The 10 greatest South Korean thrillers
In recent decades, South Korea has emerged as a powerful nation in the realm of cinema, particularly when considering the great works in the thriller genre. Countless thriller movies of the highest order of quality have been released, including those that weave together violent and psychologically harrowing narratives.
Since censorship restrictions were lifted on filmmakers at the end of the 20th century in South Korea, directors set about pushing the boundaries of the thriller genre and began to unflinchingly dive into the darkness and depravity of humankind in order to deliver some seriously intense works of film.
Moral ambiguity often runs amok in the greatest South Korean thrillers, which invites audiences to question their own ethical standpoints. In addition, the craftsman-like quality of South Korean directors always comes to the fore in the thriller genre and sees some striking cinematography and sound design aid their film’s harrowing stories of justice and vengeance.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of the greatest South Korean thriller movies ever made, including films made by the likes of Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook and Na Hong-jin. So, from tales of bloody revenge to works of social critique, hang on to your seats and prepare for the most thrilling South Korean cinematic journeys of all time.
The 10 best South Korean thriller movies:
10. Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-ho, 2016)
We begin with Yeon Sang-ho’s brilliant Train to Busan, which manages to weave together a high-octane action frenzy with a touch of considered social commentary. Narratively, Train to Busan tells of a man and his young daughter who take a high-speed train from Seoul to Busan following the outbreak of a zombie apocalypse.
The tension of the film is ramped up in the claustrophobic confines of the train, but it’s the way that Yeon makes his characters so emotionally resonate that gives the film its overall quality. The makeup and special effects of the zombies are matched in excellence by some brilliant cast performances, making Train to Busan simply unmissable.
9. Burning (Lee Chang-dong, 2018)
While Lee Chang-dong’s Burning is not the kind of movie we normally expect of the thriller genre, the way that it transcends its tropes makes it deserving of a place on this list. Based on ‘Barn Burning’, a short story from Haruki Murakami, Burning tells of a mysterious love triangle between a hopeful writer, his childhood friend and a strange and enigmatic man of considerable wealth, with disastrous consequences.
Unlike most thrillers, Burning tells its story slowly, which helps to create an ongoing sense of ambiguity and unease in the audience. Existential despair seems to run amok amongst the protagonists of Lee’s film and with some of the best cinematography in Korean cinema, Burning is a thriller classic of the country’s cinematic wares.
8. The Wailing (Na Hong-jin, 2016)
Alongside the thriller genre, it’s fair to say that Korean cinema has always done horror just as well, and Na Hong-jin’s The Wailing is the perfect blend of the two. Taking place in a small village ravaged by a series of strange and violent occurrences, The Wailing tells of a police officer who goes hunting for the truth behind their arrival.
When a terrifying stranger also turns up in the village, thrilling tension ensues and an eerie sense of dread pervades the narrative. In addition, the themes of religion and supernatural help to give The Wailing its unique flavour while a mesmerising performance by Kwak Do-won makes the film stand out in terms of its emotional and psychological appeal.
7. The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook, 2016)
Filmmaker Park Chan-wook has often proven himself to be one of the greatest Korean directors, particularly in the thriller genre, and in 2016, he delivered one of his best-ever works. Based on Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, Park’s The Handmaiden transports the book’s action to 1930s Korea under Japanese colonial rule.
Narratively, the film tells of a young con artist who is hired as a handmaid by a wealthy heiress with the hopes of swindling her of her fortune. However, as the film progresses, a series of manipulative events keep the audience guessing, and each of the many (erotic) twists and turns is aided by some of the best visuals ever seen in Korean cinema and some starkly powerful performances from Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-ri.
6. The Chaser (Na Hong-jin, 2008)
The cat-and-mouse trope of the thriller genre has frequently been explored, but few films have done it as well as Na Hong-jin’s directorial debut, The Chaser. The film focuses on a disgraced ex-police detective turned pimp who discovers that a number of his employees have been found dead at the hands of one of the most brutal serial killers the screen has ever seen.
The South Korean capital of Seoul is shown in all its gritty underground glory, a darkened metropolis where corruption and immorality has left the city’s enforcement institutions in ruin. The Chaser, as the title suggests, features some of the greatest chase sequences ever committed to film and the confrontations between protagonist Joong-ho and the serial killer leave audiences on the edge of their seats dying for more.
5. I Saw the Devil (Kim Jee-woon, 2010)
In terms of sheer brutality and violence, one of the greatest Korean thrillers is Kim Jee-woon’s I Saw the Devil, which has been celebrated for the way it unflinchingly explores the theme of revenge. Lee Byung-hun plays a secret agent who sets out on a journey to find and bring justice to Choi Min-sik’s savage killer who brutally murdered his beloved fiancé.
As stated, the violence of I Saw the Devil is what sets it apart from other movies in the Korean thriller genre, but what is equally impressive is the way that it provokes questions of morality in the audience. As Kim Soo-hyun seeks vengeance on the psychopathic Kyung-chul, we are invited to ask ourselves to what extent we ought to go to bring justice to our loved ones.
4. Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019)
Widely considered not just a masterpiece of the Korean thriller genre but one of the greatest movies of the 21st century, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite made history at the Academy Awards by becoming the first non-English-language film to win ‘Best Picture’. A strikingly important film that explores the class disparity in South Korea, Bong was back at the top of his game for his 2019 masterpiece.
Parasite tells of a poverty-stricken family who slowly and coercively assimilate themselves into positions of employment for a wealthy household, although what begins as a funny social satire quickly gives way to a tight and tense thrilling narrative. Perhaps what’s most important about Parasite, though, is indeed the way it exposes the unfairness of capitalism while fusing the comedy, horror and thriller genres, as Bong has become so renowned for.
3. The Housemaid (Kim Ki-young, 1960)
As this list proves, there has been a huge resurgence in the quality of Korean cinema in the 21st century, but one can still go back many decades and find thrillers from the country that stand up in brilliance even today. Take, for instance, Kim Ki-young’s The Housemaid, which is considered a truly influential film that inspired countless movie directors from Korea.
The Housemaid focuses on a composer who hires a housemaid for his middle-class family only to find himself at the centre of a jealous web of vengeance at the hands of a femme fatale archetype. Like the proceeding Parasite, Kim’s film managed to weave together tense horror and social criticism and the claustrophobic atmosphere of The Housemaid makes it a true classic of Korean cinema.
2. Memories of Murder (Bong Joon-ho, 2003)
Maybe believe that Parasiteis Bong Joon-ho’s best-ever movie, but true fans of the iconic contemporary director know that his finest moment came several years before in the shape of Memories of Murder. If there is one thing that Bong is a master of, then it’s combining genre and his 2003 effort masterful pulls together the tropes of comedy, thriller, drama and social commentary.
At its core, Memories of Murder, which features truly excellent performances from Song Kang-ho and Kim Sang-kyung, focuses on a series of real-life-inspired murders in Hwaseong investigated by an inept local cop and a serious Seoul detective. What’s best about Bong’s film, though, is its overall tone and the way that it makes an audience laugh even amid an exploration of genuine darkness, creating an atmosphere of intrigue and unease.
1. Oldboy (Park Chan-wook, 2003)
When it comes to the greatest thriller movie of South Korea, though, the title simply has to go to Park Chan-wook’s 2003 effort Oldboy, which features some of the most shocking narrative twists of all time. Choi Min-sik plays a man who is held captive for 15 years without knowing the reasons why or the identity of his captor. When released, Oh Dae-su sets out on a journey to find vengeance but finds that he is still a part of a wider personal conspiracy.
The performance of Choi is perhaps one of the best Korean cinema has ever seen, while it’s the sheer braveness of the story of Oldboy that makes it a genuine masterpiece. Featuring one of the most impressive and thrilling action sequences of all time and a narrative that constantly keeps an audience on their toes, Park’s film is well deserving of its position as the greatest South Korean thriller movie ever made.