Korean Cinema
Dubbed the 'new Hong Kong', Korean cinema has taken the international film world by storm with its brutal and confrontational style and original political perspectives. Encompassing both the North and South Korean industries it is the films from the south that have become worldwide hits. From border security thriller, 'JSA' to the haunting 'Oasis' to the mesmerising madness of 'Old Boy', Korean cinema is bold, diverse and here to stay.
Pictured: Horror-chiller already slated for an American remake, 'A Tale of Two Sisters'.
Minari (2020)
7.5/10
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Will Patton
Yearning to own a small patch of land and be more than a chicken sexer, the ambitious paterfamilias, Jacob Yi, relocates his Korean-American family: s... Read more
Minari (Blu-ray) (2020)
7.5/10
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Steven Yeun, Yeri Han, Will Patton
Yearning to own a small patch of land and be more than a chicken sexer, the ambitious paterfamilias, Jacob Yi, relocates his Korean-American family: s... Read more
Mother (2009)
7.8/10
Director: Joon-ho Bong
Starring: Weon Bin, Jin Gu
Widowed for a long time, a mother lives alone with her only son. He is 28 years old, a shy and quiet young man. In the aftermath of a terrible murder,... Read more
Murder Take One (2005)
6.4/10
Director: Jin Jang
Starring: Seung-won Cha, Ha-kyun Shin, Jung-ah Park, Ji-su Kim
A crackling blend of murder mystery and deadpan satire, Jin Jang's adaptation of his own play begins with the homicide of a woman in a hotel room - a... Read more
Musa: The Warrior (2001)
6.2/10
Director: Sung-su Kim
Starring: Woo-sung Jung, Zhang Ziyi, Sung-kee Ahn, Jin-mo Ju, Yong-woo Park
It is 1375 and tribal clans are at war. When the Korean peace envoys are betrayed, they escape and stumble across a Ming Princess (Zhang Ziyi) and the... Read more
My Way (2011)
7.8/10
Director: Je-kyu Kang
Starring: Jo Odagiri, Dong-gun Jang
Aspiring (and rival) marathon runners Jun-shik (Dong-gun Jang) and Tatsuo (Jo Odagiri) must put their dreams of glory on hold when they are conscripte... Read more
Natural City (2003)
5.8/10
Director: Byung-chun Min
Starring: Ji-tae Yu, Jae-un Lee, Rin Seo, Chan Yoon
Post-apocalypse 2080. Cyborgs with artificial intelligence, great strength and emotion exist but they live just a few short years. Cue star-crossed... Read more
New World (2013)
7.6/10
Director: Hoon-jung Park
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Jung-Jae Lee, Jeong-min Hwang
The head of the Goldmoon crime syndicate is dead, leaving his top two lieutenants. Seizing the opportunity, the police launch an operation called New... Read more
No Blood No Tears (2002)
6.1/10
She drives a cab on the night shift and meets every scum there is. Gyung-sun lives a scant life day by day, but she used to be a professional safecrac... Read more
No Mercy for the Rude (2006)
7.2/10
Director: Cheol-hie Park
Starring: Ha-kyun Shin, Ji-hye Yun, Min-jun Kim, Su-heui Go, Byeong-ok Kim
Brutal violence blends with post-modern comedy and absurd set-pieces in this hip Korean flick about a man with a severe speech impediment who refuses... Read more