force a taxi driver to run for his life.
- DirectorChil-in KwonStarsChu Ja-hyeonHan Soo-yeonChan JungFilm examines the matters of labor and love. A couple stuck in a boring marriage both fall into affairs with the wife's girlfriend and the husband's colleague.
- DirectorKim Tae-yongStarsTang WeiHyun BinJames C. BurnsAn adulterous wife, in prison for killing her husband, learns her mother has passed away in Seattle. Officials grant her a 3-day furlough to attend her funeral, when on the bus she meets a man who doesn't have enough money to for his fare.
- DirectorLu ZhangStarsHan YeriYang Ik-joonPark Jung-bumThis is a story about a girl which three insignificant men care deeply about. The men look up to the girl considering her to be an idol of their own. But one day, a new guy appears in her life.