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'.
The Chaser (2008)
7.9/10
Director: Hong-jin Na
Starring: Yun-seok Kim, Jung-woo Ha, Yeong-hie Seo, In-gi Jung, Hyo-ju Park
Jung-ho is a former cop turned pimp. He is a foul-tempered, hard-talking man driven by the pursuit of easy money. So when some of his girls start goin... 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
The Duelist (2006)
6.4/10
Director: Myung-Se Lee
Starring: Ji-won Ha, Sung-kee Ahn
In old Korea a corrupt Minister seizes power and begins printing counterfeit money that throws the economy into disarray. Detective Namsoon and her p... Read more
The Front Line (2011)
7.4/10
Director: Jang Hun
Starring: Ha-kyun Shin, Go Soo, Seung-su Ryu
The battle for a strategic stronghold heats up as the Korean War winds to a bloody close in this war drama from director Jang Hun. Korea is in crisis... 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
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
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
The Host (2006)
7/10
Director: Joon-ho Bong
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Hie-bong Byeon, Ah-sung Ko, Hae-il Park, Bae Doo-na
AKA 'Gweomul'. 'Godzilla' meets 'Alien' in this monster movie with everything, from Korean director Joon-ho Bong. Following a careless toxic waste le... 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
The Isle (2001)
7/10
Director: Kim Ki-duk
Starring: Jung Suh, Kim Yoo-Seok, Park Sung-Hee
'The Isle' tells the tale of a beautiful woman living on an eerie, remote lake selling food to fisherman by day, and her body by night. When the woman... Read more