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13 Best Korean Movies You Need to See (Beyond Parasite)
Oldboy, Memories of Murder, Train to Busan, The Handmaiden, Burning and more: the Korean films that made the world pay attention.
DailyMovieHub TeamEditorial team3 min read
Parasite made Korean cinema famous worldwide, but it didn't come out of nowhere. Korean directors have been making some of the boldest thrillers, horror films and dramas anywhere for more than twenty years.
If you have only seen Parasite, start here. (Looking for series instead? See our best K-dramas.)
1. Oldboy (2003)
★ 8.22h 0mThriller · MysteryKorean
Directed by Park Chan-wook · Starring Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae
A man is locked in a room for 15 years without being told why, then suddenly released and given five days to find his captor. Park Chan-wook's revenge thriller has a famous one-take hallway fight and an ending you won't forget.
Very violent. Adults only.
2. Memories of Murder (2003)
★ 8.12h 11mCrime · Drama · ThrillerKorean
Directed by Bong Joon Ho · Starring Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung
In 1980s rural Korea, a team of detectives with very different methods hunts a serial killer. Based on real murders, Bong Joon Ho's film is funny, frustrating and haunting.
Watch it if you liked Parasite. Same director, same mix of humour and darkness.
3. Train to Busan (2016)
★ 7.81h 58mAction · Horror · ThrillerKorean
Directed by Yeon Sang-ho · Starring Gong Yoo, Kim Su-an
A zombie outbreak hits Korea, and passengers on a high-speed train to Busan fight to survive. Gong Yoo leads one of the best zombie films ever made, with a lot of heart.
4. The Handmaiden (2016)
★ 8.22h 25mThriller · Drama · RomanceKorean
Directed by Park Chan-wook · Starring Kim Min-hee, Kim Tae-ri
In 1930s Korea under Japanese rule, a young woman is hired as a maid to a rich heiress as part of a con. Inspired by Sarah Waters' novel *Fingersmith*, it is gorgeous, twisty and adult.
5. Burning (2018)
★ 7.42h 28mMystery · Drama · ThrillerKorean
Directed by Lee Chang-dong · Starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun
A young delivery man, a girl from his old neighbourhood and a mysterious rich man played by Steven Yeun. Based on a Haruki Murakami short story, Lee Chang-dong's film is a slow, eerie mystery that stays with you.
6. The Wailing (2016)
★ 7.42h 36mHorror · MysteryKorean
Directed by Na Hong-jin · Starring Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min
A strange illness spreads through a mountain village after a stranger arrives, and a clumsy policeman tries to save his daughter. Long, frightening and impossible to predict.
7. I Saw the Devil (2010)
★ 7.82h 24mThriller · HorrorKorean
Directed by Kim Jee-woon · Starring Lee Byung-hun, Choi Min-sik
A secret agent hunts down the serial killer who murdered his fiancée, and revenge turns him into something terrible too. Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik face off in an extremely violent thriller.
8. A Taxi Driver (2017)
★ 8.02h 18mAction · Drama · HistoryKorean
Directed by Jang Hoon · Starring Song Kang-ho, Thomas Kretschmann
A Seoul taxi driver agrees to drive a German journalist to Gwangju in May 1980, not knowing he is heading into a brutal crackdown. Based on real events, with Song Kang-ho at his most likeable.
9. Decision to Leave (2022)
★ 7.32h 19mThriller · Mystery · RomanceKorean
Directed by Park Chan-wook · Starring Tang Wei, Park Hae-il
A detective investigating a man's fall from a mountain becomes obsessed with the dead man's wife. Park Chan-wook won Best Director at Cannes for this elegant romantic mystery.
10. Mother (2009)
★ 7.72h 9mCrime · Drama · MysteryKorean
Directed by Bong Joon Ho · Starring Kim Hye-ja, Won Bin
When her son is charged with murder, a mother sets out to prove him innocent, whatever it takes. Kim Hye-ja is extraordinary in another Bong Joon Ho gem.
11. The Host (2006)
★ 7.02h 0mHorror · Drama · Science FictionKorean
Directed by Bong Joon Ho · Starring Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong
A monster crawls out of Seoul's Han River and snatches a girl, and her messy family sets out to rescue her. Funny, scary and political all at once.
12. Exhuma (2024)
★ 7.72h 14mMystery · Horror · ThrillerKorean
Directed by Jang Jae-hyun · Starring Choi Min-sik, Kim Go-eun
A team of shamans and a feng shui expert move a wealthy family's ancestral grave, and wake something that should have stayed buried. One of Korea's biggest recent hits.
13. Miracle in Cell No. 7 (2013)
★ 7.92h 8mDrama · ComedyKorean
Directed by Lee Hwan-kyung · Starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Park Shin-hye
A man with an intellectual disability is wrongly imprisoned for murder, and his fellow inmates help him see his young daughter. A famous tearjerker. Have tissues ready.
How we picked
We chose Korean films that critics and audiences around the world still recommend, across thriller, horror and drama.
Frequently asked questions
What should I watch after Parasite? Memories of Murder or Mother, both by Bong Joon Ho.
What is the best Korean horror movie? Train to Busan for action, The Wailing for pure fear.
Are these available with English subtitles? Yes, on all major streaming platforms. Check each card for options in your country.
Ratings, runtimes and streaming availability come from TMDB and JustWatch and update automatically. Availability differs by country.