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'.
3-Iron (2004)
8.1/10
Director: Kim Ki-duk
Starring: Lee Seung-yeon, Jae Hee, Kwon Hyuk-ho
Breaking into mansions while the homeowners are away, an enigmatic drifter repays his hosts' unwitting hospitality by performing small chores in the r... Read more
Blood and Bones (2004)
7.1/10
Director: Yoichi Sai
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Hirofumi Arai, Tomoko Tabata, Jo Odagiri, Kyoka Suzuki
Japanese icon Takeshi Kitano plays Shunpei Kim, a Korean immigrant who comes to Osaka as a teenager in1920. Working at a fish factory, Kim claws his w... 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
3 Extremes (2004)
6.3/10
Director: Takashi Miike, Chan-wook Park, Fruit Chan
Starring: Kyoko Hasegawa, Atsuro Watabe, Byung-hun Lee, Won-hee Lim, Hye-jeong Kang, Jung-...
Three of Asia's hottest directors join forces for this horror triple. Hong Kong's Fruit Chan, Korea's Park Chan-wook and Japan's Takashi Miike each co... Read more
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
The Ghost ( aka Dead Friends ) (2004)
7.1/10
Director: Tae-gyun Kim
Starring: Ha-Nuel Kim, Nam Sang-mi, Bin , Yi Shin
Ji-won (Kim Ha-Neul) is a bright young student with a promising future, but her past is a blank beyond a mysterious incident from some time ago. Hard... Read more
Brotherhood of War (2004)
8.1/10
Director: Je-Gyu Kang
Starring: Dong-kun Jang, Bin Won, Eun-joo Lee
Korea's leading filmmaker, Kang Je-gyu, wrote and directed this epic-scale drama focussed on two brothers forced into the war that tore their nation a... Read more
Arahan (2004)
6.8/10
Director: Seung-wan Ryoo
Starring: Seung-beom Ryu, So-yi Yoon, Sung-kee Ahn
Justice-seeking cop Sang-hwan, trying to rid the world of criminals, shuns no efforts to unravel the mysteries of Taoist power. Luck is on his side as... Read more
Untold Scandal (2003)
7.1/10
Director: Je-yong Lee
Starring: Mi-suk Lee, Do-yeon Jeon, Yong-jun Bae, Hyeon-jae Jo, So-yeon Lee
An excellent Korean adaptation of the French novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, set amidst the aristocracy of the 18th century Chosun Dynasty. Lady Cho... Read more
Memories of Murder (Blu-ray) (2003)
8.1/10
Director: Joon-ho Bong
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Sang-kyung Kim, Roe-ha Kim, Jae-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Seo-hie K...
Based on the true story of Korea's first recorded serial killer, and set during the politically charged '80s this film fairly crackles with tension.... Read more