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'.
Birthday Boy (2004)
6.6/10
Director: Sejong Park
Sejong Park's Oscar-nominated short from Australia, telling the story of a young boy in the Korean war and the arrival of an unexpected package on his... Read more
Bichunmoo (2000)
Director: Young-jun Kim
Starring: Hyeon-jun Shin, Hee-seon Kim, Jin-young Jeong, Dong-jik Jang
The most expensive film ever made in Korea, "Bichunmoo" is a sweeping epic set in 14th century China where the warrior Jin-ha and concubine Sullie hav... Read more
The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)
7.3/10
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Byung-hun Lee, Woo-sung Jung
Korean director Ji-woon Kim nods to the spaghetti western with this treasure hunt flick set in the wilds of 1930s Manchuria. A hitman (the Bad) is hir... Read more
Attack the Gas Station (1999)
7.1/10
Director: Sang-Jin Kim
Starring: Sung-jae Lee, Oh-seong Yu, Seong-jin Kang, Ji-tae Yu, Yeong-gyu Park, Jun Jeong,...
An imaginative and stylish Korean comedy, satirising the prolific Asian crime genre and South Korea's social turmoil. Four bored youths decide to rob... Read more
The Housemaid (2010)
6.5/10
Director: Im Sang-soo
Starring: Do-yeon Jeon
A sensation at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Korean director Im Sang-soo's remake of the classic 1960 film is the story of Eun-yi (Jeon Do-yeon, Cann... Read more
Train to Busan (2016)
7.5/10
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Starring: Jung Yu-mi, Gong Yoo
When a mysterious virus breaks out across the country, the infected turn into the murderous undead. A few terrified travellers find themselves trapped... Read more
A Bittersweet Life (2005)
7.6/10
Director: Kim Jee-Woon
Starring: Min-a Shin, Byung-hun Lee, Yeong-Cheol Kim
For the past seven years super-smooth Sun-woo (Byung-hun Lee) has served his gangster boss with unflinching loyalty. He is such a trusty that his bos... Read more
Oasis (2002)
8/10
Director: Chang-dong Lee
Starring: Nae-sang Ahn, So-ri Moon, Kyung-gu Sol, Seung-wan Ryoo
Hailed as a seminal film of the Korean New Wave, acclaimed director Lee Chang-dong's "Oasis" is the story of the struggle of two social misfits to fin... 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
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