The 10 Best Korean Films, As Seen Through International Eyes

While no single genre can define an entire national cinema, thriller has long been a particular strength of Korean filmmaking, with directors like Bong Joon Ho and Park Chan-wook achieving global recognition for blending extreme violence with pitch-black humor. What follows is a countdown of the ten Korean films that make the finest introduction to the country's cinema for international audiences.

10.Christmas in August, 1998

At No. 10 sits Hur Jin-ho's 1998 debut “Christmas in August,” a restrained romantic drama about a terminally ill photo-studio owner that has endured as a modern Korean classic.

9.House of Hummingbird, 2018

No. 9 is Kim Bora's 2018 coming-of-age film “House of Hummingbird,” following a 14-year-old girl navigating a chaotic family and the search for connection.

8.Love in the Big City, 2024

No. 8 is the 2024 drama “Love in the Big City,” adapted from Park Sang-young's novel, starring Kim Go-eun and Noh Sang-hyun as inseparable friends carving out space for themselves in a conservative society.

7.The Wailing, 2016

Na Hong-jin's 2016 supernatural horror “The Wailing” takes No. 7, praised for sustaining dread over more than two hours in a remote village gripped by a mysterious illness.

6.Save the Green Planet!, 2003

No. 6 is Jang Joon-hwan's 2003 cult oddity “Save the Green Planet!”, an alien-conspiracy black comedy widely regarded as tonally ahead of its time.

5.The Housemaid, 1960

Kim Ki-young's 1960 melodrama “The Housemaid” ranks No. 5 as a foundational influence on the auteurs who followed.

4.On the Beach at Night Alone, 2017

No. 4 is Hong Sang-soo's 2017 drama “On the Beach at Night Alone,” starring Kim Min-hee in a reflective, autobiographically tinged story of an actress processing a publicized affair.

3.The Handmaiden, 2016

Park Chan-wook's 2016 “The Handmaiden” takes No. 3, a Japanese-colonial-era con-artist thriller that stands as a flawless entry in Park's filmography for its escalating betrayals and political undertones.

2.Parasite, 2019

Bong Joon Ho's Palme d'Or and Best Picture winner “Parasite” (2019) claims No. 2, pure entertainment built around an unpredictable class war between two families.

1.Burning, 2018

Topping the list at No. 1 is Lee Chang-dong's “Burning” (2018), adapted from a Haruki Murakami short story and regarded as one of the best films of the century for its slow-burning, ambiguous portrait of male loneliness starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, and Jeon Jong-seo.