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'.
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
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
Haemoo ( Sea Fog ) (2014)
6.9/10
Director: Sung-bo Shim
Starring: Yun-seok Kim, Yoo-chun Park, Ye-rin Han
Down on their luck, a commercial fishing vessel takes on a cargo of thirty illegal immigrants and attempts to smuggle them from China to Korea. Howeve... 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
Pieta (2012)
7.2/10
Director: Kim Ki-duk
Starring: Jeong-jin Lee, Min-soo Jo
In this intensely haunting story, a loan shark lives an isolated and lonely existence, using brutality to threaten and collect paybacks from desperate... Read more
A Werewolf Boy (2012)
7.4/10
Director: Sung-Hee Jo
Starring: Joong-ki Song, Bo-yeong Park
Summoned by an unexpected phone call, an elderly woman visits a cottage she used to live in as a child. She begins to recall her memories of a boy she... Read more
Masquerade (2012)
7.8/10
Director: Choo Chang-Min
Starring: Byung-hun Lee, Ryoo Seung-Ryong, Han Hyo-Joo, Kim In-Kwon
A royal body double risks everything to save his beloved country from collapse in this historical drama set during Korea's Joseon Dynasty, and inspire... Read more
The Tower (2012)
6.5/10
Director: Ji-hoon KIm
Starring: Kyung-gu Sol, Sang-kyung Kim, Ye-jin Son
A freak helicopter accident over a Seoul high-rise apartment complex turns the skyscrapers into a towering inferno. Now the buildings' manager and loc... Read more
Doomsday Book (2012)
5.9/10
Director: Kim Jee-Woon, Yim Pil-sung
Starring: Doona Bae, Kang-woo Kim, Joon-ho Bong, Ji-hee Jin, Yun-hie Jo
Two directors. Three visions of the future. One mindblowing story. This fantastical anthology film paints a challenging picture of a world hurtling to... 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