8 Amazing Korean Films to add to your watch-list!
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- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoKim Sang-kyungKim Roe-haIn a small Korean province in 1986, two detectives struggle with the case of multiple young women being found raped and murdered by an unknown culprit.Joon-ho Bong’s film is so delightfully twisted that you’ll pull all your hair out in complete bewilderment. Set in the year 1986, a big-city cop is summoned to preside over the investigation on serial killings of multiple young women, along with two clumsy amateurs. Their journey leads them to disconcerting depths and leaves viewers burning with mixed feelings of curiosity, sorrow and defeat.
- DirectorKim Jee-woonStarsLee Byung-hunChoi Min-sikJeon Gook-hwanA secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.Byung-Hun Lee and Min-sik Choi efficaciously play the lead characters in this crime-thriller (with shades of horror) that turns the classic ‘cop v/s killer’ scenario on its head. The thin line that separates good and bad begins to fade as the film draws to a close, with psychological turmoil in tow. It was unofficially remade in India as ‘Ek Villain’.
- DirectorNa Hong-jinStarsKim Yoon-seokHa Jung-wooSeo Yeong-hieA disgraced ex-policeman who runs a small ring of prostitutes finds himself in a race against time when one of his women goes missing.Call-girls go missing and a former cop-turned-pimp seeks answers. Inspired by an actual Korean serial-killer Yoo Young-chul, ‘The Chaser’ is backed by strong scripting and magnificent performances. The film fetched a multitude of awards on release and was chosen to be remade by Warner Bros (no update as yet) in a William Monahan directorial potentially starring Leonardo Dicaprio. It was (rather unfaithfully) reimagined in Hindi as ‘Murder 2’.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsKim Hye-jaWon BinJin GooA mother desperately searches for the killer who framed her son for a girl's horrific murder.Hye-ja Kim is a revelation and her performance, as the mother of an intellectually-disabled twenty-eight year old who’s framed for the horrendous murder of a young girl, is nothing short of outstanding. ‘Mother’ features plenty of exceptional scenes.
- DirectorLee Jeong-beomStarsWon BinKim Sae-ronKim Tae-hoonA quiet pawnshop keeper with a violent past takes on a drug-and-organ trafficking ring in hope of saving the child who is his only friend.A lonely shop-keeper is pushed to the limit of returning to his violent past when a little girl (who he considers his only friend) is abducted by an organ-trafficking ring. Marked by two scintillating central performances (from Bin Won and Sae-ron Kim) and a tonne of action set-pieces, ‘The Man from Nowhere’ is a thoroughly engaging affair.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.Featuring the daddy of all twists, ‘Old Boy’ is widely regarded as one of the best Korean films ever made. The concept of ‘revenge’ is presented in a highly unconventional manner in ‘Old Boy’. Min-sik Choi, Yoo Ji-tae and Kang Hye-jung shine in their respective character portrayals.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsKim Min-heeHa Jung-wooCho Jin-woongA woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.‘The Handmaiden’ is a majestic blend of eroticism, revenge, psychological thrills and visual ecstasy set in Japanese-occupied Korea during the 1930s. It has been inspired from the novel ‘Fingersmith’ by Welsh writer Sarah Waters, and is narrated in three parts.
- DirectorBong Joon HoStarsSong Kang-hoByun Hee-BongPark Hae-ilA monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.This monster flick is able to strike a chord with most viewers for its classy performances, brilliantly executed action set-pieces and dramatic heft. Another standout feature is the frequent lightening of tone through exchanges sprinkled with humour.