The 40 Best Korean Movies of the Decade (2011-2020)

30. I Have a Date With Spring (Baek Seung-bin, 2018)

Despite the seriousness of these messages, his approach is more playful and terrifying than dramatic, since the film includes strange creatures, deaths, violence and much humor, mainly deriving from the schoolgirl arc, through the utter inappropriateness in the behaviour of the man she meets. Through this approach, Baek nullifies the borders of the art-house film, which forms the principal aesthetics of the film, and instead transcends into the genre movie, something that definitely benefits the entertainment the film offers. This tactic is implemented quite nicely by Kim Hyung-joo's editing, who retains a relatively slow pace that picks up, though, during the climax of each arc. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

29. Move the Grave (Jeong Seung-o, 2019)

The director shows us family that is not at all a poster one. Its members don't seem to like each other very much, don't seem to meet very often, but paradoxically – care about each other and are quite familiar with each other's problems. The special bond connects the sisters. They constantly need to fight their place and redefine their roles in a male-dominated traditionally patriarchal society, and they are used to do so since the early childhood, when their brother was getting whatever the best (food, clothes or room of his own), while they needed to share. (Joanna Kończak)

28. Last Child (Shin Dong-seok, 2017)

Shin Dong-seok directs a genuine drama, where grief and sadness seem to encircle all aspects of life, and the moments of joy are few and brief. Using the concept of the “lost child” and examining how the parents can cope with a loss of that magnitude, Shin presents a number of social comments that deal with parenthood, bullying, the way schools function in order to protect their fame, coping with grief, forgiveness, and truth and its consequences. His story follows the lines of “nothing good goes unpunished” in the harshest way, in a tale that keeps getting worse as the script progresses. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

27. Fanfare (Lee Don-ku, 2019)

“Fanfare” is an entertaining and suspenseful blend of thriller and drama, while also containing elements of humor. Lee Don-ku directs an efficient, and well-timed movie which will likely stay with the audience for quite some time and is certainly candidate for a future cult movie. (Rouven Lin)

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26. A Taxi Driver (Jang Hoon, 2017)

Jang Hoon takes a new approach to the subject, through a story that is split in two parts. The first one takes place in Seoul, and has a rather comedic style, as we witness the “adventures” of a poor devil trying to make ends meet, a style in which Song Kang-ho thrives. Some dramatic sequences are still present, through his relationship with his daughter, but are minor. The second part takes place after their arrival in Gwangju, with the film transforming into a rather pointy drama, which occasionally functions as an agonizing action thriller. The simply entertaining moments are not missing from here also, as in the scene in Tae-sool's house, but the drama is the one that dominates this part. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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25. Mrs B., A North Korean Woman (Jero Yun, 2016)

I spent around 70 minutes with Mrs. B. During this duration, I lived with her two families and got to know about two decades of her lifetime. I still don't know her name but as the documentary came to an end, I felt worried for her fate. When a person is split between two things – both of which are equally important, what does one do? I hope singing about one's sorrow and inhibition helps. (Shikhar Verma)

24. Extreme Job (Lee Byeong-heon, 2019,)

Comedy might be underestimated as a genre, since it is quite hard to do it properly and the trick is to make it look easy and effortless. In that and every other sense, “Extreme Job” is an enormous success with a high score for laughs and probably one of the best and most hilarious comedies in years. The success is even bigger having in mind that Korean cinema is not usually known for that kind of comedies. Well, maybe the filmmakers should have tried it earlier, but it is never too late. (Marko Stojiljkovic)

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 23. The Bacchus Lady (Lee Jae-yong, 2016)

Lee Jae-yong pens and directs a film, which, at least in the beginning, is very hard to watch. Apart from the whole concept of the elderly prostitute, which is not very easy to witness (at least to my eyes), there are also some sex scenes between elderly, which, although feature almost no nudity, are rather graphic, with the realistic sound making them quite difficult to stand. However, as the story progresses, the film becomes more subtle, after having presented realistically, the actual work conditions of these women. After that point, Lee retains a somewhat relaxed rhythm, although the utterly sad ending sets things straight, regarding the reality of So-yeong's life. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

22. In the Absence (Yi Seung-jun, 2016)

“In the Absence” is a very impactful documentary that sheds much light to a series of events that shocked a whole nation, and a great introduction to anyone who wants to know about the Sewol tragedy. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

21. Veteran (Ryoo Seung-wan, 2015)

“Veteran” is a pacy, exciting piece of cinema which thrives in its uncomplicated script and smooth execution. Even at over two-hours long, the film moves at a frantic pace, aided superbly by comedic beats which, even if occasionally outlandish, always seem to hit the mark. Thus, Ryoo Seung-wan's largest directorial box-office triumph makes for a sublime watch, and is a silver-screen success which continues to hold up. (Nathan Sartain)

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