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'.
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
The City of Violence (2006)
6.7/10
Director: Seung-wan Ryoo
Starring: Doo-hong Jung, Seung-wan Ryoo, Beom-su Lee
A Seoul cop learns that an old friend, and ex-gangster, has been murdered and returns to his hometown for the funeral, only to find that something eve... Read more
3 Extremes 2 (2002)
Director: Peter Ho-Sun Chan, Kim Jee-Woon, Nonzee Nimibutr
Starring: Hye-su Kim, Bo-seok Jeong, Suwinit Panjamawat, Leon Lai, Eric Tsang, Eugenia Yua...
Another collection of three chilling shorts from innovative Asian directors. From Korea Ji-woon Kim's, 'Memories' is about a woman (Hye-su Kim) who w... Read more
Woochi: Goblin Wizard (2009)
6.7/10
Director: Dong-Hoon Choi
Starring: Dong-won Kang
Aka "Jeon Woochi: The Taoist Wizard". Begins in the Chosun Dynasty in 1509 and involves a trio of Taoist wizards, a magician named Jeon Woo-chi (Dong-... Read more
The Taste of Money (2012)
5.8/10
Director: Im Sang-soo
Starring: Kang-woo Kim, Baek Yun-shik, Yoon Yeo-Jung, Kim Hyo-jin
An ambitious young executive (Kim Kang-woo) thought he had it made when he landed an entry-level job with the corporation owned and run by one of Seou... Read more
The Thieves (2012)
6.8/10
Director: Dong-Hoon Choi
Starring: Simon Yam, Ha-kyun Shin, Hye-su Kim, Yun-seok Kim, Gianna Jun, Hae-sook Kim, Jun...
Five thieves at the top of their game, and the crew is assembling for their biggest job yet. The job's hot, maybe too hot, but who can resist the Tear... 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
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
The Harmonium In My Memory (1998)
7.4/10
Director: Lee Young-jae
Starring: Do-yeon Jeon, Byung-hun Lee
A charming and touching drama telling the simple and moving story of 17-year-old Yun (Do-yeon Jeon), who develops a crush on her new teacher. What mak... 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