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'.
Seoul Raiders (2005)
5.6/10
Director: Jingle Ma
Starring: Tony Leung (Chiu Wai), Shu Qi, Richie Ren, Jeong-jin Lee, Meme Tian
Wisecracking private eye Lam (Tony Leung) jets off to Seoul on the trail of a thief who has stolen a valuable counterfeiting money plate. A raucous s... Read more
Shadowless Sword (2005)
6.5/10
Director: Young-jun Kim
Starring: Hyeon-jun Shin, So-yi Yoon, Seo-jin Lee, Ki-yong Lee, Ji-Woo Choi
A sword-slinging Korean martial arts epic set in the year 925 A.D., Prince Balhae has been assassinated and the kingdom is under attack and in turmoil... Read more
Silmido (2003)
7.2/10
Director: Kang Woo-Suk
Starring: Sung-kee Ahn, Kyung-gu Sol, Jun-ho Heo, Jae-yeong Joeng, Seong-jin Kang
In 1968, a group of North Korean commandos crossed the border in a failed attempt to assassinate South-Korean president Park Chung-hee. Outraged, Sou... Read more
Spider Forest (2004)
6.6/10
Director: Song Il-gon
Starring: Woo-seong Kam, Jung Suh, Kyeong-heon Kang, Hyeong-seong Jang, Byung-ho Son
TV journalist Kang Min wakes up in a reputedly haunted forest and finds a gruesome murder scene nearby. He gives chase to the perpetrator but loses hi... Read more
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring (2003)
Director: Kim Ki-duk
Starring: Oh Yeong-Su, Kim Ki-duk, Kim Yeong-min
A tiny Buddhist monastery floats on a raft amidst a breathtaking landscape, tended to by a solitary Monk. Into this serene setting comes a young child... Read more
Sympathy For Lady Vengeance (2005)
Director: Chan-wook Park
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Yeong-ae Lee, Il-woo Nam, Byeong-ok Kim, Bu-seon Kim, Mi-ran Ra
The final instalment in Chan-wook Park's vengeance trilogy, after 'Sympathy for Mr Vengeance' and 'Old Boy', this follows the story of Guem-ja, impris... Read more
Sympathy For Mr Vengeance (2002)
7.7/10
Director: Chan-wook Park
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Ha-kyun Shin, Bae Doo-na, Ji-Eun Lim, Bo-bae Han
The first part of Chan-wook Park's revenge trilogy, precursor to the incredible 'Old Boy', centres around a young deaf man, Ryu and his dying sister.... Read more
Tell Me Something (1999)
6.6/10
Director: Yoon-Hyun Chang
Starring: Eun-ha Shim, Suk-kyu Han, Hang-Seon Jang, Jung-ah Yum
After accepting cash from an underworld figure to pay his dying mother's medical bills, Seoul detective Cho sees a chance at redemption when he takes... Read more
The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2015)
7.2/10
Director: Kim Han-min
Starring: Min-sik Choi, Ryu Seung-ryong, Jinwoong Jo
1597. Joseon Dynasty. Korea has been under relentless Japanese attack for six years. On the eve of the nation's defeat, Admiral Yi Sun-Shin is reappoi... Read more
The Age of Shadows (2016)
7.2/10
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Starring: Gong Yoo, Kang-ho Song, Byung-hun Lee
Korea in the late 1920s is under Japanese occupation. Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang-ho, Snowpiercer), a Korean-born police captain in the Japanese police... Read more