Well, even if it was not evident to everyone during that past few years, in 2024 it became more than obvious. The Korean movie industry is in big trouble, suffering from a number of structural issues, including the transition of a number of talent to TV-dramas from cinema, which has essentially suffocated it on a number of levels, but mostly regarding scripts. This year, we had a hard time finding even 15 titles to fill the particular list, with the only glimmer of hope coming from the fact that a number of shorts of quality were released this year (again).
Not much more to say, here are the 15 Best Korean Movies of 2024. Some films may have premiered in 2023, but since they mostly circulated in 2024, we decided to include them.
15. Knitting My Heart by Oh Ji-hyeon
The way Oh implements deadpan humor is hilarious, with the face of Anu Heeyeun Shin being one of the main mediums, in a truly exceptional performance. At the same time, the transition from a somewhat bitter comedy to a romance is excellent, with the flashback working nicely in that regard. If the first part makes one laugh, the second one will definitely put a smile on the face of every viewer, with the way Ji-gwang finally understands Eok-du being as smart as it is amusing. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
14. Hunted Owl Family by Jin Roh
While Zhang Uidon highlights the idea of a person feeling trapped and in danger of being caught, Kim Cheolyun and Hong Sooyeong emphasize the need for their characters to break out and get in touch with the world outside. We get the feeling of the family sticking together, but also certain members losing track of one another, adding further to the dramatic aspects of the story. Again, this is all done through the aforementioned aesthetic choices and with no dialogue, stressing the preciseness in the feature altogether. “Hunted Owl Family” is a spy drama which feels modern as well as a return to some of the roots of the genre. Director Jin Roh succeeds in creating an aesthetically and narratively pleasing short feature which shows a great talent for visual storytelling and precise direction. (Rouven Linnarz)
13. Fragment by Kim Sung-yoon
Upon its premiere in competition, “Fragment” went on to win two awards at the Busan International Film Festival, the CGV Award and Chorokbaem Media Award, both of which feel justified, for this is a very assured and promising debut for Kim Sung-yoon, whose strong writing and directorial hand are further helped by the earnest and accomplished performances his young actors put on display. (Rhythm Zaveri)
12. Victory by Park Beom-su
The production also makes the most of its leading ladies’ dancing abilities, choreographing largely pleasing cheerleading sequences, even if more acrobatic sequences, whose absence is fairly explained within the script, could have been welcome. Park Jeong-hoon’s cinematography shies away from being flashy, instead satisfied in capturing the pastel colours of the costumes and the sets effectively, alongside some lovely wide shots that show off the feature’s seaside town location. In the end, “Victory” may not rewrite the rulebook for cheerleading films or indeed underdog stories, but ends up putting on a winning show thanks to its charm, wit, warmth, humour and a terrific bunch of actresses who light up the screen with their chemistry. (Rhythm Zaveri)
11. I’m Here to See the House by Junh Yoon-ah
Lee Young-hun’s cinematography includes long shots in order to highlight the exteriors and the many close ups in interiors, in an approach that works nicely for the movie. Choi Cha-mi’s editing results in a relative fast pace that suits the aesthetics nicely, while adding to the tension the short emits. “I’m Here to See the House” is an excellent movie, one that manages to make its realistic comments in quite eloquent and entertaining fashion, and a testament to the intense progress Korean cinema has been exhibiting in short filmmaking during the last few years. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
