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

20. New World (Park Hoon-jung, 2013)

Park Hoon-jung directs an agonizing crime thriller, which contains the usual violence, anti-heroes, impressive action sequences, and stylish gangsters in their suits, along with the much-loved plot twists. However, the film's main point of excellence is its characters, with the thin balance that dominates their relationships constantly shifting, in a game of death where nothing is improbable, as it is most eloquently stressed in the film's finale. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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19. House of Hummingbird (Kim Bo-ra, 2018)

Kim Bo-ra has created Eun-hee, a 90's Korean girl, to channel the angst that all adolescents experience; the fear of facing an Ocean on a tiny raft. In a poignant scene near the end, the three siblings at dusk watch the collapsed Seongsu Bridge, showing their emotions unashamedly. They are three little sprouts, overwhelmed by the tragedies that life can throw at you, and yet destined to process it and move on. (Adriana Rosati)

18. Clean Up (Kwon Man-ki, 2018) 

“Clean Up” is a poignant drama, impactful and thought provoking; a portrait of a deviated yet beautiful humanity and a layered metaphor. Together with “House of Hummingbird” is one of the best South Korean movies I have seen this year so far and a very promising debut for director Kwon Man-ki. (Adriana Rosati)

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17. The King of Pigs (Yeon Sang-ho, 2011)

Yeon Sang-ho (who is responsible for the direction, script, editing, character design and key animation, among others) uses the school environment to make a very harsh remark about a number of aspects of Korean society. The racism in school, where all students are classified according to the wealth of their families, who even give money to the school for their children to receive special treatment, is a main point of focus, as it highlights the concept of class warfare. The privileged are known as “dogs,” while the bottom ones, as the three protagonists, are known as “pigs.” The subsequent bullying that ensues from top to bottom is another key element of the film, as is the social injustice involved, with the teachers pretending not to realize what is going on, and always turning on the “pigs”. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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16. Moebius (Kim Ki-duk, 2013)

Kim's obvious purpose was to shock his audience and he definitely succeeded in doing so. Almost every onerous notion is present in “Moebius”, including self-torture, misogynism and Oedipal inclinations. Adding to the sense of perversion erupting from the movie is the almost complete absence of dialogue, a tactic meant to force the spectator to focus on the very graphic images… Evidently, “Moebius” is a very difficult film for somebody to watch, a fact stressed by its obvious low budget. (I found myself sweating in a number of scenes although I am not at all strange to movie violence). However, if one were to surpass the shock, he would discover a true masterpiece of the grotesque. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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15. Lucky Chan Sil (Kim Cho-hee, 2019)

Kim Cho-hee has put to good use her insider knowledge of the industry, without exceeding in movie snobbism, to create a humorous character in turmoil and a story of transition and hope. (Adriana Rosati)

14. Beast Clawing at Straws (Kim Yong-hoon, 2020)

Adapted from a Japanese novel by Keisuke Sone, the film is, in its simplest form, about a very recognizable Louis Vuitton bag of money. Several people are after it throughout the movie, some for more sinister reasons than others. The film starts off broad, separated, and every character having their own set-up, storyline, and motivations. You'd say this could become boring, but it sets the film up nicely without losing the plot, and the humor throughout really helps set the pace for what is quite a serious movie later on. (Reinier Brands)

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13. Han Gong-ju (Lee Su-jin, 2013)

Lee Su-jin in his debut directs and pens a powerful, touching and occasionally brutally realistic film. His strongest point is the depiction of the protagonist, with the camera following her from a very close distance, drawing the spectator deeper and deeper in her world. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

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12. Merry Christmas Mr Mo (Lim Dae-hyeong, 2016)

The narrative, which is split in five chapters, also moves towards the same direction, while the gradual revealing of Mr Mo's true personality, which actually lasts until the very end, also being one of the biggest traits of the film. The same applies to Ha Hyeon-jin's minimal, bluesy music that fits the general atmosphere of the movie perfectly. (Panos Kotzathanasis)

11. The Man Standing Next (Woo Min-ho, 2020)

“The Man Standing Next” is a terrific film, a fine return to form for director Woo Min-ho after the stink-bomb that was “The Drug King”. It features two superstar actors bringing their A-game to a production that has a very engrossing script accompanied by strong technical merits. The film is a triumph both as an entertaining political thriller and a history lesson and is an early entry into my personal year-end “Best of” lists. Be sure to check this out. (Rhythm Zaveri)

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