The place Korean cinema now holds in the international film circuit owes much to this particular category, since it was the films back in the beginning of the century that kickstarted the new Golden Era of the country's movie industry,. Titles like “Old Boy“, “Memories of Murder“, “The Chaser“, “I Saw the Devil” and a plethora of others are still mentioned frequently in Best oF lists of movies from the country or the category, and actually remain the most renowned among western viewers, along, of course, “Parasite“. Evidently, the industry rode this wave a bit too far during the 2010s, with crime thrillers coming out from every side, to the point that a number of them seem like they were produced on an “assembly line” due to how similar they look like and function. However, even in this maze of mediocrity, there are still a number that stand out, which we included in this list, as an accompaniment to the one we compiled some years ago.
A few notes regarding the selection. Thriller and horror are two categories that frequently intermingle and, occasionally, are quite difficult to tell apart. The difference, however, is that the first aim at making their audience feel agony and angst while the second, fear. As usually, we decided to focus on contemporary films, thus excluding great titles like “The Housemaid” for example, while movies where action is a more crucial part of the narrative than “the case”, were also left out (“Veteran” for example) Lastly, as our focus is on diversity, we also included films that occasionally ignore the “rules” of the genre, thus straying a bit from what is usually perceived as crime thriller.
You can read our full reviews when available, by clicking on the titles
1. A Company Man (Lim Sang-yoon, 2012)
“A Company Man” is the impressive debut of Lim Sang-yoon as a director. The film addresses the ever-popular theme of a lonely, silent, first-class contract killer who goes berserk and seeks revenge from the company he works and dedicated a huge part of his life serving….Fans of action-thriller movies will not be disappointed by the “A Company Man” due to its quite tight script and adrenaline-filled final arc.” (Maria Georgiou)
Buy This Title
2. Asura: The City of Madness (Kim Sung-su, 2016)
The power struggles between all the characters, along with the constant shifting of both loyalties and the upper hand, are the backbone of an intricate script, which is concluded, in the most spectacular fashion, in the final sequence of the film. Furthermore, Kim presents a clear message regarding corruption, which, according to him, touches every aspect of Korean society, including justice and politics. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Watch This Title
3. Beasts Clawing at Straws (Kim Yong-hoon, 2020)
That kind of re-contextualization might be a tough bite to chew for an inexperienced filmmaker, but Kim seems like someone who knows what he is trying to achieve, even if the viewers are left in the dark for a long period of time. His basic storytelling is clever and efficient, with both the sense for particular details and wider social landscape, with the use of the colour scheme both for coding the character's intentions and painting the worlds of the rich and the poor being one of the movie's high points. Editor Han Mee-yeon deserves the praise for his work, and so do the cinematographer Kim Tae-sung and the production designer Han Ah-reum.(Marko Stojiljković)
Buy This Title
4. Bring Me Home (Kim Sung-woo, 2019)
“Bring Me Home” is both a bleak and slow film with a strong message about human suffering, particularly in the sacrifices mothers make for their children. The pace picks up near the end during the showdown between Jung-yeon and the bad cop; it's quite suspenseful and thrilling to watch.(David Chew)
Buy This Title
5. Children… (Lee Kyoo-man, 2011)
“Children…” is a great film, which excels in all aspects, with the sole exception of the last part, which actually deprives it of masterpiece status. It is also a good chance for the spectator to discover a case that shocked the country for more than a decade. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Subscribe to AMP newsletter by clicking on the image below
6. Dark Figure of Crime (Kim Tae-kyun, 2018)
“True-story movies in general are hard to nail and can suffer of occasional plunges of tension along the way but “Dark Figure of Crime”'s blend of top-notch acting, confident direction, svelte editing and few comic-relief additions makes it a solid and entertaining work.” (Adriana Rosati)
Buy This Title
7. Derailed (Lee Seong-tae, 2016)
“Derailed” is a great film, that benefits the most from its direction, script, and acting, while the ending scene will probably haunt its audience for quite some time. Kim Ki-duk seems to have left quite a legacy in the country. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
Buy This Title
8. Fanfare (Lee Don-ku, 2019)
Lee Don-ku pens and directs a great story, which unfolds in a number of layers and through many twists, despite the single location it is shot. These twists mostly derive from the many changes regarding the one in charge, as the power balance changes a number of times, in a fashion that keeps the interest and the agony till the Tarantino-like finale (Panos Kotzathanasis)
9. Forgotten (Jang Hang-jun, 2017)
“There may be flaws, such as the score feeling ever so slightly too light and hollow at times, but minor critiques such as those do not belittle what is so evidently an attentive piece of cinema. The true triumphs are in the understated moments; the straining cuts on Ji-seok's battered feet, the supposed straight-edge brother cockily smoking, and the forlorn gazes of suicidal hopelessness in the dismal final scene. Ergo, “Forgotten” is a movie part intriguing, part shocking, but nonetheless a stunningly told thriller which explores just how far one will drive them-self to find answers.” (Nathan Sartain)
10. Heart Blackened (Jung Ji-woo, 2017)
“Heart Blackened” is a strong entry in the mystery thriller genre, if not so much in the courtroom drama genre. It is an entertaining, engrossing watch that deserves to be seen for a very strong performance from one of South Korea's greatest actors.” (Rhythm Zaveri)
The article continues on the next page
