Are you tired of watching the same sitcoms every night? Because we really do know how difficult it is to find a good movie, especially when the tub of popcorn is running cold. Ever thought that a change of scenery might do you some good, movie-wise? So, instead of giving you a rundown of the best US, UK or European movies currently streaming on Netflix, we have decided to change the beat a bit and talk about the greatest, most thrilling movies ever to come out of Korea. As always, we encourage you to sit back, relax, and enjoy our show.
1. Train to Busan (2016)
Let’s start our rundown with something that’s to everyone’s liking – zombies. “Train to Busan” tells the story of Seok-Woo, a man caught between two words – his family whom he neglected over the past couple of years and his job as a fund manager. Divorced and spending more time at his job than with his young daughter, Seok-woo agrees to take his daughter to see her mother living in Busan as a birthday present. The girl’s fairytale-like rendezvous with her mother goes awfully wrong after a mysterious woman with a bite mark on her leg boards the same train. As you would imagine, the woman turns into a zombie, attacking everyone on sight.
The movie mostly focuses on Seok-woo’s trip to the city where his former wife lives. However, to get there, he and his daughter are forced to traverse a wasteland where undead dangers lurk at every corner. Thrilling, dramatic, grinding, and altogether amazing, this South Korean Production raked over $93.1 million and rounded up over 11 million viewers in South Korea alone.
2. Mother (2009)
A jaw-dropping approach to the hardships a lonesome mother is forced to endure to protect her only child from a society looking for a scapegoat, Mother tells the story of an unnamed mother who lives in a South Korean rural town. Widowed, the woman spends most of her time selling medicinal herbs and practicing acupuncture to raise Yoon Do-joon, her only son, who suffers from extreme shyness and is often prone to violent fits. The mother’s life would take a turn for the worse the moment her son meets Jin-tae, a local man struggling to stay out of the trouble.
Don-joon’s story takes a dramatic turn the night he decides to follow a high-schooler into an abandoned home. As fate would have it, authorities discover a young girl’s body on the rooftop. Lacking evidence, the homicide detectives pin the murder on Do-joon and even convince him to sign a confession, sealing his fate. After that, it’s up to the boy’s mother to find a way to prove her son’s innocence.
3. Lucid Dream (2017)
If you’re in the mood for a great science-fiction/ mystery movie, then you should definitely not miss out Lucid Dream, South Korea’s take on Inception. The movie spins the story of Dae-ho and his quest of finding out what happened to his son. Abducted more than three years ago, Dae-ho, who’s an investigative journalist by trade, decides to retrace his memory for some clue that might lead to the child’s whereabouts. With the help of a psychiatrist and a detective, Dae-ho undergoes hypnosis, only to discover that he can take control of his dreams. Honing his skills, Dae-ho will soon discover a way to enter other people’s dreams.
4. Tunnel (2016)
Gut-wrenching, intense, tear-jerking – these are the words that can truly describe Kim Seong-hun’s The Tunnel. The movie tells the story of Lee Jung-soo, a father who wants to get home in time for his daughter’s birthday. While traversing a long mountain tunnel, the structure collapses. Losing consciousness for a couple of seconds, Lee Jung-soo finds himself in a struggle for his life, where every minute counts. Upon discovering that someone has survived the tunnel collapse, Dae-kyung, the leader of the rescue team contacts Lee Jung-soo on his cellphone to teach him how to survive until help arrives.
5. Forgotten (2017)
And the last item on our list has all the tell-tale signs of a good suspense/mystery movie – amnesia, one man in search of the truth, while the other one is not what he appears to be. As the story of Forgotten goes, Jin-seok becomes the victim of a kidnapping. The experience was so traumatizing for him that he lost his memory. Yoo-seok, Jin-seok’s younger brother offers to help his brother figure out what happened during his time spent with the captors and to regain his memory. But is he really who he pretends to be?
These are our top 5 picks of the best Korean movies currently streaming on Netflix. For more information about which movie or TV show is available on the streaming platform, visit Netflix Guides. There, you will find both information on which movie is in or out of Netflix’s menu, or more suggestions on what to watch according to your tastes.
Conclusion
There you have it, folks – only the best South Korean cinematography has to offer. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a beer and some snacks and enjoy the weekend.
